Information for Travellers
To help entry and exit travellers take a full grasp of provisions regulating procedures, eligibility of duty free baggage allowance, etc., we would like to provide the following information for travellers to comply with regulations in competing entry and exit procedures.
Arriving in Vietnam
If you are a traveller or passenger arriving at one of Vietnam’s international airports, seaports or border crossing points, you may bring into Vietnam any personal belongings that do not exceed the amounts permitted. You are otherwise bound by all regulations and requirements concerning the import of foreign or Vietnamese currency. If you have any goods in excess of the limits above or goods that are restricted or prohibited, you should acquire customs permission and declare the goods when questioned by the Customs authority.
Please refer to the List of goods subject to import prohibition.
1. With regards to travellers on entry: Upon entering Vietnam, a traveller on entry shall take the following steps of procedure:
Step 1: Obtain the certification of health quarantine inspection granted by a competent authority for the infected areas (if any).
Step 2: Present the passport, declare the location and time of temporary residence in Vietnam to the Public Security authority in charge of entry and exit procedures for examination, visa stamping or in-place visa granting. This step shall be taken right upon arriving at the airport.
Step 3: After getting the visa stamped, the traveller on entry shall come to get the checked baggage at the conveyor belt.
Step 4: The traveller shall take off the baggage from the conveyor belt to the baggage screening area managed by the customs authority. The customs authority shall collect the tax/duty (if any); make a record and handle violations when any of customs offenses is found.
Step 5: Go through the control gate of the Public Security authority to exit the airport and enter into the inland area.
2. With regards to mistaken or lost baggage:
The in-charge Airline is responsible for searching for any mistaken or lost baggage to return it to the traveller on entry/exit; receiving complaints of travellers; handling treatment and compensation (if any) for the lost, broken, damaged baggage.
Leaving Vietnam
If you are a traveller or passenger leaving one of Vietnam’s international airports, seaports or border crossing points, you do not need to fulfill any of specific Customs procedures unless you are intending to export goods that are in excess of the limits and/or are subject to inspection by competent authorities. In this respect, you must comply with prescribed regulations with regards to these categories of goods which are issued by the Government of Vietnam.
Please refer to the List of goods subject to import prohibition.
1. With regards to travellers on exit: Upon leaving Vietnam, a traveller on exit shall take the following steps of procedure:
Step 1: Present the passport, air ticket, invoice or the ticket code to the public security authority at the entrance to the international terminal area.
Step 2: Complete airport procedures, get baggage weighted, get the boarding pass, get the checked baggage receipt (the number of receipts is equivalent to the number of checked packages)… at the procedure counter of the Airline. The allowance or allowed weight of baggage shall be prescribed by the airline: for example, each passenger holding an economy-class ticket is allowed to carry 01 parcel of hand baggage not exceeding 7kg, and extra shipping charges shall be paid for the Airline for any amount exceeding the allowance.
Step 3: Take the checked baggage to the conveyor belt for scanning and inspection works conducted by Air Security and Customs authorities. Upon detection of any violation or offense, a record shall be made according to each specific case.
Step 4: Take off the baggage from the conveyor belt to the baggage screening area managed by the customs authority. Upon detection of any violation or offense, a record shall be made according to each specific case or the collection of possible tax/duty shall be applied.
Step 5: Present the passport and boarding pass and declare the location and time of temporary residence at the exit procedure counter of the Public Security authority in charge for examination and visa stamping.
Step 6: The traveller shall take the hand baggage to the scanning area managed by the Airport security authority. The authority shall prevent dangerous materials (knives, scissors, nail nippers …) from entering; the traveller shall walk through the magnetic censoring gate managed by the Airport security authority for body inspection.
Step 7: The traveller shall come in the waiting area, ready to show the boarding pass, passport or ID Card (applied to passengers of Vietnam nationality holding a household register book in Vietnam) to the Airline employees upon boarding.
Competent authorities at airports, seaports and border-gate crossing points
1. 1. Immigration security authority: Check passports, grant new visas and stamp on visas; check time limits for temporary residence; take control measures relating to travellers’ bodies (not including baggage and imported goods).
At seaports and border crossing points, the Border Guard authority shall conduct the similar works as prescribed for the Immigration security authority at airports.
2. Customs authority: Check baggage of travellers on exit or entry to prevent possible smuggling activities, illegal transport of foreign currencies, Vietnam money, gold, precious metals, gem stones and commodities across the border as categories of goods prohibited from export/import; check licenses/permits of goods subject to import/export restrictions; pay VAT refunds applied to baggage of travellers on exit and collect export/import tax/duty (if any) applied to baggage of travellers on entry/exit.
3. Airport security authority: Check bodies and baggage of travellers on exit to ensure safety, aviation security and airport security (ensuring the exclusion of weapons, explosives, chemicals or other goods and items that may do harm to the flight safety).
For dangerous items (all types of knives, including the type used for hunting and other types of knives, swords of various kinds, clubs, sticks or similar objects, any tools or widgets that are not normally considered dangerous but may become dangerous, depending on the purpose of use, as stone grips, razors, scissors, hammers, pliers, nail nippers…), the shipping is only allowed in the form of checked baggage (subject to the acceptance of the airlines).
Baggage Allowance:
1. Duty-free incoming baggage limit
With regards to travellers on entry by their passports or equivalents (except for laissez-passers to be used for entry/exit) issued by competent regulatory agencies of Vietnam or overseas countries, the exemption of import tax is applied to their carry-on baggage and baggage consigned before or after trips for each entry within the stipulated allowance as follows:
a) Liquors containing more than 22% alcohol by volume: 1.5 liters or Liquor containing below 22% alcohol: 2.0 liters or Alcoholic beverages, beers: 3.0 liters.
If travellers on entry carry liquors contained in entire bottles, kegs, jars or cans (hereinafter referred to as bottle) of which the volume is allowed to exceed the prescribed volume allowance but the excess volume is restricted to 01 (one) liter, the entire bottle of each one shall be eligible for tax exemption. However, if the excess volume is greater than 01 (one) liter, it shall be taxed in accordance with legal regulations.
b) Cigarettes: 200 cigarettes or Cut tobacco: 250 gram or Cigars: 20 cigars;
c) With regard to personal items, their quantity and type must be relevant to the journey purpose.
d) As for other items that fall outside of the list of goods stipulated in Clause 1, 2 and 4 of this Article (also outside of the List of goods subject to import prohibition, temporary import suspension or import restriction), their total value is not allowed to exceed VND 10,000,000 (ten million Vietnam dong).
– Currencies: With regards to the amount of cash, according to clause 1, Article 2 of Circular No. 15/2011/TT-NHNN dated 12 August 2011, individuals carrying a foreign currency, or Vietnamese dong in cash, upon entry into or exit from Vietnam with passports through international border gates of Vietnam, in excess of the following amount shall be required to declare to the border-gate Customs Authority: a. USD 5,000 (Five thousand United States dollars) or other foreign currencies of the same value; b. VND 15,000,000 (Fifteen million Vietnamese Dong).
2. Prohibited Import Goods:
List of goods subject to import prohibition: As stipulated in the Decree No. 187/2013/ND-CP of the Government, for example: weapons, ammunition, explosives, drugs, consumer goods, supplies, used tools… and other items as prescribed by relevant ministries or agencies.
For medication for personal use, please refer to Circular 39/2013/TT-BYT of the Ministry of Health of Viet Nam
3. Restricted Import Goods:
List of goods subject to importation restriction: As stipulated in the Decree No. 187/2013/ND-CP of the Government, and regulations of relevant ministries or agencies, for example: chemicals, medical equipment, drug precursors, addictive drugs, psychotropic drugs, explosives…
With regards to goods being living animals, products made from animals and plants, procedures shall be applied according to regulations of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, including import permits and certificates of animal and plant quarantine (Circular No. 04/2015/TT-BNNPTNT and Decision No. 15/2006/QD-BNNPTNT).
4. Duty-free outgoing baggage limit
With regards to travellers on exit by their passports or equivalents issued by competent regulatory agencies of Vietnam or overseas countries, the exemption of export tax is applied to their carry-on baggage and baggage consigned before or after trips on an unlimited basis if they are not included in the Lists of goods subject to export prohibition, temporary export suspension or export restriction.
(Source: General Department of Viet Nam Customs)