Keeping hens · National rules

Can you keep backyard chickens in Vietnam?

Registration is required for the keepers covered below. The national keeping rule, and the bird-flu and welfare rules, follow.

Read from 3 official sources19 passages quotedChecked October 24, 2026

At a glance

Registering your flock

Registration required

National keeping rule

Rule with conditions

Bird-flu housing orders

Status needs rechecking

Welfare rules

Rule identified

A sourced reading of national law in Vietnam, not legal advice. Local ordinances and zoning, HOA rules, and any local rooster or coop limits aren't covered here yet: check your local code before you get hens.

Keeping your flock

These findings cover the national or state scope stated below. They do not determine whether chickens are allowed at a particular home. City zoning, property restrictions and other local rules are outside this research.

Registering as a poultry keeper

Rule identified for the scope below

Jurisdiction: Vietnam

Applies to: Organisations and individuals keeping livestock, including households.

Outside this finding's scope

  • Species and minimum numbers follow the ministerial annex; smaller holdings fall outside the declaration list.

What the checked sources say

  • Declare livestock activity to the commune People's Committee.
  • The ministerial annex lists chickens with a minimum of 20 head; ducks also 20.
  • Declare periodically twice a year, and within 3 days of bringing in new animals or when the competent authority requests.

Thresholds

  • Chickens: from 20 head, per Annex II of Circular 18/2023.

Authority: Commune People's Committee

Fee: Not established from the sources checked.

The official wording

Bird-flu housing orders

Current status needs rechecking

An official current-status link has not been established.

Orders can change between checks. A missed check or an expired order does not establish that no order applies.

Housing-order finding as checked on 2026-10-24

The scope and conditions below are a dated record, not confirmation of today's position.

No rule identified in this research

This does not establish that no authority can order poultry to be housed or confined.

Uses housing orders in this scope: Not established from the sources checked.

Jurisdiction: Vietnam

Applies to: Animal epidemic declarations under the Veterinary Law.

Outside this finding's scope

  • No specific bird-housing order mechanism was identified; this does not establish that none exists.

What the checked sources say

  • The commune chair declares an epidemic within one commune; the provincial chair declares one spanning two or more communes; the Minister declares one spanning two or more provinces.
  • A declaration names the outbreak, threatened and buffer zones and the control measures.
  • In a threatened zone, owners must follow the control measures the competent state body requires.
  • Current declarations are not shown here.
Checked
Recheck due

Historical evidence, as checked

These quotations record what was checked on the dates shown. They do not confirm an order's current status.

  • a) Chủ tịch Ủy ban nhân dân cấp xã căn cứ đề nghị của cơ quan chuyên môn cấp xã quyết định công bố dịch bệnh động vật khi có đủ điều kiện quy định tại khoản 2 Điều này và dịch bệnh xảy ra trong phạm vi xã;

    Veterinary Law, Art. 26(4)(a) (consolidated) · Checked

  • b) Chủ tịch Ủy ban nhân dân cấp tỉnh căn cứ đề nghị của cơ quan chuyên môn về thú y cấp tỉnh quyết định công bố dịch bệnh động vật khi có đủ điều kiện quy định tại khoản 2 Điều này và dịch bệnh xảy ra từ hai đơn vị hành chính cấp xã trở lên.

    Veterinary Law, Art. 26(4)(b) (consolidated) · Checked

  • Bộ trưởng Bộ Nông nghiệp và Môi trường căn cứ đề nghị của cơ quan quản lý chuyên ngành thú y trung ương quyết định công bố dịch bệnh động vật khi có đủ điều kiện quy định tại khoản 2 Điều này và dịch bệnh xảy ra từ hai đơn vị hành chính cấp tỉnh trở lên;

    Veterinary Law, Art. 26(5) (consolidated) · Checked

  • c) Vùng có dịch, vùng bị dịch uy hiếp, vùng đệm; d) Các biện pháp phòng, chống dịch bệnh động vật.

    Veterinary Law, Art. 26(3)(c)-(d) (consolidated) · Checked

  • c) Chấp hành các biện pháp phòng, chống dịch bệnh động vật theo yêu cầu của cơ quan nhà nước có thẩm quyền.

    Veterinary Law, Art. 28(3)(c) (consolidated) · Checked

Small-flock welfare minimums

Rule identified for the scope below

Jurisdiction: Vietnam

Applies to: Organisations and individuals keeping livestock.

Outside this finding's scope

  • Selected humane-treatment duties only, not a complete welfare code.

What the checked sources say

  • Provide pens and space suited to the animals.
  • Provide enough hygienic feed and water.
  • Prevent and treat disease under veterinary law.
  • Do not beat or abuse the animals.

The official wording

National or state rules on keeping poultry

Conditions apply to this finding

Jurisdiction: Vietnam

Applies to: Household livestock keeping in Vietnam.

Outside this finding's scope

  • Which areas are closed to livestock keeping is decided province by province.
  • Ornamental animals and laboratory animals that do not pollute are excepted from the ban.

What the checked sources say

  • Household keeping must keep the pen separate from where people live.
  • Keeping livestock in an area where it is not permitted is prohibited.
  • The provincial People's Council decides which areas are closed to livestock keeping.

The official wording

Selling eggs in Vietnam? →License, small-flock line, markets and cartons, on their own page.Selling: License: depends

More countries we've checked

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Common questions

Do I have to register backyard chickens in Vietnam?
Registration: required. The finding covers: Organisations and individuals keeping livestock, including households. Chickens: from 20 head, per Annex II of Circular 18/2023. Outside this finding's scope: Species and minimum numbers follow the ministerial annex; smaller holdings fall outside the declaration list. Authority: Commune People's Committee.
Can I keep chickens in my backyard in Vietnam?
The national sources we read don't settle it, and we haven't identified who decides. Check your local rules before you get hens.
Do I have to keep my hens indoors for bird flu in Vietnam?
Housing orders come and go, so we never show one as current. We haven't confirmed an official current-status page for it.

Allowed where you live? Then keep the records.

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