Van der Waals ferromagnets are thrilling materials from both a fundamental and technological point of view. VI3 is an interesting example, with a complex magnetism that differentiates it from the first reported Cr based layered ferromagnets. Here, we show in an indirect way through angle resolved photoemission spectroscopy experiments, the importance of spin-orbit coupling setting the electronic properties of this material. Our light polarized photoemission measurements point to a ground state with a half-filled e ± ′ doublet, where a gap opening is triggered by spin-orbit coupling enhanced by electronic correlations.