Vietnam is planning to drop the licence that every alcohol seller must obtain and to rely instead on digital checks and spot inspections. The change could affect every bar, grocery store and home‑brew producer, so it matters to many readers.

Vietnam’s Ministry of Industry and Trade has proposed scrapping alcohol business licensing requirements and replacing them with direct inspections guided by digitalised data. The proposal also states that alcohol trading will be removed from the list of conditional business lines from March 1 2027, under amendments to the 2025 Investment Law passed by the National Assembly on August 24 2026. The ministry says the new system will focus on market oversight rather than pre‑licensing checks.

Nguyen Van Viet, chairman of the Vietnam Beer‑Alcohol‑Beverage Association, said the current licensing procedures and business conditions, including fire‑safety rules for individual retail outlets, are impractical. He added that this impracticality has contributed to tax evasion, alcohol poisoning and the circulation of substandard products. Viet argues that the existing licence regime makes effective control nearly impossible.

The ministry noted that monitoring is especially hard for small grocery stores, bars and household producers because alcohol is sold together with other goods or produced on a tiny scale. Local authorities also find it difficult to distinguish traditional artisanal production from industrial manufacturing, which hampers enforcement.

Under the proposed approach, digitalised data would play a central role in monitoring the market while direct inspections would replace the current emphasis on checks before licences are granted. The proposal aims to reduce administrative burdens for businesses that now face multiple registration and licensing requirements. It also seeks to improve product traceability and food safety by allowing authorities to focus on compliance and violations rather than on licensing paperwork.