How to Register a GS1 Barcode Online in Vietnam via VNeID under Decree 37/2026

Since 1 July 2026, the procedure for granting the right to use barcode numbers in Vietnam has been governed by Decree 37/2026/ND-CP. The biggest practical change is that the application is now designed to be filed online: the business logs in to the National Public Service Portal with its VNeID electronic identification account, completes an electronic form based on Form 05 of Appendix VII, pays the fee online and receives the right to use its barcode numbers as an electronic grant. This guide walks through each step of the online filing, the mistakes that most often lead to requests for additional documents, and how the online route compares with paper filing, which is still accepted.

Quick answer: to register a barcode online, a business needs a verified VNeID account for the organisation (or the individual's own account for an individual trader). It logs in to dichvucong.gov.vn, selects the procedure for granting the right to use barcode numbers, completes electronic Form 05, chooses the prefix type and the validity period, and pays the issuance fee of VND 1,000,000. Once the file is complete and valid and the fee has been paid, the right to use the barcode is granted within 7 working days. The business then pays the first-year maintenance fee and declares its products on the GS1 Vietnam system before putting goods on the market.

Legal basis and competent authority

• Decree 37/2026/ND-CP details the Law on Product and Goods Quality. Article 28 sets out the obligations of organisations and individuals using barcodes; Articles 29 and 30 cover the application file and how to submit it; Article 31 covers the procedure, processing time, validity period and grounds for revocation. The Decree replaces the barcode provisions of Decree 132/2008/ND-CP, Decree 74/2018/ND-CP and Decree 13/2022/ND-CP.
• Circular 232/2016/TT-BTC sets the barcode issuance fee and the annual maintenance fee.
• Competent authority: the National Committee for Standards, Metrology and Quality (Ủy ban Tiêu chuẩn Đo lường Chất lượng Quốc gia) under the Ministry of Science and Technology, acting through the National Barcode Center (Trung tâm Mã số mã vạch quốc gia), known as GS1 Vietnam.

Under Article 29.3, an online application consists of two elements: the electronic registration form based on Form 05 of Appendix VII, and the use of the applicant's verified VNeID electronic identification account. The business only needs to attach an electronic copy of its Enterprise Registration Certificate or an equivalent document if that information has not yet been integrated with its VNeID account. Each application is made as one set of documents (Article 30).

Prerequisites before filing online

1. A VNeID electronic identification account

The National Public Service Portal allows login with an electronic identification account. A business should use the organisation's own electronic identification account. This account is registered by the company's legal representative on the VNeID app, and the legal representative must hold a level 2 personal electronic identification account. Household businesses and individual traders use the level 2 VNeID account of the household head or of the individual.

Before filing, open the VNeID app and check that the organisation account has been approved and that the company name, enterprise code and head office address match the Enterprise Registration Certificate. If the business has changed its address to reflect the new administrative unit names following the 2025 reorganisation, make sure its enterprise registration details have been updated, because mismatched information is one of the most common reasons for a request for additional documents.

2. Decide on the prefix type and validity period in advance

Under Article 31.1, the business chooses its own type of company prefix. The prefix type determines how many product codes can be created and the annual maintenance fee:

Company prefix type	Number of product codes available	Annual maintenance fee
10-digit prefix	100 codes	VND 500,000
9-digit prefix	1,000 codes	VND 800,000
8-digit prefix	10,000 codes	VND 1,500,000
7-digit prefix	100,000 codes	VND 2,000,000

Decree 37/2026/ND-CP also allows a 12-digit prefix, but the fee schedule in Circular 232/2016/TT-BTC currently lists only the 10, 9, 8 and 7-digit types, so check the applicable fee with the National Barcode Center before choosing a 12-digit prefix.

A simple way to estimate: count your current products, multiply by the variants that will need their own code (volume, weight, flavour, colour, pack size), then add the products you expect to launch over the next few years. For example, a business with 15 products, each in 3 pack sizes, needs 45 codes, so a 10-digit prefix with 100 codes is enough.

As for the validity period, Article 31.2 lets the business register the period it needs, replacing the fixed 3-year term of the former certificate. Throughout that period, the annual maintenance fee must still be paid every year.

3. Prepare the information you will need to declare

• The company name in Vietnamese, its foreign-language name if any, the enterprise code and the head office address, exactly as shown on the Enterprise Registration Certificate.
• Full name and title of the legal representative; full name, phone number and email of the contact person responsible for barcodes.
• A list of the product groups that will carry barcodes and the estimated number of products.
• An electronic copy of the Enterprise Registration Certificate (clear PDF) to attach if the system asks for it.
• An online payment method: a bank account with internet banking or an e-wallet supported by the National Public Service Portal.

Notes for foreign-invested companies

A foreign-invested company files in its own name, as the organisation registering the barcode. The online application should be made through the company's organisational VNeID account, which is registered by its legal representative; an employee's personal VNeID account should not be used, because the filer would then not match the registering organisation. If the system asks for supporting documents, note that the accepted documents include the Investment Registration Certificate as well as the Enterprise Registration Certificate (see Step 4), and the company name and foreign-language name declared must match these documents exactly. When the company cannot obtain an organisational VNeID account in time, it can file on paper in Hanoi instead (see the comparison below), with a power of attorney if a staff member or an adviser submits the file on its behalf.

Step-by-step online registration

The National Public Service Portal interface may change from time to time, so button names and on-screen positions may differ slightly from the description below. The sequence and the information required under Decree 37/2026/ND-CP remain the same.

Step 1. Log in to the National Public Service Portal

Go to dichvucong.gov.vn and choose to log in with a VNeID electronic identification account. When asked which type of user you are, select organisation or enterprise (if you are filing for a company), then authenticate in the VNeID app as instructed, usually by scanning a QR code or confirming the login notification on your phone.

Step 2. Find the correct procedure

Use the portal's search box and search for "mã số, mã vạch". From the results, select the procedure for granting the right to use barcode numbers (cấp quyền sử dụng mã số, mã vạch) handled by the National Committee for Standards, Metrology and Quality (Ministry of Science and Technology). Read the procedure information (documents, processing time, fees), then choose to file online. Take care not to confuse it with other procedures in the same field, such as registering the use of a foreign barcode or barcode procedures that do not relate to company prefixes starting with 893.

Step 3. Complete the electronic form based on Form 05

This is the most important step. Much of the company information is filled in automatically from identification data; the business checks it and completes the rest. Following the content of Form 05 of Appendix VII, the electronic form covers these groups of information:

• Applicant details: name, enterprise code, head office address, phone, email and legal representative. These must match the Enterprise Registration Certificate exactly; do not use your own abbreviation of the company name.
• Contact person: the person who will receive requests for additional documents and deal with the processing agency. Give a phone number and email address that are checked regularly.
• Type of code: choose the company prefix type (12, 10, 9, 8 or 7 digits) based on your estimated number of products. If you need a Global Location Number or a short EAN-8 code, declare it in the corresponding section if the form provides one.
• Registered validity period: state the period for which you want the right of use to be granted (Article 31.2).
• Products to be barcoded: product groups and the estimated number of products. This scope is directly linked to the obligation under Article 28 to apply barcodes only to products within the registered scope.
• Declaration: confirm that the information is true and undertake to comply with the rules on barcode use.

The paper application form that the National Barcode Center uses for paper filings has similar content; you can refer to the barcode application form (in Vietnamese) to prepare your answers before filing online.

Step 4. Attach documents if the system asks for them

If the organisation's VNeID account already integrates its enterprise registration information, no attachments are usually needed. If not, attach an electronic copy of the Enterprise Registration Certificate, Household Business Registration Certificate, Investment Registration Certificate or establishment decision. The electronic copy must be an electronic copy issued from the original register or an electronically certified copy of the original. A blurry phone photo, a copy with missing pages or an expired document will trigger a request for additional documents.

Step 5. Submit the application and pay the issuance fee online

After reviewing everything, submit the application and pay the company prefix issuance fee of VND 1,000,000, which is the same for every prefix type (Article 4.1 of Circular 232/2016/TT-BTC). The issuance fee for a Global Location Number or an EAN-8 code is VND 300,000 per code. Payment is made through the portal's online payment function. Keep the electronic receipt and the application reference number issued by the system. The 7-working-day processing period only starts once the file is complete and valid and the fee has been paid.

Step 6. Track the application and supplement it if asked

Under Article 31.1(a), if the file is incomplete, the processing agency notifies the applicant through the National Public Service Portal within 1 working day of receiving it. The business then has 3 working days from receiving the notice to amend or supplement the file. Because this window is short, the person in charge should log in and check the application management section of the account, as well as the email address provided, every day during the first week after filing.

Step 7. Receive the electronic grant of the right to use barcode numbers

Once the file is complete and valid and the fee has been paid, the processing agency grants the right to use barcode numbers in electronic form based on Form 06 of Appendix VII within 7 working days (Article 31.1(b)). The result is returned online through the National Public Service Portal; the business downloads it and keeps it with its corporate legal records. Since 1 July 2026, the paper Barcode Certificate of the former regime is no longer issued. Time limits are counted in working days, excluding Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays.

Step 8. Pay the first-year maintenance fee

After the grant, the business pays the maintenance fee for the year of grant according to its prefix type (see the table above). If the grant is made after 30 June, the business pays 50% of that year's maintenance fee. From the following year, the maintenance fee is due by 30 June each year at the latest (Article 4.3 and Article 4.6 of Circular 232/2016/TT-BTC). For example, with a 10-digit prefix, total state fees in the first year are VND 1,500,000, or VND 1,250,000 if the grant is made after 30 June. For details of each fee, see GS1 barcode registration and annual maintenance fees in Vietnam.

Step 9. Create product codes and declare them on the GS1 Vietnam system

From the company prefix it has been granted, the business creates its own Global Trade Item Numbers (GTINs) for each product. Under Articles 28.1 and 28.2 of Decree 37/2026/ND-CP, before putting products into circulation, the business must declare and update product information in the database at vnpc.gs1.gov.vn, including at least: the GTIN, product name and brand, description, product group, company name, target market and a product image. The business is responsible for the uniqueness of each code and may not sell or transfer the right to use its codes to any other organisation or individual.

Common mistakes that lead to requests for additional documents

• Mismatched company information: the name or address on the form differs from the Enterprise Registration Certificate, particularly where ward or commune names have changed under the new administrative units but the enterprise registration has not been updated.
• Logging in with the wrong type of account: using an employee's personal VNeID account to file for the company, so the filer does not match the registering organisation.
• Invalid attachments: blurry images, missing pages, or documents that are neither electronic copies from the original register nor certified electronic copies.
• Choosing a prefix type that does not fit the declared number of products, or leaving the registered validity period blank.
• Fee not paid, or a failed payment that was never checked, so the processing period has not started.
• No response within 3 working days to a request for additional documents because nobody was monitoring the application, the email inbox or the contact phone number.
• Filing a new application while a certificate is still valid without identifying the correct case. Under Article 29.1, a grant applies where the business has never registered, has used up its code capacity, had its right revoked but is eligible for a new grant, has reached the end of its validity period, is a new legal entity formed through a merger, joint venture or association, or has changed its name or address while its right of use is still valid.

Online filing compared with paper filing

Online filing is the main route under Decree 37/2026/ND-CP and is encouraged by the National Barcode Center. According to the Center's notice of 31 December 2025, businesses can still file offline, in person or by post, at the One-Stop Shop of the Ministry of Science and Technology (Bộ phận Một cửa Bộ Khoa học và Công nghệ), 113 Tran Duy Hung, Yen Hoa Ward, Hanoi. The former One-Stop Shop of the National Committee for Standards, Metrology and Quality at 8 Hoang Quoc Viet stopped accepting this procedure from 1 January 2026.

Criterion	Online filing	Paper filing
Where to file	National Public Service Portal (dichvucong.gov.vn)	One-Stop Shop of the Ministry of Science and Technology, 113 Tran Duy Hung, Yen Hoa Ward, Hanoi; in person or by post
Documents	Electronic Form 05; electronic copy of enterprise registration documents only if not yet integrated with VNeID	Paper barcode application form, copy of enterprise registration documents, and a power of attorney if someone else submits the file
Requirement	Verified VNeID account of the organisation or individual	No portal action needed to submit, but the result is still tracked online
Fee payment	Paid online at the time of filing	As instructed by the receiving office
Processing time	7 working days from when the file is complete and valid and the fee has been paid, under Article 31.1 of Decree 37/2026/ND-CP
Result	Electronic grant of the right to use barcode numbers, returned online through the National Public Service Portal
Best suited to	Most companies and household businesses that already have a VNeID account	Cases where the organisation's VNeID account cannot yet be used, or where filing in Hanoi is convenient

If you authorise an employee or an adviser to submit a paper file on your behalf, you can use the power of attorney template for barcode registration (in Vietnamese).

Frequently asked questions

Can a company register without an organisational VNeID account?

There are two options. The legal representative can register the organisation's electronic identification account on the VNeID app (the legal representative needs a level 2 personal account) and file online once it is approved. If the account cannot be obtained in time, the company can file on paper at the One-Stop Shop of the Ministry of Science and Technology, 113 Tran Duy Hung, Yen Hoa Ward, Hanoi.

How long does online barcode registration take?

Under Article 31.1 of Decree 37/2026/ND-CP, the right of use is granted within 7 working days from when the file is complete and valid and the fee has been paid. If the file is incomplete, the agency gives notice within 1 working day and the business has 3 working days to supplement it; the 7-working-day period only runs once the file is valid.

Are the fees different for online and paper filing?

No. The issuance and maintenance fees under Circular 232/2016/TT-BTC apply regardless of how you file: the company prefix issuance fee is VND 1,000,000, and the maintenance fee ranges from VND 500,000 per year (10-digit prefix) to VND 2,000,000 per year (7-digit prefix).

Will I receive a paper certificate?

No. Since 1 July 2026, the result is an electronic grant of the right to use barcode numbers based on Form 06 of Appendix VII, returned online through the National Public Service Portal. The business downloads and keeps it; this electronic document is used to prove the right to use the codes when dealing with distributors, supermarkets or e-commerce platforms.

Does a certificate issued before 1 July 2026 have to be re-registered online?

Not yet. Under Article 98.1 of Decree 37/2026/ND-CP, certificates issued before then remain valid until they expire. When a certificate expires, or when a new grant is needed because of a change of name or address, the business follows the new procedure. The maintenance fee is still paid every year.

After the grant, does each product need to be registered separately?

No separate application is needed. The business creates a GTIN for each product from its company prefix, but it must declare the product information on vnpc.gs1.gov.vn before putting the product into circulation (Articles 28.1 and 28.2 of Decree 37/2026/ND-CP).

How LTV Law can help

LTV Law helps businesses choose the right prefix type and validity period, reviews the information before it is declared, files the online application together with the business or prepares a paper file, follows the application through to the grant and guides the product declaration. LTV Law does not promise a shorter timeline than the statutory processing period of the authority. For the wider picture, see our full guide to registering a GS1 barcode and our barcode registration service.

This article is for general reference and reflects regulations in force as of 22 October 2026. The National Public Service Portal interface may change; businesses should follow the instructions displayed on the portal when filing.