1. Changes to Procedures for Approving Health Supplement Advertising Content

- Decentralization of Authority to Local Levels: The issuance of approvals for health supplement advertising content is no longer handled at the ministerial level (by the Vietnam Food Administration - VFA) but has been fully decentralized to the local level, specifically under the authority of the Chairpersons of the Provincial People's Committees. 

(Legal basis: Point a, Clause 1, Article 2 of Resolution No. 21/2026/NQ-CP)

- Method of Application Submission: Organizations or individuals with products to be advertised only need to prepare 01 set of application dossier and can choose to submit it either physically in person or through the online public service portal of the Provincial People's Committee.

 (Legal basis: Clause 1, Appendix I issued attached to Resolution No. 21/2026/NQ-CP)

- Processing Timeframe and Limitation on Amendment Requests: The receiving authority must review the application and return the results within 10 working days from the date of receipt of a complete and valid dossier. Notably, the state authority is only permitted to request the enterprise to amend or supplement the dossier 01 single time via a written document clearly stating the reasons and legal grounds.

 (Legal basis: Clause 2, Appendix I issued attached to Resolution No. 21/2026/NQ-CP)

- Time Limit for Submitting Supplementary Dossiers: Upon receiving an amendment or supplementation request, the enterprise has a maximum of 90 working days to complete and resubmit the dossier. Beyond this time limit, the initial dossier will become legally void. Upon receiving the supplementary dossier, the state authority will have an additional 10 working days for evaluation and response. (Legal basis: Clause 3, Appendix I issued attached to Resolution No. 21/2026/NQ-CP)

- Strict Language Requirements for Documents: All documents within the application dossier (such as scientific data proving effects beyond the product declaration) must be presented in Vietnamese. If foreign language documents are used, they must be translated into Vietnamese and must be notarized. 

(Legal basis: Point dd, Clause 1, Appendix I issued attached to Resolution No. 21/2026/NQ-CP)

2. Implementation Process for Advertising Approval Procedures

Step 1: The enterprise prepares the application dossier in accordance with the forms prescribed under Decree No. 15/2018/NĐ-CP (including the application form, supporting scientific documents, and the proposed advertising content).

Step 2: The dossier is submitted either in person or through the online public service portal to the Department of Health or other specialized agencies authorized by the Provincial People's Committee.

Step 3: The receiving authority evaluates the dossier within a timeframe of 15 to 20 working days (in accordance with current regulations). If the dossier is valid, the Certificate of Content Approval for Health Supplement Advertisement will be issued.

3. Common Real-World Scenarios

- Scenario 1: An enterprise imports health supplements from the United States and submits an application for advertising approval, attaching clinical scientific documents in English to prove the product's efficacy (beyond the standard product declaration). To save costs, the enterprise translates the documents into Vietnamese internally and only applies the company's internal stamp (stamp on the left margin/affixed stamp). Consequently, the provincial evaluating authority rejects the application and requests amendments because the law mandates that foreign documents must not only be translated into Vietnamese but also "must be notarized." This non-compliance causes the enterprise to incur additional costs and time to redo the procedure.

- Scenario 2: An enterprise headquartered in Hanoi wishes to run television advertisements for its new line of health supplements. Following old practices, the enterprise's legal officer submits the dossier directly to the Vietnam Food Administration (Ministry of Health). However, as of July 1, 2026, this authority has been fully decentralized. The enterprise is refused receipt of the dossier and must perform the submission procedure again, either in person or via the online public service portal at the Department of Health or other specialized agencies authorized by the Provincial People's Committee. The receiving authority will evaluate the dossier within 15 to 20 working days (under current regulations). If the dossier is valid, the Certificate of Content Approval for Health Supplement Advertisement will be issued.