Renewal of international travel service license in Vietnam

The procedure for renewing an international travel license is a statutory procedure to ensure the legal operation of businesses operating in the tourism industry when there are changes in their operations. Especially for international travel licenses (or License for provision of travel services), with the participation of foreign businesses, the renewal procedure requires high compliance. In the following article, Viet An Law will present the procedures for the renewal of international travel service license in Vietnam according to current updated regulations.

Legal basis

• Law on Tourism 2017.
• Decree details several articles of the tourism law, as amended and supplemented by Decree 94/2021/ND-CP.
• Circular 06/2017/TT-BVHTTDL details several articles of the Law on Tourism, as amended and supplemented by Circular 13/2021/TT-BVHTTDL.
• Circular 33/2018/TT-BTC regulates the collection rates, regime of collection, payment, and management of examination fees for granting international travel service licenses and domestic travel service licenses; Tour guide card examination fee; Fees for licensing the establishment of representative offices in Vietnam of foreign travel service enterprises, as amended and supplemented by Circular No. 44/2023/TT-BTC.

What is a travel service business?

Travel service business is the sale and organization of part or all of the tour program for tourists. Travel services in general and international travel services, in particular, are becoming increasingly popular, helping attract tourists and promote the development of Vietnam’s tourism industry. For businesses operating international travel services, it is a conditional business and must comply with certain conditions prescribed by law.

Conditions for international travel service business in Vietnam

In the WTO commitment schedule, in the field of travel service business, Vietnam only allowed foreign investors to enter into joint ventures with Vietnamese investors to do international travel business for inbound tourists but are not yet open to outbound tourists. Although there is no capital restriction, foreign investors need to meet the following additional conditions:

• Tourist guides in foreign-invested enterprises must be Vietnamese citizens.
• Foreign-invested service providers are only allowed to provide services to inbound tourists to Vietnam.
• Meets international travel business conditions similar to domestic businesses.

To do international travel business in Vietnam, businesses need to apply for an international travel service license after establishment and before conducting actual business. Conditions to apply for an international travel service license according to the Tourism Law 2017 include:

• Being an enterprise established according to the provisions of the law on enterprises with tourism business lines. The industry is shown in the Enterprise Registration Certificate issued by a competent authority according to the provisions of law;
• Deposit money for international travel services business at the bank. The deposit level for international travel services business is regulated in Decree 168/2017/ND-CP.
• The person in charge of the travel service business must have graduated from intermediate school or higher with a major in travel; In case of graduating from intermediate school or higher in another major, a certificate of international tourism operations must be obtained.

Note:

• Aiming to restore the tourism industry after the Covid pandemic, Decree 94/2021/ND-CP was issued, amending and supplementing Article 14 of Decree 168/2017/ND-CP dated December 31, 2017 of the Government. The Government regulates in detail several articles of the Law on Tourism on the deposit level for travel service businesses with content related to reducing the deposit level for international travel service business with the implementation deadline from October 28, 2021, until December 31, 2023. Specific reductions are as follows:

Unit: VND

• Thus, from January 1, 2024, businesses need to apply the deposit level according to Decree 168/2017/ND-CP dated December 31, 2017, of the Government detailing several articles of the Law on Tourism. if there is no document extending the deposit level according to Decree 94/2021/ND-CP.
• Enterprises make deposits in VND at banks or legal bank branches in Vietnam. The deposit must be maintained throughout the time the business operates travel services.

Cases for renewal of international travel service license in Vietnam

Enterprises request to renew their international travel service license in the following cases:

• Change the Enterprise Registration Certificate or Investment Registration Certificate;
• Changing the scope of the international travel service business.

Procedures for renewal of international travel service license in Vietnam

Step 1: Apply for renewal of International Travel Service License

The enterprise submits 01 set of dossier including the following components to the Department of Tourism that has issued the International Travel Service License.

Step 2: Process documents and return results

Within 05 working days from the date of receipt of valid documents, the competent state agency shall renew the travel service license for the enterprise; In case of refusal, it must be notified in writing and clearly state the reason.

The General Department of Tourism notifies the Department of Tourism where the enterprise is headquartered when renewing the International Travel Service License.

Application for renewal of International Travel Service License in Vietnam

• Application for renewal of travel service license;
• Exist international travel service license of the enterprise;
• A certified copy of the Travel Service Business Deposit Certificate appropriate to the scope of business.
• Receipt of fee for issuing international travel permit.

Renewal fee in Vietnam

The fee for examination and renewal of an international travel service license is 2,000,000 VND/license.

Note: This fee may change according to the Government’s adjustment policy each year. For example, in 2023, Circular 44/2023/TT-BTC regulates the collection rates of several fees and charges to support people and businesses, stipulating a 50% reduction in the above fees. That is, during the period from July 1, 2023 – December 31, 2023, businesses applying for an international travel service license only need to pay a state fee of 1,000,000 VND/license.

International travel license renewal service of Viet An Law

Clients can choose to use Viet An Law’s services in the field of renewal travel service business licenses including:

• Consulting on application conditions for changing International Travel License;
• Drafting documents to renew the International Travel Service License;
• On behalf of the enterprise, carry out procedures to apply for renewal of International Travel Service License in Vietnam;
• Exchange and provide information to clients during the process of changing their International Travel License;
• Receive and return to clients the new international travel license.

If clients have a demand to use this service, please contact Viet An Law for advice and detailed instructions on the latest procedures for renewing international travel service licenses!