These information pages can help you get started in learning about some of the laws and registration requirements that may apply to your trips or experiences on Airbnb. These pages include summaries of some of the rules that may apply to different sorts of activities, and contain links to government resources that you may find helpful.
Please understand that these information pages are not comprehensive, and are not legal advice. If you are unsure about how local laws or this information may apply to you or your experience, we encourage you to check with your city or an attorney.
Please note that we don’t update this information in real time, so you should confirm that the law has not changed recently.*
If you purchase beverages containing drinking alcohol (other than beer) from wholesalers and sell them directly to the guests, you may be considered to be engaged in alcohol retailing (under Decree No. 94/ 2012/ ND-CP), and will be required to obtain an alcohol trading licence from the Department of Industry and Trade.
However, an exception applies where your experience involves selling the alcohol to guests to be consumed there and then on the premises (e.g. your home), and the alcohol is not brought outside the premises. In this case, you will not require an alcohol trading licence. However, you may be required to notify the relevant industry and trade authorities of the sale of alcohol to your guests prior to the consumption at your home. As the notification process has not yet been statutorily prescribed, do contact your local authority (the Department of Industry and Trade of Ho Chi Minh City) for guidance on notification requirements.
If the “consumed there and then” exception does not apply to you and you require an alcohol trading licence, note that one of the conditions of an alcohol trading license is that you must clearly display the license at your premises, as well as the types and prices of the alcohol that you are selling. More information is available on the Department of Industry and Trade website.
If the alcohol you are providing is beer, it is unlikely that you will require an alcohol trading licence.
In any case, please note that regardless of the type of alcohol you are providing, you will still need to comply with the relevant legislation and regulations under the Law on Food Safety if you are considered a catering service establishment (although you will not require a certificate if you operate on a “household scale”. Please also see our information page on experiences involving food.).
It is unlikely that you will need an alcohol trading licence in this case.
You will not require a licence if guests bring their own alcohol. However, it is best to confirm the position with your local licensing authority based on your specific experience.
If you brew your own beer, you will be required to obtain a Certificate of Eligible Facilities for Food Safety (see further Circular No. 58/2014/TT-BCT, and also our information page on experiences involving food). If your brewing scale is less than 3 million litres per year, you may obtain this certificate from your local Department of Industry and Trade (in this case, the Department of Industry and Trade of Ho Chi Minh City).
If you produce your own wine on a small scale and without using industrial equipment, you will be required to obtain a License for Small-Scale Wine Production (under Decree No. 94/2012/ND-CP). “Small scale” is defined as the production of wine using traditional instruments such as copper boilers, pipers, freezers, etc. at a small scale, carried out by households, organisations and individuals. The application form for this licence may be obtained from, and submitted to, the People’s Committee of your local district.
You are encouraged to check with the Department of Industry and Trade and your People’s Committee on the requirements applicable to you if you intend to produce your own alcohol.
Yes, you should ensure that guests are above the minimum drinking age and be mindful of advertising restrictions.
Minimum age: The minimum drinking age in Vietnam is 18, and it is an offence to serve or sell alcohol to persons under the age of 18.