Setting up an FDI company providing Cinema Services in Vietnam

In recent years, the Vietnamese film market has grown strongly with a scale of over 150 million USD, attracting many foreign investors. From July 1, 2025, when the new administrative model with two provincial and communal levels officially applies, the procedures for establishing a foreign-invested company in the field of film screening have been streamlined, creating favorable conditions for investors to access the market. Currently, major brands such as CGV, Lotte Cinema (Korea), Galaxy Cinema and BHD Star Cineplex, Beta (Vietnam) are holding the leading position, contributing to promoting the diverse and quality development of the film screening industry. To support foreign investors in carrying out the procedures for establishing a business under the new regulations, Viet An Law would like to send our customers preliminary advice on setting up an FDI company providing cinema services in Vietnam.

Investment forms and conditions for setting up an FDI company providing Cinema Services in Vietnam

Permitted investment forms

According to Article 8 of the Law on Cinematography and Clause 2, Article 17 of the Law on Investment 2020 (amended and supplemented in 2023), foreign investors can only choose one of the following two forms to invest in the film screening sector:

• Establish a joint venture economic organization with a Vietnamese organization or individual that has the function of showing movies (with the foreign ownership ratio not exceeding 51% of the charter capital);
• Sign a business cooperation contract (BCC) with a Vietnamese organization or individual that has the function of showing movies.

Conditions on partners and industries

• The Vietnamese partner must be a film enterprise with a legal operating license.
• The enterprise must register its business line of film screening services (code 5914 according to the regulations on business registration).
• It is not allowed to cooperate with organizations such as cultural houses or mobile film clubs.

Detailed investment conditions

• Ensure that the proportion of Vietnamese films shown accounts for at least 20% of the total screen time during holidays and Tet (Article 24 of the Law on Cinematography 2022)
• Comply with regulations on film screening hours for children not ending after 22:00 (Article 24, Decree 131/2022/ND-CP regulating film screening hours for children in the cinema system).
• Comply with regulations on film content, child protection, and not showing films that have not been censored or do not have a license to be distributed in Vietnam.
• Ensure financial capacity to implement investment projects according to the provisions of the Law on Investment, including providing legal capital sources and financial capacity to operate film screening activities.
• For large investment projects, it may be necessary to register the investment policy before applying for an investment certificate (according to Article 30 of the Law on Investment 2020).

Procedures for setting up an FDI company providing cinema services in Vietnam

Step 1: Register for investment

Foreign investors need to prepare the following documents:

• Document requesting to implement an investment project.
• Documents verifying legal status:
• For organizations: a copy of the Certificate of Establishment or equivalent legal documents is required for verification.
• For individuals: provide a copy of the Identity Card, Citizen Identification Card or Passport.
• Investment project proposal, including detailed information about the investor, objectives, capital sources, project scale, capital mobilization plan, implementation location, investment time and progress, labor demand, as well as socio-economic impact assessment and investment incentive proposal.
• Proof of financial capacity of the investor:
• For organizations: can submit financial reports of the last 2 years, or financial commitments from parent organizations, financial institutions or other documents proving financial capacity.
• For individuals: provide documents certifying account balance or Savings book.
• Head office lease contract and documents proving the lessor’s right to lease (Certificate of land use rights, Construction permit or equivalent documents).
• Proposal for land use (if not receiving land from the state, a copy of the site lease agreement or documents proving land use rights is required).
• Explanation of technology use (if the project uses technology with restricted transfer): including technology name, process diagram, origin, technical parameters and equipment status.
• Business cooperation contract (BCC) (if any).

Processing time: 15 days from the date the Department of Finance (former Department of Planning and Investment) receives the complete application, the investment registration agency shall issue the Investment Registration Certificate. In case of refusal, the investor must be notified in writing, and the reasons must be clearly stated.

Step 2: Register to establish an enterprise

After receiving the Investment Registration Certificate, the enterprise must carry out the following enterprise registration procedures:

Pursuant to the amended Law on Enterprise 2025, Decree 168/2025/ND-CP, the dossier includes:

• Application for enterprise registration
• Company charter
• List of members of a limited liability company or list of shareholders of a joint stock company;
• A valid copy of one of the following certification documents:
• Valid ID card or Passport for individuals;
• Enterprise registration certificate for organizations and attached personal identification documents, authorization document of the organization’s authorized representative;
• Capital contribution decision for company members and company shareholders being organizations;

Place to submit documents: Business Registration and Corporate Finance Department – Hanoi Department of Finance (This is for Hanoi city, depending on the locality, the department name will have different names)

Processing time: 03 working days

Result: Enterprise registration certificate

Step 3: Apply for a film distribution license

The dossier includes:

• Application for license;
• Film copyright certificate.

Film establishments requesting a film distribution license must submit one set of documents directly or by post to the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism/Department of Culture and Sports (depending on the locality, the name will be different).

The competent authority shall issue a Film Distribution License. In case of refusal to issue a license, a written response stating the reasons must be given.

Note for setting up an FDI company providing Cinema Services in Vietnam

Film classification and distribution

Films must be classified before being distributed

According to Article 9 of the Law on Cinematography 2022 and Clause 1 of Article 18, films can only be distributed if they have a Classification License issued by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, or a Broadcasting Decision issued by a press agency with a television license.

Announcement of Film Screening Plan

According to Article 23 of the Law on Cinematography 2022, the cinema establishment must send the list, time and location of the film screening to the management agency – usually the provincial Department of Culture – Sports – Tourism. If there is no response after 5 days, the activity can be carried out

Vietnamese film ratio and children’s showtime

• Vietnamese film screening rate: 2023–2025 period: at least 15% of total screenings, especially during major holidays.
• From 01/01/2026: increase to at least 20%
• Vietnamese and children’s film screening time frame: Priority is given to the 6pm to 10pm slot for Vietnamese films
• Film screening time for children under 13 years old must end before 10pm; children under 16 years old before 11pm

Regulations on preferential tickets

Movie theaters must exempt or reduce tickets (at least 20%) for children, the elderly, the disabled, and people with revolutionary contributions.

Film deposit and archiving

Films must be kept in a copy at the licensing authority for 12 months (Vietnamese films) or according to licensing regulations (imported films). This ensures transparency and serves inspection and supervision.

Mobile cinema in remote areas

According to the Law on Cinematography and Decree 54/2010/ND-CP, the state supports equipment and costs for organizing mobile film screenings in mountainous areas, islands, and ethnic minority areas. This is implemented by provincial or communal authorities.

Add practical examples

Establishment of a joint venture film screening company

• A-B Vietnam Co., Ltd. (Korea contributes 45% of capital).
• Apply for Investment Registration Certificate and register enterprise at the Provincial Department of Planning and Investment, film screening industry code 5914.
• Arrange screening schedule for Vietnamese films at least 15% in the first year; expected to reach ≥ 20% from 2026.
• Submit film classification documents to licensing authority; notify screening plan to Department of Culture; ensure to target priority time frame 18-22h and end before 22h for children’s films.

Above is the advice of Viet An Law on some legal issues related setting up an FDI company providing cinema services in Vietnam. If you have any related questions or need legal support, please contact Viet An Law for the best support.