Consolidated Decree 29/VBHN-BCT Implementing the Consumer Protection Law, Amended for Multi-Level Marketing Management
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Based on:29/VBHN-BCT; Nghị định số 55/2024/NĐ-CP; Nghị định số 137/2026/NĐ-CP - Government Official Gazette
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Consolidated Document 29/VBHN-BCT combines Decree 55/2024/ND-CP, which implements the Consumer Protection Law, with the latest amendments from Decree 137/2026/ND-CP on multi-level marketing (MLM) management (effective July 1, 2026). It is a reference-only consolidation and has no independent legal effect on its own. For businesses selling to consumers, the rules require standard-form contracts and general trading conditions to be in Vietnamese, use at least 12pt font when printed on paper, and be registered with the regulator before use if the product or service is on the mandatory registration list. When a product defect is found, a business has only 24 hours to stop sales and 3 to 5 working days, depending on risk level, to publicly announce a recall. Large e-commerce platforms and social networks with 3 million or more active accounts a year must disclose their ranking algorithms, label sponsored content, and verify seller identities on regulator request. The biggest change is the new legal framework for MLM in Decree 137/2026/ND-CP, which replaces Decree 40/2018/ND-CP starting July 1, 2026. Existing MLM companies have 12 months to meet the new conditions and must keep a security deposit of at least VND 10 billion or 5% of charter capital.
Overview
Consolidated Document No. 29/VBHN-BCT (dated April 13, 2026, certified by Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Nguyen Sinh Nhat Tan) merges Decree No. 55/2024/ND-CP dated May 16, 2024 (effective July 1, 2024), which details provisions of the 2023 Consumer Protection Law, with amendments introduced by Decree No. 137/2026/ND-CP dated April 7, 2026 on multi-level marketing (MLM) management (effective July 1, 2026). A consolidated document has no independent legal effect of its own; it exists purely for reference purposes.
New Definitions
- Influencer: an expert, a person of standing, or a person with a significant public or social-media following who is sponsored by a business to promote its products.
- Large digital platform: an e-commerce platform with 3,000,000 or more active user accounts per year in Vietnam, or a large or very large intermediary digital platform as defined under e-transaction law.
Standard-Form Contracts and General Trading Conditions
All consumer contracts must be in Vietnamese, with other languages allowed by agreement. For paper contracts, the minimum font size is 12pt Times New Roman or equivalent, text and background colors must contrast, and the layout must be clear and easy to follow.
Standard-form contracts and general trading conditions covered by the Prime Minister's mandatory registration list must be registered with the consumer-protection authority before use. The filing includes a registration form and a draft contract; the receiving authority checks completeness within 5 working days and appraises the filing within 30 days, extendable by up to 30 more days. Businesses must submit an annual registration-status report before January 31 and must re-register whenever the underlying law changes or the contract content changes.
Recall of Defective Products
Within 24 hours of discovering a defect or receiving a regulator's request, a business must stop supplying the product to the market. For Group A defects (high risk), the business must publicly disclose and announce the recall within 3 working days; for Group B, within 5 working days. Businesses must report to the regulator before starting a recall and report the results within 5 working days of completion.
Obligations of Large Digital Platforms
Large digital platforms must publicly disclose their search-ranking criteria, label sponsored or paid content, and maintain an online reporting account that supplies regulators, within 5 working days of a request, with data on: algorithm-driven advertising archives, content moderation, ads targeting vulnerable consumer groups, seller identity verification, handling of unverified accounts, and measures taken against violations on the platform.
Public Violator Lists and Itinerant Sales
Lists of businesses that violate consumer-protection law in online transactions are published for 30 days from the date of posting. Businesses selling outside their regular business location, such as roadshows or product-introduction seminars, must notify the commune-level People's Committee at least 3 working days in advance.
The Biggest Change: Multi-Level Marketing Management
Decree No. 137/2026/ND-CP (effective July 1, 2026) repeals Article 25 of Decree 55/2024/ND-CP and introduces a new legal framework for MLM, replacing Decree No. 40/2018/ND-CP and Decree No. 18/2023/ND-CP. MLM companies already licensed before the effective date have 12 months to meet the new conditions, while continuing to maintain a security deposit equal to at least 5% of charter capital and no less than VND 10 billion at a commercial bank or a foreign bank branch in Vietnam. Legal-training providers for MLM sellers must reapply for program recognition with the provincial People's Committee within the same 12-month window.
Effective Dates
Decree 55/2024/ND-CP: effective July 1, 2024, replacing Decree 99/2011/ND-CP. Decree 137/2026/ND-CP (MLM amendments): effective July 1, 2026.