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 [Viet Nam Customs & Currency regulations summary]. 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: 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 Vietnam E-Visa. This step shall be taken right upon arriving at the airport.
Step 2: After getting the visa stamped, the traveller on entry shall come to get the checked baggage at the conveyor belt.
Step 3: 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 4: 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.
[Information on exit Viet Nam]
Competent authorities at airports, seaports and border-gate crossing points
- 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. - 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.
- 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).
(Source: General Department of Viet Nam Customs)