50% Industrial Property Fee Reduction in Vietnam

From July 1, 2025, industrial property fees will be officially reduced by 50% as stipulated in Circular 64/2025/TT-BTC of the Ministry of Finance. This is a practical action within a support package lasting until December 31, 2026, aimed at alleviating financial difficulties for businesses, individuals, and organizations in the procedures for registering industrial property rights-including patents, designs, trademarks, and geographical indications. The following article from Viet An Law will provide a detailed analysis of the 50% Industrial Property Fee Reduction in Vietnam.

The impact of fee reduction on businesses and individuals

The issuance of Circular 64/2025/TT-BTC by the Ministry of Finance, which stipulates a 50% reduction in industrial property fees from July 1, 2025, until the end of December 31, 2026, has created many positive impacts on entities exercising intellectual property rights.

First, the fee reduction policy contributes to encouraging businesses to invest more strongly in innovation. With the fee reduced by half, the legal cost of protecting intellectual property-which was a significant burden for small and medium-sized enterprises-becomes more reasonable and accessible. This encourages businesses to proactively register protection for intangible assets such as inventions, industrial designs, and trademarks, thereby minimizing the risk of being copied or facing disputes over rights. Furthermore, the fee reduction also creates conditions for businesses to invest in long-term strategies to protect intellectual assets when expanding into international markets.

Second, for individuals, the fee reduction makes it easier for them to access the industrial property protection system. Many independent inventors, lecturers, students, and research groups often face financial difficulties when they want to register a patent or an industrial design for their creative products. Thanks to the fee reduction policy, they can carry out protection registration procedures at an affordable cost, creating conditions for new products and technological solutions to be protected and commercialized in an official and secure manner.

50% Industrial Property Fee Reduction in Vietnam from July 1, 2025

Based on Article 1 of Circular 64/2025/TT-BTC, which regulates the collection rates, exemption of fees, charges to provide assistance for enterprises and the people, the following applies:

Industrial property fee will be equal to 50 % of the fee rates specified in Section A of the Schedule of industrial property fees and charges promulgated together with Circular 263/2016/TT-BTC dated November 14, 2016, of the Minister of Finance on rates, collection, payment, and management and use of industrial property charges and fees:

50% Industrial Property Fee Reduction from July 1, 2025

For fees for filing applications for registration of protection of industrial property rights:

• Fees for filing application (including applications for separation or transfer of ownership): 75,000 VND
• Fees for extension of time limit for response to the notification of the charge and fee collector: 60,000 VND

For fees for issuance of Protection certificates and certificates of registration of industrial property right assignment contracts:

• Fee for issuance of protection certificates: 60,000 VND
• Fee for each independent point/plan/group from the second onwards: 50,000 VND
• Fee for issuance of Certificates of registration of industrial property right transfer contracts: 60,000 VND

For fees for maintenance, renewal, invalidation, or annulment of Certificates of industrial property right protection:

• Fee for maintenance/renewal of validity term (per type of object): 50,000 VND
• Fee for late maintenance/renewal of validity term (applicable to each month of late submission): 5% of the fee for maintenance/renewal
• Fee for application for invalidation/annulment of protection certificates: 25,000 VND

For fees for issuance of industrial property representation service practice certificates, and declaration, registration of industrial property representative:

• Fees for issuance of industrial property representation service practice certificates: 100,000 VND
• Fee for publication of decisions on issuance of industrial property representation service practice certificates, name deletion, or information amendment: 75,000 VND
• Fee for registration of decisions on issuance of industrial property representation service practice certificates, name deletion, or information amendment: 75,000 VND

Note:

Based on Clause 1, Article 4 of Circular 263/2016/TT-BTC, as amended and supplemented by Clause 1, Article 1 of Circular 31/2020/TT-BTC, fees and charges relating to industrial property rights shall be paid at the fee levels prescribed in the Schedule of fees and charges related to industrial property rights enclosed herewith. In cases where an international treaty to which Vietnam is a signatory provides for industrial property rights-related fees different from the ones prescribed in this Circular (except fees for international registration of marks under the Madrid Protocol in which Vietnam is designated as prescribed in Point 6.4 Section B of the Schedule of fees and charges related to industrial property rights enclosed herewith), the fees shall be paid according to that international treaty.

Which entities are eligible for the fee reduction policy?

The policy to reduce industrial property fees by 50% from July 1, 2025, until the end of December 31, 2026, is stipulated in Article 1 of Circular 64/2025/TT-BTC dated June 30, 2025, of the Ministry of Finance, effective from July 1, 2025. Accordingly, all organizations and individuals who are responsible for paying fees as stipulated in Circular 263/2016/TT-BTC are eligible for a fee rate equal to 50% of the original fee schedule.

Specifically, the following groups of entities will benefit from the fee reduction policy:

Entities will benefit from the fee reduction policy

Domestic individuals and organizations that need to register industrial property rights

According to Clause 4, Article 4 of the Intellectual Property Law 2005, as amended and supplemented in 2022, organizations and individuals have the right to register and exercise industrial property rights for inventions, industrial designs, trademarks, layout designs,… Therefore, all individuals, household businesses, enterprises, research institutes, universities, political-social organizations,… when filing an application or performing a procedure related to industrial property, are subject to the fee reduction policy under Circular 64/2025/TT-BTC.

Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) companies operating in Vietnam

Pursuant to Article 89 and Article 89a of the Intellectual Property Law 2022, foreign organizations and individuals have the right to file applications and request industrial property protection in Vietnam either directly or through an industrial property representative.

Therefore, FDI companies (with representative offices, branches, or legal entities in Vietnam) that fulfill fee obligations during the effective period of Circular 64/2025/TT-BTC also belong to the group of entities eligible for the fee reduction.

Organizations and individuals practicing as industrial property representatives

According to Article 154 of the Intellectual Property Law, individuals with a practice certificate and organizations recognized by the Intellectual Property Office of Vietnam can represent others in carrying out procedures for registration, renewal, transfer, and granting of protection titles,… During their practice, industrial property representatives must pay various fees as per Circular 263/2016/TT-BTC, such as:

• Fees for the issuance of industrial property representation service practice certificates
• Fee for publication of decisions on the issuance of industrial property representation service practice certificates, name deletion, or information amendment

These fees are also included in the list of items to be reduced by 50% according to the Appendix issued with Circular 64/2025/TT-BTC.

Conditions for applying the fee reduction policy

To be eligible for the policy, the person paying the fee must meet two conditions:

• The time of fee payment must be within the period from July 1, 2025, to December 31, 2026.
• The fee must be on the list of reduced fees, specifically the fees in the field of industrial property specified in Section A of Circular 263/2016/TT-BTC.

The time of fee payment is determined by the actual date of payment at the Intellectual Property Office of Vietnam, regardless of the date the application dossier was signed.

How are industrial property fees collected?

Based on the provisions of Article 7 of Circular 23/2023/TT-BKHCN, fee collection is carried out as follows:

• When receiving or requesting the performance of procedures concerning the collection of fees and charges, the Intellectual Property Office of Vietnam shall request the applicant to pay the fees and charges as per regulation (issue receipts to the applicant).
• When collecting fees and charges, the Intellectual Property Office of Vietnam shall issue receipts to use as documentation on payment of fees and charges, specifying the collected fees and recording such information in the related application to use for the appraisal of such application.
• In case the fees and charges are paid through postal services or transferred to the bank account of the Intellectual Property Office of Vietnam, the collection shall be confirmed via copies of receipts in the application.

How are fees collected, payed, managed, and used?

According to the provisions of Article 12 of the Law on Fees and Charges 2015, the collection, payment, management, and use of fees are regulated as follows:

• For regulatory agencies:
• Fees from public services provided by regulatory agencies shall be paid to the state budget, except for expenses for activities of providing such public services.
• For public service units:
• Part or whole of fees from public services provided by public service providers shall be used to pay off expenses for provision of services, collection of fees based on cost estimates approved by competent state agencies, and the remaining shall be paid to the state budget.

The use of the deducted or retained fee amount, as per Clause 1, Article 12 of the Law on Fees and Charges 2015, is as follows:

• The amount of money set apart for collectors to pay off expenses for the provision of services and collection of fees. Based on the nature and characteristics of each kind of fee, competent state agencies shall make a decision on the amount of money being left for collectors.
• The amount of money left shall be managed and used according to the law provisions; final settlement should be made annually. The unspent balance in the year shall be transferred to the following year for spending as prescribed.

Part or whole of fees from public services provided by organizations as assigned by competent state agencies shall be used to pay off expenses for provision of services, collection of fees, and the remaining shall be paid to the state budget. Management and use of fees are prescribed by the law.

Above is the information on the issue of the 50% Industrial Property Fee Reduction in Vietnam. Clients who have related questions or need legal support, please contact Viet An Law Firm for the best support!