The streets of Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City are being filled with popular brand names of international franchises like KFC, Lotteria, and Circle K. Yet a foreign tourist wishing to find the nearest McDonald’s for a quick bite or a corner 7-Eleven for forgotten travel necessities would be rather surprised to find that these brands, so common in Asia and around the world, are still absent from the Vietnamese market (at the time of this writing).

Franchising is still in its early stage in Vietnam, and the same could be said of the country’s laws on franchising. There is a registration system with the state authority and a comprehensive set of regulations, yet there is still a lack of depth, which can cause uncertainty in many areas for businesses wishing to operate a franchise system in Vietnam.