Procedures for quarantine of exported terrestrial animals and products thereof in Vietnam

Procedures for quarantine of exported terrestrial animals and products thereof in Vietnam (Internet image)

Regarding this issue, LawNet would like to answer as follows:

1. What are imported terrestrial animals and terrestrial animal products?

- Terrestrial animals include livestock and poultry, wild animals, reptiles, bees, silkworms and other species of animals that live on land;

- Terrestrial animal products include meat, eggs, milk, bee’s honey, beeswax, royal jelly, sperm, animal embryo, blood, innards, hide and skin, hair, bone, horns, ivory, claws and other products derived from terrestrial animals;

(Point a Clause 1 and Point a Clause 2 Article 3 of the Law on Veterinary Medicine 2015)

2. Requirements for imported terrestrial animals and products thereof in Vietnam

Specifically, Article 44 of the Law on Veterinary Medicine 2015 stipulates the requirements for imported terrestrial animals and animal products as follows:

- Regarding animals:

(i)  Healthy; departed from zones/establishments that are recognized free from epidemic and dangerous diseases according to the regulations of Wor

(ii) Granted the Quarantine Certificate by a competent agency of the exporting country that satisfies the veterinary hygiene standards of Vietnam.

- Regarding animal products used as food:

+ Derived from animals satisfying the requirements specified in point a clause 1 of this Article;

+ Granted the Quarantine Certificate by a competent agency of the exporting country that satisfies the veterinary hygiene standards of Vietnam;

+ Slaughtered, prepared and/or processed at establishments that have registered for exporting to Vietnam.

-  Regarding animal products not used as food:

+ Derived from animals satisfying the requirements specified in (i);

+ Granted the Quarantine Certificate by a competent agency of the exporting country that satisfies the veterinary hygiene standards of Vietnam;

+ If animal products are used for production of breed animals, such animal products shall be departed from zones/establishments that are free from epidemic and dangerous infectious diseases according to the regulations of World Organization for Animal Health and Vietnam Organization for Animal Health.

- If necessary, Department of Animal Health shall monitor the isolation for quarantine; inspect and assess the system for management and supervision of animal epidemic and veterinary hygiene at the exporting country.

3. Application and declaration of quarantine of imported terrestrial animals and products thereof in Vietnam

According to Article 45 of the Law on Veterinary Medicine 2015, application and declaration of quarantine of imported terrestrial animals and products thereof are prescribed as follows:

(1) An application for quarantine of imported terrestrial animals and products thereof shall include:

- An application for guidance on quarantine of imported animals and products thereof of organizations/individuals;

- The application for quarantine of animals/animal products subject to management of other relevant regulatory agencies shall include the documents or the licenses according to the regulations.

(2) Documents on quarantine declaration of imported terrestrial animals and products thereof shall include:

- An declaration form of quarantine;

- The Quarantine Certificate of the exporting country.

4. Procedures for quarantine of exported terrestrial animals and products thereof in Vietnam

The order of quarantine of imported terrestrial animals and animal products includes 3 steps as follows:

Step 1: Any organizations and individuals importing animals and/or animal products included in List of terrestrial animals and products thereof subject to quarantine shall submit to Department of Animal Health an application for quarantine as prescribed in (1) of Section 3.

Step 2: Within 05 working days from the day on which the satisfactory application specified in (1) of Section 3 is received:

- On the basis of the situation of the epidemic, the system of management of epidemic and veterinary hygiene of the exporting country, Department of Animal Health shall issue a written approval for quarantine of imported animals and products thereof and provide relevant organizations/individuals with guidance on quarantine of imported animals and products thereof; if the application is rejected, a written response shall be made containing the explanation.

If animals/animal products are initially imported into Vietnam or are exported from a country/region with high risk of animal epidemic, such animals/animal products shall undergo the risk analysis made by Department of Animal Health according to the regulations in Article 43 of of the Law on Veterinary Medicine 2015.

Step 3: Within 01 working day from the day on which the satisfactory documents of quarantine declaration of animals and products thereof as prescribed in (2) of Section 3 is received

Department of Animal Health shall decide and notify the applicant organization/individual about location and time of quarantine according to the regulations on Article 47 of the Law on Veterinary Medicine 2015.

(Article 46 of the Law on Veterinary Medicine 2015)

Nguyen Thi Hoai Thuong

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