Advertising aesthetic services in 2026: what has changed

Four mandatory disclosures

Under Decree 342/2025, advertising of medical examination and treatment services must state the facility name, address, operating licence number, operating hours and approved scope of practice. Omitting any item is a violation, including on social media posts.

Advertising content approval certificate

Under Decree 84/2024, the provincial Department of Health issues advertising content approval certificates to private facilities. Content must be approved before publication, not after.

This applies to sponsored articles placed in the press. A newspaper agreeing to publish does not substitute for the approval certificate.

What should not appear

• Guaranteed outcomes or success-rate assurances
• Before-and-after comparisons without the patient's written consent
• Claims of being "number one", "the best" or "the only" without recognised substantiation
• References to therapies not licensed in Vietnam

Patient personal data

The Personal Data Protection Law 2025 and Decree 356/2025, both effective 1 Jan 2026, classify health data as sensitive personal data. Patient before-and-after photographs fall into this category, requiring separate written consent with retained proof of that consent.