E-commerce business: Registration conditions and procedures

What is an e-commerce business?

Pursuant to Clause 1, Article 3, Decree No. 52/2013/ND-CP, e-commerce activity means conducting part or the whole of the process of commercial activity by electronic means connected to the Internet, mobile telecommunications network or other open networks.

In accordance with Article 25, Decree No. 52/2013/ND-CP, Forms of organization of e-commerce activities include:

- Sales e-commerce website is an e-commerce website developed by traders, organizations, or individuals themselves to serve their commercial promotion, sales, or service provision.

- E-commerce service provision website is an e-commerce website developed by traders or organizations to provide an environment for other traders, organizations, or individuals to conduct their commercial activities.  The e-commerce service provision website is of the following types:

+ E-commerce trading floor;

+ Online auction website;

+ Online promotion website;

+ Other types of websites as stipulated by the Ministry of Industry and Trade

In accordance with the provisions prescribed in the Law on Investment 2020, the e-commerce business is one of the conditional business lines. Therefore, enterprises must satisfy all the conditions and be confirmed by state management agencies to implement e-commerce activities such as E-commerce websites, E-commerce trading floors, Online auction websites...

Conditions and procedures for setting up the sales e-commerce website

1. Conditions for setting up sales e-commerce websites

- Traders have relevant functions and tasks, for traders and organizations, or having been granted personal tax identification numbers, for individuals

- Having websites with valid domain names and complying with regulations on the management of information on the Internet

- Having notified the Ministry of Industry and Trade of the set-up of sales e-commerce websites under Article 53 of this Decree.

(Clause 52, Article 52 The Decree No. No. 52/2013/ND-CP, Clause 1, Article 10, Decree No. 08/2018/ND-CP)

2. Registration procedure

Pursuant to Clause 2, Article 53, Decree No. 52/2013/ND-CP which is amended, supplemented in Clause 20, Article 1, Decree No. 85/2021/ND-CP, including:

- Domain name of the e-commerce website;

- Types of goods and services to be introduced on the website;

- The registered name of the trader or organization or name of the individual owning the website;

- Address of the office of the trader or organization or address of permanent residence of the individual;

- Number, date, and place of the grant of the business registration certificate of the trader, or number, date of grant, and granting agency of the establishment decision of the organization; or personal tax identification number of the individual;

- Names, titles, identity card numbers, telephone numbers, and e-mail addresses of the representative of the trader and person responsible for the e-commerce website;

Here are the regulations on registration conditions and procedures for e-commerce activities.