Reissue International Travel Business License in Vietnam

Tourism business is a smokeless industry, especially international travel business, it contributes greatly to the economic development of each country. What procedures and conditions should enterprises that were once licensed now want to be re-issued an international travel business license?

Viet An Law Firm would like to send you the necessary information related to this service as follows:

Legal basis

• 2017 Law on Tourism;
• Decree 168/2017/ND-CP;
• Decree 94/2021/ND-CP;
• Circular 06/2017/TT-BVHTTDL;
• Circular 13/2021/TT-BVHTTDL;
• Circular 33/2018/TT-BTC.

Concept and scope of international travel service business

According to current regulations, “Travel service business means the construction, sale and organization of part or all of a tour program for tourists.” (pursuant to Clause 9 Article 3 of the 2017 Law on Tourism). This is the activity of businesses building travel and tour programs for customers.

In terms of scope, Article 30 of the Law on Tourism 2017 stipulates:

Providing international travel services to serve international tourists to Vietnam and outbound tourists.

International travel service enterprises may provide international and domestic travel.

Foreign-invested enterprises may only provide international travel for international tourists coming to Vietnam, unless otherwise provided for in treaties to which the Socialist Republic of Vietnam is a contracting party.

Conditions for Reissuance of an International Travel Business License in Vietnam

The 2017 Law on Tourism and related legal documents currently do not stipulate the duration of an international travel business license, so it can be understood that this type of license has no expiry date. According to current regulations, an enterprise may re-issue its license for provision of tour in case the license is lost or damaged. Therefore, if you want to carry out procedures for re-licensing, enterprises are required to have been licensed by competent agencies before.

Accordingly, enterprises providing international travel services that want to be issued a license for the first time need to meet the following conditions:

• Being an enterprise established in accordance with the law on enterprises;
• Deposit for provision of international travel services at banks;

Pursuant to Decree 168/2017/ND-CP, the deposit level for provision of international travel is stipulated as follows:

• Provision of travel services for international tourists to Vietnam: VND 250,000,000 (two hundred and fifty million);
• Provision of travel services for outbound tourists: VND 500,000,000 (five hundred million);
• Provision of travel services for international tourists to Vietnam and outbound tourists: VND 500,000,000 (five hundred million).

However, in the period from  28/10/2021 to 31/12/2023, the  deposit level for provision of international travel will be implemented according to Decree No. 94/2021/ND-CP as follows:

• Provision of travel services for international tourists to Vietnam: VND 50,000,000 (fifty million);
• Provision of travel services for outbound tourists: VND 100,000,000 (one hundred million);
• Provision of travel services for international tourists to Vietnam and outbound tourists: VND 100,000,000 (one hundred million)”.

The person in charge of provision of travel services must have graduated from a college or higher majoring in travel as prescribed in Circular No. 06/2017/TT-BVHTTDL dated on December 15^th 2017 of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism:

• Management of tourism and travel services;
• Travel management;
• Operating travel;
• Tourism marketing;
• Travel;
• Travel tourism;
• Management and business of tourism.
• MICE Tourism Management
• Travel agent
• Travel Guide
• Industries, trades and majors showing one of the phrases “tourism”, “travel”, “tour guiding” trained and issued diplomas by educational institutions in Vietnam before the effective date of this Circular.
• Majors, trades and majors showing one of the phrases “tourism”, “travel”, “tour guiding” trained and issued diplomas by foreign training institutions.
• In case the diploma does not show the majors, trades and majors specified at Points l and m of this Clause, the graduation transcript or diploma appendix showing the major, profession or specialty shall be supplemented, including one of the phrases “tourism”, “travel”, “tour guiding”.
• In case the person in charge of provision of international travel services does not study the above-mentioned majors, he/she must attend training courses in international tourism management, including the following training contents:
• Background knowledge: Vietnam’s political system; legal documents related to tourism; tourism overview; tourism marketing; tourist psychology and communication arts; international cultural exchange;
• Specialized knowledge and tourism operation skills: overview of travel service enterprises; tourism market and tourism products; product design and pricing of tour programs; tourist resorts and tourist attractions in Vietnam; tourism operations; sales and customer care; marketing and communication; currency and international payments in travel; immigration operations; domestic and international air transport procedures; application of information technology in enterprise management and development;
• Practice international tourism operations.

In case of graduating from college or higher in another major, they must study and take the exam for the certificate of international tourism management.

Competence to re-issue license for provision of international travel

The Vietnam National Administration of Tourism is the competent state agency to decide on the issuance of license  for provision of international travel.

Order and procedures for re-issuance of international travel business license in Vietnam

• The enterprise shall send an application form for re-issuance of international travel business license according to the form to the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism.
• Within 05 working days from the date of receipt of the enterprise’s application, the licensing authority shall re-issue the license for provision of tour to the enterprise; in case of refusal, a written notice clearly stating the reasons therefor must be given.
• The Vietnam National Administration of Tourism shall notify the tourism authority of the province where the enterprise is located when reissuing the license for provision of international travel.

Dossier of re-issuance of license for provision of international travel in Vietnam

The application form  for re-issuance of the license for provision of domestic travel is specified in Form No.  05, Appendix II issued together with Circular No. 06/2017/TT-BVHTTDL.

Fees for reissuance of license for provision  of international travel in Vietnam

Pursuant to Article 4 of Circular No. 33/2018/TT-BTC, the cost of re-issuance of a license for provision of domestic travel is VND 1,500,000/license.

With long-term experience related to the implementation of legal procedures in the field of travel, Viet An Law Firm is a reliable destination for domestic and foreign businesses who want to carry out procedures related to travel license. Customers wishing to advise and perform services on re-issuance of international travel license, please contact Viet An Law Firm for answers and support in the fastest and most reasonable way!