Passengers flying from the U.S. to Vietnam should be aware of Vietnam’s customs regulations, especially regarding duty-free allowances and prohibited items. Let ICAGO guide you through these important rules below!
Vietnam’s baggage regulations on duty-free allowances
Here are some key rules about duty-free allowances for goods before entering Vietnam
Cash and gold
For cash:
If you’re entering or leaving Vietnam with a passport through international borders, you must declare to customs if you’re carrying:
- More than $5,000 USD (or equivalent in other foreign currencies)
- More than 15 million VND
Non-cash financial instruments are exempt from declaration requirements, such as:
- Traveler’s cheques
- Bank cards
- Savings books
- Securities or other valuable papers
For gold:
Individuals entering Vietnam with passports are not allowed to carry ingot gold or raw material gold. If carrying ingot or raw gold, it must be stored at customs or processed for re-export, with all costs covered by the individual.
Jewelry and fine-art gold are allowed up to 300 grams (approximately 10.58 US gold ounces) without declaration. Over this limit, a customs declaration is required.
Alcoholic beverages
When entering Vietnam, travelers are permitted to bring in alcoholic beverages without paying duty, subject to the following limits:
- Alcohol above 20 degrees: Up to 1.5 liters (50.72 fl oz)
- Alcohol below 20 degrees: Up to 2 liters (67.63 fl oz)
- Beer: Up to 3 liters (101.44 fl oz)
If a traveler carries a whole bottle or can of alcohol exceeding the limit by up to 1 liter, it is duty-free. Exceeding by more than 1 liter makes the excess amount subject to duty.
Cigarettes
Duty-free inbound baggage limit for cigarettes:
- Cigarettes: 200 units
- Raw tobacco: 250 grams (8.8 ounces)
- Cigars: 20 sticks
Medicine
Passengers are allowed to bring personal medication into Vietnam, in quantities sufficient for personal use. It is recommended to carry a doctor’s prescription.
Additionally, travelers may bring personal medication, limited to a 7-day supply for narcotic drugs and a 10-day supply for psychotropic and precursor drugs, as per the dosage on the prescription.
Personal items
Personal items must be appropriate in quantity and type to match the purpose of the trip. Passengers can bring items into Vietnam duty-free if they are not prohibited, restricted, or require special import conditions, and their total value is under 10 million VND (approximately 417 USD).
List of prohibited items for entry into Vietnam
Specifically, items and goods that are not allowed to be brought into Vietnam include:
– Weapons, ammunitions, explosives (excluding industrial explosives), military technical equipment
– Assorted fireworks (excluding signal fires used for navigational safety under the guidance of the Ministry of Transport), sky lanterns, assorted devices causing interference to vehicle speedometers
– Chemicals under the list of banned chemicals
– Used consumer goods, medical equipment, and vehicles including textiles, garments, electronic appliances, medical equipment, bicycles, motorcycles and mopeds
– Assorted cultural products banned from dissemination and circulation or decided to be suspended from dissemination and circulation, or subject to revocation, confiscation and destruction in Viet Nam
– Goods being used information technology products
– Assorted publications banned from dissemination and circulation in Vietnam; postage stamps banned from trading, exchange, display and dissemination in accordance with the Law on Post
– Radio equipment and radio-wave appliances which do not comply with radio frequency master plans and relevant technical regulations in accordance with the Law on Radio Frequencies.
– Right-hand drive means of transport (excluding special-use right-hand drive vehicles operating within a restricted location and not joining traffic)
– Trailers, semi-trailers which have their frame erased, modified or tampered
– Pesticides banned from use in Vietnam
– Samples of precious, rare and endangered animals and plants
– Samples and processed products of species: white rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simum), black rhinoceros (Diceros bicornis), African elephants (Loxodonta africana)
– Wastes and scraps, refrigerating equipment using C.F.C
– Products and materials containing asbestos of the amphibole group
>> See the detailed list on the official customs website.
