On 23 December 2025, the Intellectual Property Office of Vietnam (IPVN) issued Notice No. 5102/TB-SHTT regarding the application of the International Patent Classification (IPC) system pursuant to the Strasbourg Agreement. Under this Notice, the IPC Version 2026.01 will be officially applied as of 1 January 2026.
Pursuant to Annex I – Part II of Decree No. 65/2023/NĐ-CP dated 23 August 2023 of the Government of Vietnam, patent applicants are required to indicate IPC symbols, including sections, classes, subclasses, groups (or subgroups), in the “International Patent Classification” section of the application form. In cases where the applicant fails to classify, or incorrectly classifies, an invention or utility solution (utility model), the IPVN will carry out the classification and charge a fee in accordance with the applicable regulations.
In light of the updated application of the IPC, from 1 January 2026, applicants will be required to classify their inventions and utility solutions in accordance with the IPC Version 2026.01 when completing the application form.
For further information on the use of the IPC in Vietnam, please refer to our previous article.
By Dang Cong Thanh
Patent Department
