Industrial Design Registration in Vietnam: A Guide for Foreign Businesses (2026)

Product appearance is often a brand's most copied asset. In Vietnam, the shape, lines, colours and ornamentation of a product can be protected as a registered industrial design — a right that is fast becoming essential for foreign consumer-goods, electronics and packaging companies.

What an industrial design protects

An industrial design protects the external appearance of a product expressed through shapes, lines, colours or a combination of these. To be registrable, a design must be new, have creativity (be significantly different from known designs), and be capable of industrial application. It protects only the aesthetic appearance — not features dictated solely by technical function.

Novelty and the grace period

Novelty is assessed as at the filing (or priority) date. Since the amended IP Law (effective 2023), Vietnam allows a grace period of twelve months: a design disclosed by, or derived from, the person with the right to file — displayed, sold or advertised — within twelve months before filing does not lose novelty. Disclosure earlier than that generally does, so the safest course is still to file before putting the product on the market.

Who can file

Foreign applicants without a Vietnamese establishment must file through a licensed Vietnamese IP agent (Article 89 of the IP Law). The application must include a clear set of drawings/photographs — the single most important element, as they define the scope of protection.

Process, term and fees

The application undergoes formal and substantive examination and, if granted, results in a Design Patent Certificate. Protection lasts 5 years from the filing date and can be renewed twice, for a maximum of 15 years. Official state fees under Circular 263/2016 include the filing fee, a substantive examination fee of VND 700,000 per embodiment, a search fee of VND 480,000 per embodiment, publication, recordal and grant fees. Certain charges are reduced 50% under Circular 64/2025 until 31 December 2026.

Design, trademark or patent?

These rights often overlap and are strongest in combination. A distinctive product shape may be protected as an industrial design (appearance), while its brand name/logo is protected as a trademark and any technical innovation as a patent. Foreign companies launching new products in Vietnam should map all three early.

Frequently asked questions

How long does an industrial design last in Vietnam?

5 years from the filing date, renewable twice (5 years each) for up to 15 years total.

Can I register a design after launching the product?

Only within the grace period (broadly twelve months from a disclosure by the person entitled to file, since the amended IP Law). It is far safer to file before any public disclosure.

What is the most important part of the application?

The set of drawings or photographs — they define the exact scope of protection, so quality and completeness are critical.

Does a design registration cover technical function?

No. Industrial design protects appearance only; technical solutions are protected by patents.

How LTV Law helps

LTV Law prepares technically compliant drawings, files and prosecutes industrial-design applications for foreign businesses, and enforces design rights against copycats. See our industrial design service or contact our team.

This article is for general information only and does not constitute legal advice.