Are there penalties for lighting and launching sky lanterns in Vietnam? How much is fine for manufacturing sky lanterns in Vietnam?

Are there penalties for lighting and launching sky lanterns in Vietnam? 

Pursuant to Clause 2, Article 7 of Decree 144/2021/ND-CP stipulating fine ranging from 1.000.000 VND to 2.000.000 VND shall be imposed for any of the following violations:

a) Using alcohol or stimulants in a manner that disrupts public order;

b) Assembling, joining a crowd in a public area in a manner that disrupts public order;

c) Allowing a domestic animal to cause injuries or damage to property of another organization or individual but not liable to criminal prosecution;

d) Flying kites, balloons, playing other flying toys in an area where they are banned or in a protected area;

dd) Using an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) or an ultralight aircraft without a flight license, or organizing flights before having the license or after having been registered but the permitted time, location, area, coordinates and limits are not adhered to;

e) Obstructing, harassing another person during handling, transport, storage of luggage at a market, wharf, bus station, airport, port, train station or another public area;

g) Lighting and launching sky lanterns;

h) Failure to have adequate documents while operating an UAV or ultralight aircraft;

i) Organizing flights of an UAV or ultralight aircraft while the operator has not fulfilled flight requirements;

k) Organizing flights of an UAV or ultralight aircraft while the UAV or ultralight aircraft is not flight-qualified;

l) Spraying paint, writing, drawing, sticking images or text on a wall, utility pole or another place in a residential area, public area, apartment building, a citizen's residence or another construction work without permission of a competent authority.

In addition, Clause 13 of Article 7 of Decree 144/2021/ND-CP also provides for additional penalties as follows:

a) Confiscation of the exhibits and means of administrative violations for the violations specified in Points a, d, dd and g Clause 2; Points dd Clause 3; Points b, e and I Clause 4; Points a, b and c Clause 5; Clauses 6 and 10 of this Article;

b) 3 - 6 months suspension of the license for designing, manufacturing, repairing, maintaining, testing UAVs or ultralight aircrafts, engines, propellers and parts thereof in case of violations specified in Point h and Point I Clause 3 and Clause 9 of this Article ;

c) 3 – 6 months suspension of the flight license in case of violations specified in Clauses 6, 7, 8 and 11 of this Article;

d) Expulsion of foreigners committing the violations specified in Points c, e and g Clause 4 of this Article.

Thus, according to current regulations in Vietnam, the act of lighting and launching sky lanterns in Vietnam is a violation of the law and will be administratively sanctioned with a fine of between 1 million and 2 million dong. In addition, there may be an additional sanction of confiscation of material evidences.

How much is fine for manufacturing sky lanterns in Vietnam? 

Pursuant to Clause 3, Article 7 of Decree 144/2021/ND-CP stipulating fine ranging from 2.000.000 VND to 3.000.000 VND shall be imposed for any of the following violations:

a) Taunting, teasing, insulting, humiliating another person, except the cases specified in Point b Clause 2 Article 21 and Article 54 of this Decree;

b) Organizing, hiring, enticing, tempting another person to cause injuries or bodily harms, or to insult or humiliate another person but not liable to criminal prosecution;

c) Providing false information for a competent authority or organization;

d) Calling 111, 113, 114, 115 or a hotline number of an organization for the purpose of harassment, threatening or insulting;

dd) Manufacturing, storing, transporting sky lanterns;

e) Designing, manufacturing, repairing, maintaining, testing UAVs or ultralight aircrafts, engines, propellers and parts thereof without adequate legal documents issued by or registered with competent authorities as per regulations;

g) Designing, manufacturing, repairing, maintaining, testing UAVs or ultralight aircrafts, engines, propellers and parts thereof without maintaining fulfillment of personnel requirements under the license issued by a competent authority;

h) Designing, manufacturing, repairing, maintaining, testing UAVs or ultralight aircrafts, engines, propellers and parts thereof without adequate equipment, tools, workshop, area under the license issued by a competent authority;

i) Designing, manufacturing, repairing, maintaining, testing UAVs or ultralight aircrafts, engines, propellers and parts thereof without compliance with regulations of law on security, safety and environment.

According to this Article, acts of manufacturing, storing, transporting sky lanterns in Vietnam will be administratively sanctioned from VND 2 million to VND 3 million for individuals and VND 4 million to VND 6 million for organizations (Clause 2, Article 4 of Decree 144/2021/ND-CP). In addition, this act is also subject to the additional sanction of confiscation of material evidences according to Clause 13, Article 7 of Decree 144/2021/ND-CP.

Best Regards!