Do You Need a License to Open a Spa in Vietnam?

Yes, you generally need to complete legal registration before opening a spa in Vietnam, but there is no single universal "spa licence" that covers every type of spa business.

The permits and regulatory requirements depend heavily on what the business actually does. A wellness spa offering facials and non-medical beauty treatments is legally different from a massage establishment, while a business providing Botox, fillers, lasers or other invasive aesthetic procedures falls into a much more tightly regulated healthcare category.

This distinction matters because using the word "spa" in the business name does not determine the licence. Vietnamese authorities look at the activities being provided.

The short answer: what does a spa need to operate legally?

A typical spa may need several layers of compliance rather than one document.

Depending on its services, these can include:

• Enterprise or household business registration.
• Registration of the appropriate business activities.
• Premises that comply with applicable building, hygiene and fire-safety rules.
• Security and public-order requirements for certain regulated activities.
• Staff qualifications for particular beauty procedures.
• Notification to the provincial health authority for certain cosmetic services.
• A healthcare operating licence when medical aesthetic procedures are performed.
• Additional investment procedures when foreign investors are involved.

The first thing an owner should therefore decide is exactly which services the spa will provide.

A normal wellness spa is different from a medical aesthetic clinic

This is the most important legal distinction.

A conventional spa might provide services such as:

• Basic facials.
• Skin cleansing.
• Body treatments.
• Non-invasive beauty care.
• Sauna and steam facilities.
• Relaxation treatments.
• Certain massage services.

A medical aesthetic business may provide procedures such as:

• Botox injections.
• Dermal fillers.
• Injectable anaesthetic.
• Certain laser or energy-based interventions.
• Invasive skin procedures.
• Surgical cosmetic treatments.
• Procedures intended to alter body shape using drugs, injections, energy or invasive techniques.

Vietnamese healthcare regulations treat these categories very differently.

Under current Ministry of Health guidance, aesthetic services using medicines, substances or devices to intervene in the human body through methods such as injection, pumping, irradiation, waves, burning or other invasive procedures must be performed within an appropriately licensed healthcare facility.

That can mean a hospital, general clinic or specialist clinic with an approved cosmetic or aesthetic scope of practice.

Calling such a business a "beauty spa" does not remove the medical licensing requirement.

If you only offer basic beauty services, do you need a medical licence?

Usually not, provided the services do not cross into regulated medical treatment.

Vietnamese rules distinguish certain non-medical cosmetic service establishments from licensed healthcare facilities.

Under Decree 96/2023/ND-CP, the non-medical cosmetic-service category covered by this notice is the establishment performing tattooing, spraying or embroidery-style skin pigmentation without injectable anaesthetic. The establishment must send the required notice and supporting declaration to the provincial Department of Health at least 10 days before starting. This notice is not general permission to provide Botox, fillers, injectable anaesthetic or other invasive aesthetic procedures, which require an appropriately licensed healthcare facility.

This is an important distinction: not requiring a medical operating licence does not mean you can simply open without regulatory formalities.

Tattooing, microblading and similar services have their own rules

Vietnam's Ministry of Health specifically regulates cosmetic establishments performing tattooing, spraying or embroidery-style pigmentation of the skin.

For non-medical establishments providing these services without injectable anaesthetic, requirements include matters such as:

• A fixed business location.
• Appropriate hygiene conditions.
• Suitable equipment and materials.
• Equipment with identifiable origin.
• Relevant vocational training or certification for the person carrying out the procedure.

If injectable anaesthetic or other medical intervention is used, the service can move into the category requiring an appropriately licensed medical facility.

This illustrates why adding one new treatment to a spa menu can completely change the regulatory position of the business.

Massage can trigger additional licensing requirements

Massage is another area where owners should be careful.

Vietnam has historically treated massage services as a conditional business activity for security and public-order purposes.

Businesses carrying out regulated massage activities can therefore face requirements beyond ordinary enterprise registration, including security and public-order compliance administered by the police authorities.

The exact requirements should be checked against the current business model and local implementation before signing a lease or investing in fit-out.

Do not assume that a facial spa and a massage spa can be registered identically simply because consumers regard both as wellness businesses.

For visitors interested in the consumer side of the industry, Vietnam Clinic's guide to Vietnamese massage explains common treatment styles and how massage businesses operate from the customer's perspective.

What about a spa offering Botox or dermal fillers?

This is no longer just an ordinary spa question.

Injecting Botox or dermal fillers involves introducing substances into the body and therefore falls within regulated medical aesthetic activity.

Current Vietnamese healthcare rules require invasive aesthetic services involving injections and similar interventions to be performed by facilities appropriately authorised for medical examination and treatment within their approved professional scope.

This means that an ordinary beauty spa cannot legally become an injectable clinic simply by hiring someone who knows how to perform injections.

The facility itself, its professional leadership and the practitioners involved need to meet healthcare licensing requirements.

The same caution applies to services marketed as:

• Injectable skin boosters.
• Mesotherapy.
• Injectable fat reduction.
• Threads.
• Injectable anaesthesia.
• Other invasive cosmetic procedures.

Owners planning these services should obtain specialist Vietnamese healthcare regulatory advice before investing in equipment or advertising treatments.

Lasers and energy-based devices need careful classification

The word "laser" appears frequently on beauty spa menus, but not all devices are legally equivalent.

Vietnamese health regulations refer specifically to aesthetic interventions involving methods such as irradiation, waves and burning when these are used to intervene in the body for aesthetic purposes.

Whether a particular device requires medical licensing depends on the technology, intended use and degree of intervention.

Therefore, a business should not assume that a device is legally a non-medical beauty treatment simply because the supplier markets it to spas.

Before purchasing expensive equipment, establish:

1. How the device is classified in Vietnam.
2. Whether the intended procedure is considered medical.
3. Which type of establishment may legally operate it.
4. What professional qualifications the operator needs.

This can prevent the costly mistake of purchasing equipment that the registered business is not authorised to use.

You still need to register the business itself

Even a simple non-medical spa needs an appropriate legal business structure.

Depending on ownership and scale, this could involve establishing a company or using another legally available business form.

Vietnam's enterprise registration system requires the business to register with the appropriate business lines and receive an Enterprise Registration Certificate where applicable.

A business should ensure that its registered activities accurately reflect the services it intends to provide.

Adding massage, retail cosmetics, training, medical aesthetics or other activities later can create additional regulatory consequences.

Foreigners can face an additional layer of investment rules

A foreign entrepreneur opening a spa in Vietnam should not assume the process is identical to that for a Vietnamese owner.

Vietnam introduced important investment-law changes in 2026. Under the 2025 Law on Investment, which took effect on March 1, 2026, foreign investors can in some circumstances establish an economic organisation before completing procedures for an Investment Registration Certificate, provided applicable market-access requirements are satisfied.

Foreign investors must still comply with Vietnam's market-access rules for the activities in which they invest.

Under Decree 96/2026, foreign investors generally receive the same market access as domestic investors except in sectors specifically listed as restricted or conditional. Where a particular activity is subject to conditions, those conditions still apply.

A foreign-owned spa may therefore need to consider:

• Foreign investment market access.
• Enterprise registration.
• Investment registration where applicable.
• The exact registered business activities.
• Premises and lease documentation.
• Sector-specific permits.
• Labour and immigration rules for foreign employees.

Foreign ownership is therefore a separate issue from whether the spa itself requires a health or massage-related licence.

Can a foreigner personally work as a therapist in the spa?

Owning a company and personally performing regulated work are two different legal questions.

A foreign investor may still need the appropriate immigration, employment and professional permissions to work operationally inside the business.

For activities requiring professional healthcare qualifications, the practitioner must satisfy Vietnam's healthcare practice requirements regardless of whether they own the business.

An investor should therefore distinguish between:

• Owning shares in the business.
• Managing the company.
• Working as a spa therapist.
• Practising as a healthcare professional.

Each can trigger different legal requirements.

The premises can affect whether the project is viable

A spa licence strategy should be considered before signing a long commercial lease.

The premises may need to satisfy requirements connected with:

• Permitted commercial use.
• Fire prevention and safety.
• Hygiene.
• Ventilation.
• Treatment-room layout.
• Equipment installation.
• Waste management.
• Healthcare facility standards if medical services are provided.

An attractive villa or shopfront is not automatically suitable for every type of spa activity.

This is particularly important for medical aesthetics, where premises requirements can be substantially more demanding than for a simple beauty salon.

Fire-safety requirements should not be treated as an afterthought

Businesses in Vietnam can be subject to fire-prevention and firefighting requirements according to factors such as their building type, size and activities.

A spa may use electrical heating equipment, saunas, steam facilities, large quantities of towels, cosmetics and treatment products, so fire safety should be incorporated into the premises assessment from the beginning.

Requirements vary according to the building and project rather than simply the word "spa".

Before fitting out the premises, confirm whether approval, inspection or fire-safety documentation is required for the specific location.

Staff qualifications depend on what treatments they perform

There is no single qualification requirement applicable to every employee working in every spa.

Someone providing a simple wellness service is not regulated in the same way as someone performing a medical aesthetic procedure.

Certain cosmetic activities specifically require evidence of vocational education or training. Medical procedures require appropriately qualified healthcare professionals working within a licensed healthcare establishment and approved professional scope.

Business owners should map each service to:

• Who may legally perform it.
• What training or licence that person requires.
• Whether professional supervision is required.
• What type of facility may offer the service.

Do this before recruiting staff rather than after opening.

Selling cosmetics can create another business activity

Many spas generate additional revenue by selling:

• Skincare products.
• Shampoo and hair products.
• Massage oils.
• Facial products.
• Cosmetics.

Retailing products may require the relevant business activity to be registered, while cosmetic products themselves are subject to Vietnamese rules concerning product notification, labelling and distribution.

Imported products can create further regulatory requirements.

If the spa plans to build a substantial retail business, treat this as a separate compliance workstream rather than assuming it is automatically covered by the service business.

Opening a spa and opening an aesthetic clinic are fundamentally different projects

From an investment perspective, it helps to think about three broad models.

Model 1: wellness and beauty spa

Typical services might include facials, body treatments and non-invasive beauty services.

This is generally the simplest model from a healthcare regulation perspective, although business, premises and any specific cosmetic-service requirements still apply.

Model 2: massage and wellness spa

Adding massage can trigger additional security and public-order requirements depending on how the business activity is classified.

This model is common in tourism destinations such as Da Nang, Nha Trang, Hoi An and Ho Chi Minh City.

Vietnam Clinic's ranking of the best spas in Da Nang shows the range of wellness businesses operating in one of the country's largest tourism markets.

Model 3: medical aesthetic clinic

Once the business moves into Botox, fillers, invasive procedures or regulated energy-based treatments, it enters the healthcare licensing system.

This is substantially more complex and typically requires an appropriately licensed medical facility, qualified practitioners and an approved professional scope.

Do not budget or structure these three business models as though they were legally interchangeable.

Can you open a spa first and add medical treatments later?

Potentially, but you should not begin offering the medical services until the relevant approvals are in place.

A common commercial temptation is to start as a conventional beauty spa and later add higher-margin treatments such as injectable aesthetics.

Legally, that can require much more than updating the price list.

The business may need:

• A different facility structure.
• Healthcare licensing.
• A qualified person responsible for professional activities.
• Licensed healthcare practitioners.
• Approved medical equipment.
• A defined professional scope.

If medical aesthetics are part of the long-term business plan, it can be cheaper to design the regulatory and premises strategy correctly at the beginning.

How long does the licensing process take?

There is no useful single timeline for opening every spa in Vietnam because the process depends on the business model.

A straightforward non-medical beauty business may involve relatively ordinary enterprise registration and sector-specific notifications.

A foreign-invested business adds investment considerations.

A medical aesthetic facility can take considerably more preparation because healthcare licensing, personnel, premises and equipment requirements need to be satisfied.

The Ministry of Health's current procedure for certain non-medical cosmetic service establishments requires notification to the relevant Department of Health at least 10 days before starting operations.

That 10-day period should not be confused with the total amount of time required to establish the company, lease and prepare the premises or obtain other permits.

A practical licensing checklist before spending money

Before opening a spa in Vietnam, define the project in this order:

1. List every service you plan to sell.
2. Separate wellness, massage, cosmetic and medical services.
3. Determine the correct business activities to register.
4. Confirm whether foreign-investor market-access rules apply.
5. Check the proposed premises before signing a long lease.
6. Identify health authority notifications or licences.
7. Check security and public-order requirements for massage.
8. Confirm fire-safety obligations.
9. Verify qualifications required for each member of staff.
10. Check rules for any machines, lasers or medical devices.
11. Review cosmetic product requirements if products will be sold.
12. Obtain final local legal and accounting advice before launch.

The service list should come first because virtually every later regulatory decision depends on it.

Do not rely on the word "spa" when asking for legal advice

If you tell an adviser only that you want to open a spa, they still do not know what licence you need.

A much better description is something like:

"I want to open a foreign-owned business in Da Nang providing traditional massage, facials, sauna and skincare retail, with no injections or invasive treatments."

Or:

"I want to operate an aesthetic clinic providing Botox, dermal fillers and laser procedures."

Those are completely different projects from a licensing perspective.

The more precise the service list, the more useful the regulatory answer will be.

Frequently Asked Questions

The answers below provide a general overview of spa licensing in Vietnam. Business, investment and healthcare regulations can change, and local implementation can differ according to the activity and location. Owners should obtain current professional advice before investing or beginning operations.

Conclusion

You generally cannot simply rent a shop and start operating a spa in Vietnam without registration and regulatory checks, but there is no single licence called a universal spa licence.

A conventional beauty and wellness spa may require business registration and applicable sector-specific notifications. Massage can bring additional security and public-order requirements. Certain cosmetic services require notification to the health authorities.

Once the business offers invasive aesthetic treatments such as Botox, fillers or other medical procedures, it enters a much stricter regulatory category and must operate through an appropriately licensed healthcare facility.

Foreign investors also need to consider Vietnam's market-access and investment rules separately from the operational spa licences.

The safest way to plan the business is to decide the exact service menu first and then determine the registration, premises, professional and licensing requirements for every service before signing a long lease or purchasing equipment.

Sources

1. Vietnam Ministry of Health: Conditions for Opening Private Clinics and Providing Aesthetic Services
2. Vietnam Ministry of Health: Procedure for Notification of Eligibility to Provide Cosmetic Services
3. Decree 96/2016/ND-CP: Security and Public Order Conditions for Conditional Business Activities
4. Invest Vietnam: 2025 Investment Law Effective from March 2026
5. Decree 96/2026/ND-CP: Market Access Rules for Foreign Investors
6. Vietnam Government. Decree 96/2023/ND-CP