In accordance with the terms of the Ordinance on National Archives (2001), a branch of the Ministry of Home Affairs (Bộ Nội vụ) known as the State Records and Archives Department of Việt Nam is the custodian of records of national significance, both retrospective and current. It is charged with carrying out the unified and centralised administration of archival work and archival national records nationwide, including the task of applying information technology throughout the archives sector.

The Department manages a network of around 70 provincial and municipal archives - National Archive Centre 3 in Ha Noi is entrusted with responsibility for managing those archives from Quảng Bình Province northwards and National Archives 2 in Hồ Chí Minh City for managing those archives from Quảng Trị Province southwards. Documents are stored in the provincial and municipal centres for 10 years before being transferred to the National Archives Centres in the capital.

Government ministries and other state agencies each run their own archives, to which the State Records and Archives Department offers professional support, guidance and advice on records and information activities. Declassified non-current records of the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Defence and Public Security are transferred to the National Archives Centres after 30 years.

In addition, Việt Nam has a number of other special archives, including the Institute of Music Sound Archive, the cinematic archives of the Việt Nam Film Institute, the archives of religious institutions such as the Việt Nam Buddhist Association and the Catholic Church in Việt Nam, and the archives of the armed forces.