Vietnam Customs — What you can bring, what is prohibited, and duty-free allowances for travelers in 2026

Vietnam Customs has clear regulations on duty-free allowances and on items that are prohibited or restricted from being brought into or out of the country. Understanding these regulations helps you avoid having your belongings confiscated or paying fines at Da Nang airport. This article summarizes the latest 2026 regulations for ordinary travelers.

Duty-free allowance on entry (per person aged 18 or over): 200 cigarettes (or 20 cigars, or 250g of loose tobacco). Spirits 1.5L (alcohol content ≥22°) + 2L of beer + 3L of alcohol (alcohol content 5000 USD or equivalent. Gold of 300g must be declared + accompanied by a certificate. Other personal belongings with a total value under 10 million VND do not need to be declared.

Strictly prohibited (bringing into or out of Vietnam): Drugs and narcotics (the death penalty applies for trafficking). Weapons, explosives and fireworks — including handheld sparklers. Radioactive materials and toxic chemicals. Harmful cultural products (books, DVDs with politically offending content). Wildlife (products from tigers, elephants, rhinos, rare birds). Fresh meat/meat products that have not been quarantine-inspected — applied due to the 2024 African swine fever outbreak. Fresh fruit, seeds (may be confiscated + fined 1-3 million if not declared).

Restricted (must be declared or requires a permit): Drones/Flycams — must be declared at customs and registered with the Civil Aviation Authority in advance; bring an English manual with you. Prescription medication — bring it in its original box with an English label, along with a prescription translated into EN (especially for medication containing morphine/codeine). Professional cameras worth >15 million — declare them at customs to avoid them being treated as commercial imports. Jewelry valued at >100 million — declare + have a certificate. Commercial samples — declare + pay tax if >10 million/sample.

Electronic customs declaration — How to declare quickly in 5 minutes: If you are carrying goods that need to be declared, use the VNeID app or the website customs.gov.vn 24 hours before your flight. Step 1: Select "Non-commercial customs declaration". Step 2: Fill in your passport information, flight details, and the Da Nang border gate. Step 3: Declare your items (type, value, quantity). Step 4: Receive a QR code + declaration number. Step 5: At Da Nang airport, go through the Red Channel, show your QR code + your goods may be randomly inspected. Time: 5-15 minutes if declared in advance, 30-60 minutes if you fill out a paper declaration at the airport.

VAT Refund — 10% tax refund for foreign visitors: Foreign visitors who buy goods worth over 2 million VND at stores displaying the "Tax Refund" logo can get 85% of the VAT refunded (i.e. ~8.5% of the purchase value). Conditions: (1) Purchase at a registered store (listed on vrfvn.com), (2) Stay in Vietnam ≤60 days, (3) Take the goods out of Vietnam within 30 days. Procedure: (1) Request a VAT invoice when making your purchase, (2) At DAD airport, go to the "Tax Refund" counter before check-in and show your goods + invoice + passport, (3) Receive the refund in cash or by bank transfer within 2-4 weeks. Worth doing when buying branded goods, electronics, or jewelry over 5 million.

What you can take home from Da Nang (when leaving the country): Allowed: coffee, tea, mè xửng (sesame peanut candy), coconut candy, cashew nuts, fish sauce, beef sausage (chả bò, vacuum-sealed), áo dài, conical hats, embroidery, wooden statues, paintings. Restricted: Vietnamese alcohol Prohibited from export: antiques, ancient statues (a certificate from the Ministry of Culture is required), coral, tortoise shells, items made of ivory. Note: fish sauce — some countries (the UK, the US, Australia) restrict the import of strong-smelling liquids, so seal it tightly and wrap it in 2-3 layers of bags.

👉 Get through Da Nang airport faster: The arrival/departure Fast Track service helps you skip the 30-60 minute queue at the customs gate — see the Fast Track packages at vietspots.com/search?preset=fasttrack.

Vietnam customs is transparent: just know the allowances and don't bring prohibited items, and you'll get through smoothly.