Security Services in Vietnam

Vietnam’s story on close protection is less about danger and more about how the work gets done. Political violence and terrorism risk are both low by regional standards, so the real planning questions here are licensing, and how far Vietnam’s genuinely restrictive approach to weapons reaches into everyday security operations.

Unarmed by law, not by preference

Vietnam’s civilian firearms controls are among the tightest anywhere this network operates. That is not a gap in an operator’s capability; it is the law. Private Security Decree 96/2016/ND-CP, administered by the Ministry of Public Security, sets unarmed protection as the default, and armed protection for a foreign national would need specific government authorisation that almost no commercial assignment ever pursues. Clients arriving expecting an armed detail as standard, the way it might work in parts of the Middle East or Latin America, need to reset that expectation before the visit, not during it.

A provincial licence, checked properly

Security companies need a provincial police licence issued under the MPS framework, and individual guards need their own training and certification on top of that. Foreign firms cannot simply set up shop; commercial security services have to be delivered through a Vietnamese-licensed entity, with foreign CPOs at most accompanying a principal as part of a detail run by that licensed partner. Vietnamese authorities take a genuine, active interest in security activity involving foreign nationals, so operating through a properly licensed local partner reduces friction as much as it satisfies the letter of the law.

Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City are not interchangeable

Hanoi’s risk sits moderately above Ho Chi Minh City’s, largely because of its role as the seat of government. The Ba Dinh district, the diplomatic community around Tay Ho, and the crowded Old Quarter each carry a slightly different profile, though pickpocketing and opportunistic scooter theft, not anything more severe, remain the practical everyday concern. Ho Chi Minh City rates lower still. Its challenge for a close protection team is less about threat and more about keeping a schedule intact against some of the densest traffic in the region.

Source: FCDO Vietnam travel advisory (2026). Vietnam Ministry of Public Security, Private Security Decree 96/2016/ND-CP. OSAC Vietnam Country Security Report 2025.

Vetted operators across Vietnam provide executive protection and security drivers, delivered through MPS-licensed local partners. For a city-level threat and regulatory briefing, see our Hanoi close protection guide or the Ho Chi Minh City security briefing.