Establish a company in Vietnam for surveying and mapping service

Surveying and cartography is a field of scientific and technical activities that use equipment and methods to acquire and process information in order to determine geometrical features and attribute information of geographical objects on the ground, subsoil, water surface, waterbed, bottom, space in static or time-varying form and representing the earth’s surface as a miniature model using a system of symbols according to mathematical rules certain. Accordingly, in order to do business in this field, foreign investors must meet the conditions under international commitments and provisions of Vietnamese law.

Conditions on market access when establishing a company in Vietnam for surveying and mapping service

Provisions in international treaties that Vietnam is a member

Regulations in EVFTA

Appendix 8-C (Vietnam’s exception to national treatment): Vietnam may adopt or maintain any measure relating to the operation of an enterprise as defined in subparagraph 1(e) and 1(m) of Article 8.2 (Definitions) that is inconsistent with paragraph 2 of Article 8.5 (National Treatment), provided that the measure is not inconsistent with the commitments set out in Annex 8-B (Table 2). specific commitments of Vietnam) to the geodetic surveying and mapping service.

Regulations in CPTPP

Appendix NCM I-VN-26: Geodesy and Cartography

• Foreign organizations and individuals that directly or in cooperate with domestic organizations to carry out geodesic and cartographic activities in Viet Nam m must have their geodesic and cartographic projects approved by competent State bodies and be granted permits for geodesic and cartographic activities.
• After completing the geodesic and cartographic projects, the project investors must submit one copy of the results to the State management agency in charge of geodesy and cartography.

Regulations of Vietnamese law

Decree 45/20215/ND-CP dated May 6, 2015 on geodetic surveying and mapping service.

Conditions for granting licenses for geodetic surveying and mapping service

A foreign contractor shall be granted a license for geodetic surveying and mapping activities by a specialized management agency in charge of surveying and cartography under the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment when fully satisfying the following conditions:

• Having a decision on winning the bid or being selected as a contractor by the investor, including geodetic surveying and mapping activities;
• Having technical force, means, equipment, measurement technology and cartography suitable to the winning bid or the selected bid. Specifically: there are four (04) technical staff with intermediate or higher qualifications, specialized in surveying and mapping service.

List of geodetic surveying and mapping service that require a license

• Surveying, making schemes, projects, technical designs – cost estimates of surveying and mapping works.
• Check and accept the quality of works, surveying and mapping products.
• Building a network of coordinates, elevation, national gravity, specialized facilities.
• Acquire and process data of aeronautical and aerial photos from aircraft and from unmanned aircraft.
• Processing remote sensing image data.
• Building the national geographic database, establishing the national topographic map.
  • Building national geographic database, establishing national topographic maps at scale 1:2,000, 1:5,000;
  • Building national geographic database, establishing national topographic maps at scale 1:10,000, 1:25,000, 1:50,000
• Measuring and making topographic maps at scale 1:500, 1:1,000, 1:2,000, 1:5,000
• Measuring and mapping the topography of the seabed.
• Measure and establish administrative boundary maps.
• Measuring and making cadastral maps.
• Create an administrative map.
• Measuring and charting.
• Measuring and mapping works.

Conditions for granting licenses for geodetic surveying and mapping service

A organization shall be granted a license for geodetic surveying and mapping service when fully meeting the following conditions:

• Having a enterprise registration certificate in the field of geodetic surveying and mapping services, for organizations doing business; having the establishment decision of a competent state agency, which stipulates the functions and tasks of geodetic surveying and mapping services for non-business units.
• Having the minimum technical force of surveying and cartography as follows:
  • One (01) chief technician with a university degree or higher, majoring in surveying and cartography, having practiced surveying and cartography for at least three (03) years, having a qualified labor contract paid insurance premiums for one (01) year or more, must not concurrently be the chief technician of another geodetic surveying and mapping organization;
  • Four (04) technical staff with intermediate or higher qualifications, specialized in surveying and cartography.
• Having surveying and mapping technology equipment suitable to the equipment norms specified in the economic – technical norms of geodesy and cartography to perform one (01) geodetic surveying and mapping product in the subject of licensing proposal.

Dossier for issuing license for geodetic surveying and mapping service

• An application for a license for geodetic surveying and mapping activities;
• A copy enclosed with the original for comparison or a certified true copy of the Establishment Decision or Enterprise Registration Certificate;
• A copy enclosed with the original for comparison or a certified true copy of a professional diploma, a labor contract or a recruitment decision, papers proving the payment of insurance, a statement of working history, a decision on supplementing responsibility of the chief technician;
• A copy enclosed with the original for comparison or a certified true copy of professional diplomas, labor contracts or recruitment decisions of geodetic surveying and mapping technicians;
• A copy enclosed with the original for comparison of documents on ownership of equipment, measurement technology and maps, including documents of purchase, sale, lease or transfer of equipment and technology.
• Dossier for establishment of a foreign-invested company or application for a foreign contractor license in Vietnam.

Clients wishing to establish a company in Vietnam for surveying and mapping service, please contact Viet An Law for the best support with the most reasonable cost!