Laws in Vietnam
How Vietnam is classified on 36 of the 48 laws this site maps, grouped by subject. Each links to the full answer and its source.
Body & Life
- Abortion
- Legal on request Abortion is available on request, subject to a gestational limit.
- Suicide Laws
- Not a crime
- Surrogacy
- Altruistic only Altruistic surrogacy is legal for specific married couples under strict conditions.
Money & Games
- Gambling Age
- 21+ Minimum age to gamble: 21.
- Cryptocurrency
- Banking ban / restricted Cryptocurrency is legal to trade and hold but cannot be used as payment.
Daily Life
- Public Smoking Bans
- Partial ban Smoking is banned in specific public places and workplaces, but exemptions exist for entertainment areas in some regions.
- Driving Age
- 18+ Minimum age to drive a car: 18.
Animals & Environment
- Fur Farming
- Legal No ban on fur farming.
- Cosmetic Animal Testing
- No ban No ban on testing cosmetics on animals.
- Dog Meat
- Legal / not prohibited Dog meat consumption is not currently banned, despite public opinion favoring a ban.
- Plastic Bag Bans
- Banned Lightweight plastic bags are banned nationwide.
Civic & Family
- Voting Age
- 18 The voting age is 18.
- Compulsory Voting
- Voluntary Voting is voluntary.
- Minimum Working Age
- 14–15 Minimum working age: 15.
Relationships & Sexuality
- Same-Sex Marriage
- Not recognized Same-sex unions have no legal recognition.
- Same-Sex Activity
- Legal Same-sex sexual activity is legal.
- Age of Consent
- 16–17 The age of consent is 16.
- Sex Work
- Illegal Prostitution is a serious criminal offense in Vietnam.
- Pornography
- Illegal Vietnam imposes criminal penalties including imprisonment for the distribution and production of pornographic materials.
- Divorce
- Legal Divorce is legal and generally available by mutual consent without fault.
- Same-Sex Adoption
- Limited (step-child / single) Joint adoption is not open to same-sex couples; step-child or single-person adoption is.
- Incest Laws
- Criminal offense
- Marriage Age
- 18+ Minimum marriage age: 20.
Speech & Belief
- Holocaust Denial
- No specific law No specific law against Holocaust denial.
- Conversion Therapy
- Partial ban A 2022 circular prohibits treating LGBTQ identity as a disease and bans involuntary treatments by medical professionals.
Justice & Weapons
- Death Penalty
- Retained / in use Retained in law and used.
- Gun Laws
- Highly restrictive / banned Civilians cannot obtain handguns.
- School Corporal Punishment
- Banned Corporal punishment is technically unlawful in schools under the Education Law 2005.
- Military Conscription
- Active conscription
Substances
- Cannabis
- Illegal Cannabis is illegal for all purposes.
- Drinking Age
- 18–20 Minimum age to buy alcohol: 18.
- Smoking Age
- 18 Minimum age to buy tobacco: 18.
- Psilocybin Mushrooms
- Decriminalized / tolerated Psilocybin possession is illegal but not enforced in practice.
- Salvia Divinorum
- Illegal Possession of salvia divinorum is a criminal offence.
- Khat
- Illegal Khat is a narcotic drug in Vietnam, with illegal cultivation, possession, and distribution criminally prosecuted.
- E-Cigarettes
- Sales banned E-cigarette sales are prohibited.
Nearby countries
A visual reference compiled from Wikipedia’s law-by-country articles, not legal advice. Laws change and summaries simplify — check a primary source before relying on anything here.