Updated: 23 September 2026<\/p>\n
For data centre services, often called TTDL in Vietnamese or data center in English, distinguish facility investment and construction from service registration. Article 29 of Telecommunications Law No. 24\/2023\/QH15 establishes a specific regime; not every related procedure should be called a data centre licence.<\/p>\n
Article 29 of the Telecommunications Law and Article 44 of Decree No. 163\/2024\/ND-CP provide for registration of data centre services. This differs from telecommunications business licences for licensable activities. Examine the actual services supplied and whether the business also provides other telecommunications services.<\/p>\n
A centre serving only internal needs must be assessed according to its activities and relevant rules; not every server room is a data centre service business. Conversely, describing a service as colocation does not exclude obligations if its actual activities fall within the regulated service.<\/p>\n
Article 20 of Decree No. 133\/2025\/ND-CP delegates issuance of telecommunications service registration certificates under Article 44(4) of Decree No. 163 to the People's Committee of the province where the business has its head office. Use the locally published procedure and receiving unit, which may be a specialist authority or public administrative service centre under local arrangements.<\/p>\n
Do not copy older guidance naming a central authority for every case. Distinguish the enterprise's head office from the location of each facility: the delegation above is linked to the head office.<\/p>\n
Section III of Annex I to Decree No. 133 sets the dossier and procedure, including registration Form No. 03. Submit one dossier by a prescribed method. Information should accurately describe the legal entity, service type and supply scope, together with the required supporting documents.<\/p>\n
Section B.I of Annex II to Resolution No. 20\/2026\/NQ-CP reduces issuance review to three working days after the validity review period ends. Distinguish this stage from validity checking; it is not the entire period from initial submission. Guidance still stating five days for the issuance stage should be updated.<\/p>\n
If the enterprise also supplies cloud computing, the corresponding notification may be included in the registration in the cases specified in Section III. Check the required information; registering one service does not automatically cover all associated activities.<\/p>\n
A data centre construction project may also trigger investment, land, construction, environmental, fire safety and construction quality requirements depending on its scale, location and design. There is no identical licence checklist for every project merely because it is called a data centre.<\/p>\n
When processing customer data, providers must identify their roles and responsibilities under data, personal data protection and cybersecurity law. System level classification requires assessment under Decree No. 331\/2026\/ND-CP. Standards certification or third-party infrastructure assessments have their own scope and do not replace legal procedures.<\/p>\n
Colocation work may differ from operating system management, backup or analytics services. Identify what information the provider actually accesses and which purposes it decides. Its role for contact, payment or log data collected for its own service operations may differ from its role in storing data on customer instructions.<\/p>\n
This allocation should connect with contracts, system protection plans and individual rights processes. At contract termination, the parties must know who returns data, handles copies and confirms completion within their respective responsibilities.<\/p>\n
Service registration is therefore one task within data centre operations. The cloud, security level dossier and data transfer articles explain further obligations arising from the particular services supplied at the centre.<\/p>\n
Does colocation transfer all data responsibility to the data centre? No. Allocate duties by decision-making powers, processing scope and contract; the customer may remain the controller.<\/strong><\/p>\n Do overseas providers follow the same provincial procedure? Not automatically. Cross-border services require assessment under their separate regime, including Section B.XXXIV of Annex II to Resolution No. 20\/2026.<\/strong><\/p>\n Did the amending law issued in August 2026 apply immediately? Law No. 20\/2026\/QH16 takes effect on 1 March 2027. This article identifies obligations as at 23 September 2026.<\/strong><\/p>\n Telecommunications Law No. 24\/2023\/QH15<\/a><\/p>\n Consolidated Instrument No. 19\/2026\/VBHN-ND-BKHCN implementing the Telecommunications Law<\/a><\/p>\n Decree No. 133\/2025\/ND-CP on delegation of authority in science and technology<\/a><\/p>\n Resolution No. 20\/2026\/NQ-CP on procedural reduction and simplification<\/a><\/p>\n Decree No. 331\/2026\/ND-CP on cybersecurity assurance by security level<\/a><\/p>\n Law No. 20\/2026\/QH16, effective from 1 March 2027<\/a><\/p>\n Personal Data Protection Law No. 91\/2025\/QH15<\/a><\/p>\n Decree No. 356\/2025\/ND-CP implementing personal data protection requirements<\/a><\/p>\n Sources checked through 23 September 2026.<\/em><\/p>\n Article 05 Overseas Cloud and CRM Services and Vietnam Data Transfer Filings<\/a><\/p>\n Article 11 How Vietnam Classifies Information Systems from Security Level 1 to 5<\/a><\/p>\n Article 12 Vietnam Information System Security Level Dossiers and Approval Authorities<\/a><\/p>\nLegal sources<\/h2>\n
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