Consolidated Document No. 43/VBHN-VPQH: Law on Publishing (Consolidated to 2026)
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Based on:43/VBHN-VPQH - Government Official Gazette
This explanation was generated by AI and checked by an automated AI review, not by a human expert. It is not legal, tax or accounting advice and may contain errors. Check the official document before you rely on it.
This is a consolidated version of the Law on Publishing No. 19/2012/QH13, compiled by the National Assembly Office to reflect amendments made by Law No. 35/2018/QH14 (which amended 37 planning-related laws) and the Planning Law No. 112/2025/QH15 (effective March 1, 2026). The law governs the organization and operation of publishing, printing, and distribution of publications in Vietnam, including conditions for establishing publishing houses, qualification standards for directors, editors-in-chief and editors, publishing licenses, publication registration, joint-venture publishing arrangements, and content that is strictly prohibited (such as propaganda against the State, disclosure of state secrets, and distortion of historical facts). This document primarily regulates the publishing, printing, and book/periodical distribution industry - it is not a tax, accounting, e-invoice, customs, or labor law. The entities it governs are publishing houses (organized as public service units or state-owned enterprises), printing facilities, distribution facilities, and foreign organizations or individuals engaged in publishing activities in Vietnam - not the general tax/accounting rules that apply to SMEs. Article 7 does mention tax incentives for the publishing sector (under existing tax law), but this is only a general policy reference, not substantive tax content. Because the law's scope is the publishing/media industry rather than VAT, CIT, e-invoicing, customs, labor, or investment regulation, this document falls outside RegHub's core coverage area and is recommended for exclusion from the public feed.
Overview
Consolidated Document No. 43/VBHN-VPQH merges the Law on Publishing No. 19/2012/QH13 (effective July 1, 2013) with amendments introduced by Law No. 35/2018/QH14 (effective January 1, 2019) and the Planning Law No. 112/2025/QH15 (effective March 1, 2026, which mainly removed references to "publishing network development plans").
Chapter I - General Provisions
- Scope (Article 1): covers the organization and operation of publishing, printing, and distributing publications, and the rights and obligations of participants.
- Applicability (Article 2): domestic agencies, organizations and individuals; foreign organizations operating in Vietnam; and foreign individuals residing in Vietnam involved in publishing activities.
- Definitions (Article 4): defines publishing, printing, distribution, publications, manuscripts, editing, electronic publishing, and legal deposit ("luu chieu").
- State policy (Article 7): support for workforce training, tax incentives under existing tax law, preferential loan interest rates, and investment funding for publishing houses, printing facilities, and distribution outlets - especially in disadvantaged, border, and island areas.
- Prohibited content and acts (Article 10): bans publications that propagandize against the State, incite war or violence, disclose state or personal secrets, or distort historical facts; also bans unlicensed publishing, illegal printing, and distributing publications of unclear origin.
- Handling of violations (Article 11): administrative penalties, disciplinary action, or criminal prosecution depending on severity; violating publications may be suspended, recalled, or destroyed.
Chapter II - The Publishing Sector
- Establishing publishing houses (Articles 12-14): only state agencies, socio-political organizations, and central-level public service units may establish a publishing house; publishing houses operate as public service units or state-owned enterprises. The Ministry of Information and Communications issues licenses within 30 days.
- Leadership and editor standards (Articles 17-20): directors general/directors and editors-in-chief must hold at least a university degree with a minimum of 3 years' relevant experience; editors must hold a practicing certificate issued by the Ministry of Information and Communications, which can be revoked for violations.
- Publication registration and joint publishing (Articles 22-24): publishing houses must register with the Ministry of Information and Communications before publishing; they may partner with authors, other publishing houses, printing/distribution facilities, or legal entities, but cannot outsource preliminary editing for content involving political theory, history, religion, or national sovereignty.
- Non-commercial materials and foreign entities (Articles 25-26): publishing non-commercial materials outside a publishing house requires a license from the Ministry of Information and Communications (central level) or the provincial People's Committee (local level); foreign organizations or individuals wishing to publish commercially in Vietnam must go through a Vietnamese publishing house.
- Mandatory information on publications (Article 27): sets out details that must appear on books (title, author, publisher, ISBN, retail price, etc.).
Editorial screening note
This is a specialized publishing/media law, not a tax, accounting, e-invoice, customs, or labor regulation within RegHub's core SME coverage. It has been summarized for reference but is not recommended for public publication on the platform.