Revoking International Travel Licenses in Vietnam

The travel service business is the construction, sale, and implementation of part or all of the tour programs for tourists. The service industry requires a business license according to the law. This license allows enterprises to organize international travel, including transportation, accommodation, and other travel-related services. When travel business units make a new move to another business line, terminate their travel business activities, or for some reason, an International Travel License (International Travel License) will be revoked. In the article below, Viet An Law will provide customers with basic legal advice on the new regulations on revoking international travel licenses in Vietnam.

What is an International travel License?

An international travel license or International travel service business license is a license issued by an authority in a state to businesses operating in the travel business. Only when receiving an International Travel License can a business legally operate an international travel business.

An international travel license has the following main contents:

• Basic information about the enterprises:
  • The official name of the enterprises;
  • Head office address;
  • Escrow account;
  • Range of travel service business.
• Information about the legal representative of the enterprises: Title, personal information, Identity document (ID card, identity card, passport), and contact address;
• Information about regulations enterprises need to know.

Cases of revoking international travel licenses in Vietnam

According to Clause 1, Article 36 of the 2017 Law on Tourism, new regulations on Revoking International travel Licenses, enterprises will have their international travel service business license revoked in the following cases:

• The end of travel service business activities, dissolution, or bankruptcy;
• Does not satisfy one of the requirements stated for the travel service business:
  • Be an enterprise established according to the legal law on enterprises;
  • Deposit for international travel business at the bank;
  • The person in charge of the travel service business must have graduated from college or higher with a major in travel; in case of graduating from college or higher in another major must have a professional certificate in international tourism activities.
• Do not change your travel service business license in the following cases:
  • Change the Enterprise Registration Certificate or Investment Registration Certificate;
  • Changing the range of international travel services business.
• Harming national sovereignty, interests, national defense, and security;
• Taking advantage of tourism activities to bring people from Vietnam abroad or from abroad into Vietnam illegally;
• Allowing other organizations and individuals to use International travel Licenses to have business;
• Failure to fully fulfill the obligation to apply measures to ensure safety for tourists; promptly notify state agencies of accidents and risks occurring to tourists and take remedial measures;
• Falsifying dossiers requesting issuance, renewal, or re-issuance of service business licenses.

Procedures for revoking international travel licenses in Vietnam

Procedures for revoking an International Travel License in case the enterprise ends its travel business, dissolution or bankruptcy

Step 1: Prepare and submit the application

When using the services of Viet An Law, customers please provide the following documents to complete the application to end travel business activities, including:

Information to prepare a Notice of the end of international travel service business (Form No. 03, Appendix II issued with Circular No. 04/2024/TT-BVHTTDL dated June 26, 2024):

• Basic information about the enterprise: Official name of the enterprise, Head office address, contact address (Phone number, email, fax number);
• Information about the legal representative of the enterprise: Title, personal information, Identity document (ID card, identity card, passport) and contact address;
• Other information:
• Information about the international travel service business license (Number, agency/issue date);
• Information on reasons for the end of travel service business;
• Information on the address to receive results of administrative procedures;
• An international travel service business license has been issued (original).
• Dissolution decision, meeting minutes of the business in case the enterprise is dissolved according to the Enterprise Law;
• The decision to revoke the business registration certificate or Court dissolution decision in case the enterprise is dissolved under the Enterprise Law;
• Court decision on opening bankruptcy proceedings in case of business bankruptcy;
• Power of attorney for Viet An Law to carry out the procedure.

Businesses providing international travel services directly or authorize Viet An Law to submit documents according to the following methods.

• Submit directly/via postal service to Vietnam National Authority of Tourism – Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (Travel Department is responsible for receiving and resolving). Address: No. 80 Quan Su, Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi (Phone: (84-24) 3 942 3760 – Fax: (84-24) 3 942 4115);
• Submit online at the Public Service of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism: https://dichvucong.bvhttdl.gov.vn/

Step 2: Vietnam National Authority of Tourism receives, processes documents, and returns results

Within 05 working days from the date of receipt of valid documents, the Department of Tourism issues a decision to revoke International travel Licenses. In case the dossier is not complete and valid, the Department of Tourism will notify the business in writing to supplement and complete the dossier;

The decision to revoke the license is sent to the enterprise, the state agency in charge of immigration, the tax agency, and the provincial business registration agency where the enterprise is headquartered, and published on the electronic information portal Vietnam National Authority of Tourism and website for managing travel service businesses (at address https://www.quanlyluhanh.vn).

Step 3: Withdraw the deposit

After 60 days from the date of posting the decision to revoke the International Travel License on the electronic information portal:

• In case there are no complaints or denunciations related to obligations towards tourists or tourism service providers, the Department of Tourism will send a document to the bank so that the business can withdraw the deposit;
• In case of complaints or denunciations related to the obligations of businesses to tourists and tourism service providers, the Department of Tourism will coordinate with relevant competent agencies to resolve them according to regulations. Provisions of law

When an enterprise ends its travel business activities, returns its travel business license to the Department of Tourism, and then the enterprise receives a refund of the money deposited at the bank. Withdrawable deposits include:

• International travel business deposit of 250,000,000 VND (for Inbound scope)
• International travel business deposit of 500,000,000 VND (for Outbound or Inbound or Outbound scope);

In case the enterprise goes bankrupt, the deposit is decided by the court according to the provisions of bankruptcy law.

Procedures for revocation of International Travel License in other cases

Step 1: Vietnam National Authority of Tourism issues the Decision to revoke international travel licenses

Within 05 working days from the date of receiving the inspection and examination conclusions from the authorities, the Vietnam National Authority of Tourism is responsible for issuing a Decision to revoke international travel licenses;

Send the Decision to the enterprise, the inspection and examination authorities, the state immigration authority, the tax authority, and the provincial business registration authority where the enterprise is headquartered, and announce it on the website. Electronic information portal of licensing agencies and website for managing travel service businesses.

Step 2: Submit a report on the completion of obligations and license-issued

Within 30 days from the date of the decision to revoke the license, the enterprise directly authorizes Viet An Law to send a report on the fulfillment of obligations to tourists and tourism service providers. According to the signed contract and the issued license in the following ways:

Submit directly/via postal service to Vietnam National Authority of Tourism – Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (Travel Department is responsible for receiving and resolving). Address: No. 80 Quan Su, Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi (Phone: (84-24) 3 942 3760 – Fax: (84-24) 3 942 4115);

Step 3: Refund the deposit

Similar to the case of revocation International Travel License when the enterprise ends its travel business, dissolves, or goes bankrupt, the enterprise will be refunded the deposit amount with the amount deposited at the bank.

Above is Viet An Law’s advice on new regulations on revoking international travel licenses in Vietnam. If you have related questions or need support, please contact Viet An Law for the best support!

Update: 9/2024