Checking travel companies, contracts and refunds before you book
Before you book
How to check a Vietnam travel licence
Vietnam publishes its licensed travel businesses on an official register run by the national tourism authority. A search takes a few minutes and answers the question that matters first: is the company you are about to pay allowed to sell you this tour?
Contents
Two licences, two issuers
Sources: Law on Tourism 2017, Article 30 — scope of travel licences; Law on Tourism 2017, Article 31 — conditions for travel businesses; Law on Tourism 2017, Article 40 — travel agents; Luat Viet An — fee and issuing body for the international travel licence (law firm); Luat Viet An — fee and issuing body for the domestic travel licence (law firm) · last checked .
The official register
The register is at quanlyluhanh.vn, with an English version. Its managing agency is the Vietnam National Authority of Tourism, its management unit the Department of Travel Management, and its execution unit the Tourism Information Technology Center. The English search form takes the tour operator's name, the licence number, the province or city, the scope of operation and a keyword.
| Section of the register | What it lists | Size when we checked |
|---|---|---|
| International travel businesses | Name in Vietnamese and English, address, licence number, issue date, contact details, scope (inbound, outbound or both) | 5,044 entries, of which 2,061 in Hanoi |
| Domestic travel businesses | The same fields, with scope shown as domestic | 2,415 entries, of which 602 in Hanoi |
| Revocation notices | Decisions withdrawing a licence, with the decision date, issuing authority and number | About 145 pages of notices; latest update 13 October 2026 |
| Businesses in breach | Companies cited for a violation, with the type of breach | One entry when we checked |
Counts move every week as licences are issued and withdrawn. Use them as a sense of scale, not as a fixed figure.
Sources: Vietnam National Authority of Tourism — travel business register; Vietnam National Authority of Tourism — travel business register, English version; VNAT register — international travel businesses; VNAT register — domestic travel businesses; VNAT register — licence revocation notices; VNAT register — businesses in breach and notices · last checked .
Checking a company, step by step
- 01
Find the legal name
Brand names on websites and social pages often differ from the registered name. Look for the company name and licence number in the website footer, the quote or the invoice.
- 02
Search the register
Search by licence number first; it is exact. If you only have a name, try the Vietnamese name and the English name, and filter by province.
- 03
Compare the record
Check that the licence number, address, scope and contact details match what the company has told you. An inbound tour for foreign visitors belongs under an international licence.
- 04
Look for revocations
Search the revocation notices for the company name. A withdrawn licence can stay on a website long after the decision.
- 05
Check the enterprise record
The National Business Registration Portal has a "find enterprises" search for the company itself, separate from its travel licence.
- 06
Match the payee
The account you are asked to pay should belong to the same legal entity. If it does not, ask why in writing before paying.
Sources: Vietnam National Authority of Tourism — travel business register, English version; VNAT register — licence revocation notices; National Business Registration Portal; Law on Tourism 2017, Article 30 — scope of travel licences · last checked .
Reading a licence number
Numbers on the register follow a pattern: a two-digit prefix, a sequence number, the year, a code for the issuing body, and a suffix for the licence type. Examples of the formats, with digits replaced by letters:
| Licence type | Format seen on the register | What the codes mean |
|---|---|---|
| International | 01-NNNN/YYYY/CDLQGVN-GP LHQT | CDLQGVN is the national tourism authority; LHQT means international travel |
| International | 01-NNNN/YYYY/SVHTTDL-GP LHQT | SVHTTDL is a provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism |
| Domestic | 01-NNNN/YYYY/SVHTTDL-GP LHNĐ | LHNĐ means domestic travel |
| Domestic | 01-NNNN/YYYY/SDL-GP LHNĐ | SDL is a provincial Department of Tourism |
Older licences may carry a code from the authority's earlier name. A format that looks right proves nothing on its own: copied websites reuse real numbers. What matters is that the number on the register belongs to the company you are dealing with.
Sources: VNAT register — international travel businesses; VNAT register — domestic travel businesses · last checked .
What a licence does not tell you
- Quality. The conditions are legal and financial, not a measure of service. The register does not rate companies and neither do we.
- Safety standards. The UK Foreign Office warns that transport and tour operators' safety and maintenance standards in Vietnam may not meet UK standards, and advises checking safety records before booking.
- Who is actually running your tour. A licensed company can pass a booking to another operator. The contract should name who delivers what.
- That the website is theirs. The register shows a website and email for some entries. If the site you found is not the one listed, contact the company through the listed details to confirm.
Sources: UK Foreign Office — Vietnam safety and security; VNAT register — international travel businesses · last checked .
When the search returns nothing
A missing result is not proof of fraud, but it is a reason to stop and ask. Common innocent causes are a brand name that differs from the legal name, an English name not entered on the register, a spelling with or without Vietnamese diacritics, or a licence issued in the last few days.
Ask the company for a copy of its licence and its enterprise code, then search again with those. A company that cannot or will not give a licence number for an inbound tour should not be taking your money for one. Hotels, drivers and individuals often sell tours that are run by a licensed company; in that case the licensed company's name belongs on your contract.
Vietnam reorganised its provinces and their departments in 2025. VNAT published a notice on issuing guide cards and domestic licences during the restructuring. If the province on a licence does not match the address you were given, ask the company which department now holds its file.
Sources: VNAT register — businesses in breach and notices; Law on Tourism 2017, Article 40 — travel agents · last checked .
Common questions
Questions readers ask
Is the register available in English?
Yes. The register has an English version with a tour operator search by name, licence number, province and scope of operation. Some entries have no English name, so try the Vietnamese name as well.
Does a hotel tour desk need a travel licence?
Not if it acts as a travel agent selling a licensed company's programme under a written agency contract. Your travel contract is then with the licensed company, and the agent's name and address should appear on it.
Can a company with only a domestic licence run my tour?
The law ties the domestic licence to domestic tourists and the international licence to visitors arriving from abroad. For an inbound tour, look for an international licence holder.
The licence number on a website is real but belongs to a different company. What does that mean?
It is a common sign of a copied website. Contact the company named on the register through the website or email shown there, and do not pay the site that used its number.
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Licensed operators, travel agents and overseas platforms compared, and what each means for your contract.
Before you book
Red flags
The scam patterns official warnings describe, a table of red flags, and what to do if you have already paid.
Paperwork
Contract and confirmation
The five items the Law on Tourism requires in a travel contract, plus what a good confirmation adds.
Before you book
Tour guides
Three types of guide card, the conditions for each, how to check one in the national database, and the fines.
When something goes wrong
Complaints
The order of complaint channels in Vietnam, what each one handles, and what to put in your complaint.
Independent guide for travellers
Home
Start here: the checks to run on a travel company in Vietnam, from licence to complaint.
Start planning
Send a correction or a question
Tell us which page and which line, what you found instead, and when. A link to an official source helps us check it. Tourist Agent does not sell tours, does not take bookings and does not pass your details to any travel company.