I. General Overview
Area: 29,556 square kilometers.
The population is approximately 103 million (2023), with 54 ethnic groups represented. The Kinh people make up 86% of the total population, while the Tay, Tai, Muong, Chinese, and Nung peoples each have populations exceeding 500,000. The primary language is Vietnamese (official, lingua franca, and primary ethnic language). The main religions are Buddhism, Catholicism, Hoa Hao, and Cao Dai.
The main economic data are as follows:
GDP: US$430 billion (2023).
GDP per capita: US$4,284.
GDP growth rate: 5.05%.
Currency name: Vietnamese Dong.
Exchange rate: 1 US dollar ≈ 24,560 Vietnamese dong (October 2023).
Consumer price index: 3.25% (2023)

II. Treaty Membership
1. Paris Convention for the Protection of Industrial Property (Paris Convention)
Accession: 1949

2. Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT)
Accession: 1993

3. Protocol Relating to the Madrid Agreement Concerning the International Registration of Marks (Madrid Protocol)
Accession: 2006

4. Madrid Protocol Concerning the International Registration of Marks
Accession: 1949

5. Hague Agreement Concerning the International Registration of Industrial Designs (Hague Agreement)
Accession: 2019

III. Trademark Application Procedure and Required Documents
1. Trademark Registrable Elements and Types
Elements that can be registered as trademarks in Vietnam include: text, graphics, symbols, slogans, three-dimensional logos, color combinations, etc.
The types of trademarks that can be registered in Vietnam include: trademarks, service marks, collective trademarks, and certification trademarks.

2. Filing Routes
1) National filing (direct filing)
2) Madrid International Registration

3. Required Documents
⦁ Trademark registration application form;
⦁ Applicant's name, address and nationality;
⦁ List of goods and/or services;
⦁ Clear representation of the mark;
⦁ Power of attorney;
⦁ A certified copy of the priority document (if priority is claimed).

4. Application Procedure and Timeline
Filing: The 12th edition of the Nice Classification is adopted; multiple-class are possible; the principle of first-to-file is followed.
Formal examination: 1 month
Publication/Opposition: The opposition period is 5 months
Substantive examination: 18-30 months
Registration: Approximately 21-36 months from filing to registration (if smooth)

5. Protection Period and Renewal
The validity period is 10 years from the date of application and can be renewed for 10 years each time before expiration.

6. Assignment
Allowed for both pending and registered trademarks. A power of attorney from the assignee and an assignment agreement are required, and the processing period is approximately 1-2 years.

7. Chang of Name/Address
Trademark changes require a power of attorney, a trademark certificate, and a notarized proof of change, and the processing period is approximately 6-12 months.

8. Cancellation
Non-use Cancellation: If a trademark has not been used for 5 consecutive years, any interested party may file a cancellation request for the non-used trademark.

IV. Trademark application statistics *:
A: Statistics on total trademark applications:
2020: 63,665
2021: 69,841
2022: 64,175
B: Statistics of trademark applications from China:
2020: 4,020
2021: 3,853
2022: 4,070