Latest guidance on customs formalities for vehicle in Vietnam

Customs clearance places for vehicle in Vietnam

Pursuant to the provisions of Article 67 of the Law on Customs 2014, the customs clearance places for vehicle in Vietnam are as follows:

- Vehicle on exit or entry must go through border checkpoints.

- Vehicle on entry must undergo customs formalities at the first entry border checkpoint.

- Vehicle on exit must undergo customs formalities at the last border checkpoint for exit.

Latest guidance on customs formalities for vehicle in Vietnam (Internet image)

Customs formalities for vehicle in Vietnam

Customs formalities for vehicle comply with the provisions of Article 69 of the Law on Customs 2014, specifically as follows:

- When carrying out customs formalities for vehicle, owners and drivers of vehicle or persons authorized by owners of vehicle shall make customs declaration; submit or produce bills of lading for carrying out customs formalities; supply information and documents related to goods and items on vehicle.

Where relevant documents have satisfied requirements of the customs inspection, owners and drivers of vehicle or persons authorized by owners of vehicle are not required to fill in the customs declarations, except for baggage, imported or exported goods of people on exit or entry aboard their vehicle.

- Time limits for declaration and submission of customs declarations and relevant documents are prescribed as follows:

+ For vehicle in transit, immediately after their arrival at the first entry border checkpoint and before they go through the last border checkpoint for exit;

+ For seagoing vehicle on entry, within 2 hours after the port authorities announce that these vehicle have arrived at the places for pilot embarkation; for seagoing vehicle on exit, within 1 hour before they exit;

+ For air vehicle on exit or entry, immediately after their arrival at the border checkpoint and before carriers stop carrying out formalities for receiving exported goods and passengers on exit;

+ For railway, land and river way vehicle on exit or entry, immediately after their arrival at the first entry border checkpoint and before they go through the last border checkpoint for exit.

- Military vehicles and other vehicle used for national defense and security purposes must go through customs formalities and be subject to customs inspection and supervision.

Regulations on routes and duration subject to customs supervision for vehicle in Vietnam

- Foreign commercial vehicle on entry, exit or in transit must go along the proper routes, be subject to customs supervision from day on which they arrive at customs areas, during their movement and to the day on which they leave the Vietnamese territory.

- Vietnamese commercial vehicle on entry must be subject to customs supervision from the day on which they arrive at customs areas to day on which all imported goods carried by the vehicle are unloaded for import procedure completion.

Vietnamese commercial vehicle on exit must be subject to customs supervision from the day on which the exported goods are loaded to the day on which they leave the Vietnamese territory.

- Non-commercial vehicle on entry, exit or in transit must be subject to customs inspection and supervision when carrying out customs formalities at entry or exit border checkpoints or other places as prescribed.

- When there are reasonable grounds that smuggled goods are hidden on board vehicle and there are other signs of law violation, heads of customs authorities where customs formalities for vehicle are carried out, heads of customs control squads may decide to temporarily postpone the departure or stop the vehicle for search. Such search must comply with law and decision issuers shall take responsibility before law for their decisions.

Pursuant to: Article 68 of the Law on Customs 2014

Mai Thanh Loi

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