What's the difference between an operating licence, a practising certificate, and a business registration?
Three different documents are often lumped together as a "licence," but each answers a different question. It is also why a clinic may need two operating licences at once.
Three types of documents are often lumped together as a "licence": the operating licence belongs to the facility, the practising certificate belongs to one specific person, and the business registration belongs to the company. The operating licence tells you whether a place is allowed to provide medical examination and treatment; the practising certificate tells you who is allowed to do the work; the business registration only tells you that the company legally exists. Only the practising certificate tells you who will actually be treating you.
This article does not repeat the list of criteria for choosing a clinic, which is already covered in how to choose a reputable aesthetic clinic: 5 key criteria to check. Here, we only clarify how the three documents differ, and why one clinic may need two operating licences at the same time.
Operating licence: belongs to the facility
The operating licence for medical examination and treatment is issued to the facility. It answers: is this place allowed to examine and treat patients, in which specialty, and within which scope of techniques.
The issuing authority differs by type of facility: the Department of Health issues licences to clinics, with numbers in the format `…/HCM-GPHĐ` for facilities in Ho Chi Minh City; the Ministry of Health issues licences to hospitals, with numbers in the format `…/BYT-GPHĐ`. So a licence numbered `…/BYT-GPHĐ` is not an incorrect licence — it simply means that facility falls under the Ministry of Health's authority. Both of BonBoz's licences were issued by the Department of Health of Ho Chi Minh City.
The two entries on the licence that matter most are the specialty and the approved scope of professional practice. Both of BonBoz's licences state the scope as: "Thực hiện kỹ thuật chuyên môn được Giám đốc Sở Y tế phê duyệt ban hành kèm theo Giấy phép hoạt động." This means the list of approved techniques is issued together with the licence rather than printed on its face, so if you are not sure whether what you want to have done is on that list, asking directly is the quickest way to find out.
There is one more entry that few people notice: the issue date. A licence is tied to a point in time, and a facility that later expands its specialties will have a second licence with a different date, which is exactly the subject of the next section.
Why might one clinic need two licences?
Aesthetic treatment and dermatology are two separate specialties. A facility that provides both needs a licence for each specialty, and the two are issued at different times.
BonBoz Clinic holds exactly two separate operating licences issued by the Department of Health of Ho Chi Minh City:
- 10036/HCM-GPHĐ — issued on 06/02/2026, for the Aesthetic specialty clinic
- 11113/HCM-GPHĐ — issued on 26/08/2025, for the Dermatology specialty clinic
Both are at the same address: 66–68 Võ Văn Tần, Phường Xuân Hòa, Ho Chi Minh City.
So if a facility offers both groups of services but presents only one licence number, that is worth asking about: which specialty does that licence cover, and does the other specialty have its own licence?
Practising certificate: belongs to the person
A practising certificate belongs to one specific person and states the scope in which that person is allowed to practise. A fully licensed facility still has not answered the question "who will treat me?" — the licence speaks of the place, the certificate speaks of the person. You need to know both.
At BonBoz Clinic, some service groups already have a named doctor: Dr. Kha develops an individual acne treatment protocol for each type of acne and approves the clinic's Pastelle laser protocol; laser toning is performed by the doctor personally, not by a technician; thread lift and Mini Facelift are performed by Dr. Vũ. For other services, call the hotline 0869 612 310 or 1900 5309 to find out which doctor is in charge before booking.
How to ask the right questions during a consultation, including what to ask and in what order, is covered in what to ask the doctor at your first aesthetic consultation.
Business registration: belongs to the company
Business registration allows a company to exist and carry out commercial activity. It says nothing about whether the facility is permitted to provide medical examination and treatment, and it does not state any specialty or scope of techniques.
This is the easiest place to get confused: if a place shows you its business registration when you ask about its licence, it has not actually answered the question.
Three documents, three answers
| Document | Belongs to | Issued by | Answers the question |
|---|---|---|---|
| Operating licence for medical examination and treatment | Facility | Ministry of Health or Department of Health | Is this place allowed to provide examination and treatment, in which specialty, and within which scope of techniques |
| Practising certificate | One specific person | The competent health management authority | Within what scope is this person allowed to practise |
| Business registration | Company | Business registration authority | Does this company legally exist |
BonBoz's licences were issued by the Department of Health of Ho Chi Minh City. A practising certificate is issued to an individual according to where that person registered, so the certificate number may carry the name of a different locality from where the doctor currently works. If you still have doubts, you can cross-check on the Department of Health's practitioner lookup portal, or ask the facility to show you a copy of the certificate.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between an operating licence and a business registration? Business registration allows a company to exist and carry out commercial activity. The operating licence for medical examination and treatment, issued by the Department of Health, is what allows the facility to examine and treat patients, and it states the specialty and scope of techniques.
What is the difference between an operating licence and a practising certificate? The operating licence belongs to the facility. The practising certificate belongs to the individual practitioner. A place with a valid licence still needs a person holding an appropriate certificate to carry out the work.
Why might a clinic need two licences? Because aesthetic treatment and dermatology are two separate specialties. A facility that provides both needs a licence for each specialty, issued at different times. BonBoz holds 10036/HCM-GPHĐ for Aesthetic and 11113/HCM-GPHĐ for Dermatology.
Why doesn't the licence list each technique? Because the scope stated on the licence refers to the list of techniques approved by the Director of the Department of Health and issued together with the licence. To find out whether a specific technique is included, ask the facility directly.
Am I allowed to see the licence? You have the right to ask to see the facility's operating licence. This is a normal request.
Is there a way to look it up myself without asking the facility? Yes — the Department of Health of Ho Chi Minh City has a public lookup portal for both facilities and practitioners. The steps for looking up each item, along with notes for facilities licensed by the Ministry of Health, are in 8 licensed rhinoplasty facilities in Ho Chi Minh City — comparison table.
This article is for reference only and does not replace an in-person examination or a doctor's diagnosis. Actual results vary by individual condition.