A ticketed event in Vietnam can collapse just weeks before showtime: thousands of tickets already sold, foreign artists booked to fly in, yet the authorities refuse to grant the written approval because the named organizer lacks the standing to host it. For a foreign company or individual, a single misstep over the organizing entity or the dossier is enough to trigger refunds, compensation, and reputational damage.
Your company abroad wants to bring a concert or a ticketed performance into Vietnam. Can you host it in your own name, or must you go through a Vietnamese legal entity? Which permits do you need, where do you file, and how long does it take? Do the foreign artists on your team need work permits, and what taxes apply to ticket revenue? These are the questions many international organizers only raise once the paperwork is already stuck. This article analyzes the legal framework in force in 2026, the steps to follow, and the risks to avoid so that your show reaches the stage safely.
Ticketed events and the line between notification and approval
Performance activities in Vietnam are governed by Decree 144/2020/NĐ-CP on art performance activities, which remains in force in 2026. What decides your procedure is whether the show sells tickets. A performance serving guests at a tourism, recreation, entertainment, or restaurant establishment that does not sell tickets requires only a notification.
The moment you sell tickets to the public, the program no longer falls under that simple notification. It falls into the remaining category of performance forms under Clause 3 Article 8 and must obtain a written approval for the organization of the art performance from a competent state agency before it takes place. To obtain that written approval, the named organizer must simultaneously satisfy the three conditions of Article 10.
What does this mean for you? The entity that hosts a ticketed event in its own name must be an organization established in Vietnam that has registered a business in art performance activities, and it must also meet the conditions on security and fire safety. A company headquartered abroad, or a foreign individual, in principle does not fall within this group of eligible parties without a lawful presence in Vietnam.
Why a foreign company or individual cannot host the event in its own name
The barrier lies not in Decree 144/2020 but in investment and enterprise law. To register a business in performance activities in Vietnam, the party must have a lawful presence in the country. The Law on Investment 2025 (Law No. 143/2025/QH15), effective from 1 March 2026, sets out the forms through which a foreign investor may enter the market: establishing an economic organization, contributing capital or purchasing shares, implementing an investment project, and business cooperation contracts. When choosing to form a legal entity, the foreign investor must clear the market access conditions.
Event and entertainment organization services fall within the group of sectors subject to market access conditions under the international commitments to which Vietnam is a party, including the WTO and the CPTPP. In practice, foreign investors in this field are often bound by conditions on the form of investment and the ownership ratio, for example a requirement to form a joint venture with a Vietnamese partner in certain scopes of activity. A foreign party wishing to organize a ticketed event therefore usually takes one of two routes:
- Establish a foreign-invested company in Vietnam, register the business line of organizing art performances, and have that company stand as the named applicant for the written approval.
- Cooperate with a Vietnamese entity that already holds a registered business in performance activities and meets the conditions, so that this entity acts as the named organizer, while the foreign party participates through a cooperation contract, sponsorship, or supply of the program.
For a foreign individual, the possibility of personally registering a performance business to act as the named organizer is virtually non-existent. A foreign individual may come to Vietnam to perform as a participant, but the role of the named organizer and ticket seller must still be assumed by a valid legal entity. This is where many people are mistaken, with serious consequences, as analyzed in the risks section below.
The procedure for obtaining the written approval to organize an art performance
Once a valid named organizer is in place, the process of obtaining the written approval for a ticketed event proceeds through the following steps:
- Establish the named organizer: complete the establishment of a foreign-invested company with the performance business line, or sign a cooperation with a licensed Vietnamese entity so that this entity stands as the named applicant.
- Prepare the dossier: the written request to organize the performance using the prescribed form, together with the script and the list of works linked to their authors and the person primarily responsible for the program content. For foreign works, the dossier must include a Vietnamese translation with a certified signature of the translator.
- File the dossier with the right authority and on time: submit to the provincial People's Committee of the place of organization, or to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism for programs within the framework of international cooperation of central-level units.
- Await appraisal and receive the result: if the dossier is incomplete, the competent authority issues a notice requesting completion within 03 working days; if the dossier is complete, the written approval is granted within the prescribed time limit.
- Update upon changes: if there is any change to the content, time, or venue already approved, you must notify or seek an adjustment from the issuing authority before the event takes place.
A note on jurisdiction in 2026: after the local government apparatus moved to a two-tier model and abolished the district level, Decrees 137/2025/NĐ-CP and 138/2025/NĐ-CP on the delimitation and decentralization of authority in the field of culture, sports, and tourism transferred the receipt of performance notifications to the commune-level People's Committee. The authority to grant the written approval for ticketed events, however, remains with the provincial People's Committee, or the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism for programs under the international cooperation of central-level units.
The accompanying permits and obligations that foreign organizers often overlook
The written approval is only the permit for the performance content. A ticketed event with a foreign element also gives rise to a number of parallel obligations, and this is where international organizers stumble most often.
- Work permits for foreign personnel: Decree 144/2020 abolished the separate performance license for foreigners, but foreign artists and crew coming to work remain within the scope of labor law. Depending on the case, they need a work permit or a written confirmation of exemption from the work permit, together with a visa appropriate to the purpose of entry.
- Tax obligations: ticket revenue is subject to value-added tax and corporate income tax. When payments are made to a foreign partner or artist that has no presence through a Vietnamese legal entity, the expense may give rise to foreign contractor tax. The remuneration of foreign artists also relates to personal income tax.
- Advertising the program: promoting the event through banners, outdoor advertising, or online channels must comply with advertising law, and certain forms require a separate notification or permit.
- Security, public order, and fire prevention: for events with large crowds, the organizer needs a plan to ensure security, public order, and fire prevention and fighting, in coordination with the local police.
The copyright obligation in particular must not be taken lightly. Decree 144/2020 binds this responsibility directly to the organizer.
In practice, this means the organizer must obtain permission and pay royalties for the use of the musical works in the program, usually through a collective copyright representation organization. Skipping this step is one of the common causes of complaints and compensation claims after an event.
Legal risks and common mistakes in practice
Most incidents at ticketed events run by foreign parties do not come from the program content, but from the procedural mistakes below.
Believing you can host the event in your own name. A foreign company signs the artists, rents the venue, and opens ticket sales, only to discover that it lacks the standing to apply for the written approval in its own name. By then, it must scramble to find a Vietnamese entity willing to be the named organizer or to set up a company, losing the initiative and easily missing the 07-working-day deadline, leading to a postponement or a cancelled show.
Mistaking a ticketed event for something that only needs a notification. Because a non-ticketed show at a restaurant or recreation venue only needs a notification, many infer that every show at an entertainment venue is the same. But the moment tickets are sold to the public, the program must have a written approval. Organizing before the approval is granted is an unlawful activity that may be ordered to stop and may be sanctioned.
Overlooking work permits and visas for foreign artists. Not a few organizers assume that a written approval for the program automatically entitles foreign artists to perform. If the foreign personnel have not completed their labor procedures and entered for the correct purpose, they may not be permitted to work lawfully, bringing the risk of enforcement and disruption of the program.
Forgetting to withhold foreign contractor tax and related tax obligations. When paying fees or program costs to a foreign partner without accounting for foreign contractor tax, the Vietnamese entity acting as the named organizer may face back-tax collection and late-payment penalties after the event, driving up the actual cost considerably.
Filing the dossier at the last minute and without a certified translation. For a program with foreign works, the absence of a Vietnamese translation with a certified signature of the translator is a reason for the dossier to be treated as incomplete. Combined with late filing, the organizer no longer has enough time for the authority to appraise and grant the written approval before showtime.
DEDICA's role when a foreign business organizes an event in Vietnam
For a foreign party, the hardest part is not the program content but building the right legal structure before ticket sales open. DEDICA accompanies foreign businesses and individuals from the stage of assessing and selecting the option for the named organizer, including establishing a foreign-invested company with the performance business line or setting up a cooperation with an eligible Vietnamese entity. On that foundation, we standardize the dossier for the written approval and work with the regulator, coordinate the work permits and visas for the artists, handle the foreign contractor tax and copyright obligations, and review the contracts with the venue, partners, and suppliers.
For foreign businesses operating over the long term or running multiple programs in a year, DEDICA's regular legal advisory service provides a single legal point of contact that stays close to each event, flags risks early, and offers bilingual support in English and Chinese. If you are planning a ticketed program in Vietnam, the time to speak with a lawyer is before signing contracts and opening ticket sales, not once the dossier is already stuck.
Conclusion
To organize a ticketed event in Vietnam as a foreign party, the process comes down to three core steps. First, establish a Vietnamese legal entity with the standing to be the named organizer, either by setting up a foreign-invested company with the performance business line or by cooperating with a licensed Vietnamese entity. Second, prepare the dossier and obtain the written approval for the performance from the provincial People's Committee or the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, filing at least 07 working days before the show. Third, complete the accompanying permits and obligations, including work permits and visas for the artists, copyright, ticket tax and foreign contractor tax, advertising, security, and fire prevention. The three mistakes that most often derail a plan are believing you can be the named organizer yourself, believing a ticketed event only needs a notification, and overlooking work permits and foreign contractor tax. Starting from the right choice of organizing structure will spare you from having to start over once the tickets are sold.
Every ticketed program with a foreign element has its own particulars regarding the organizer, the content, and the artist personnel. DEDICA Law Firm advises and accompanies foreign businesses and individuals from the choice of the organizing structure and the written approval through to the safe legal delivery of the program. Contact DEDICA for a lawyer's advice tailored to your specific event from the planning stage.
This article is for reference based on the legal provisions at the time of writing. Each event has its own particulars and regulations may change; please consult a DEDICA lawyer for accurate advice on your specific case.
