●●○○Moderate· fine / confiscation
Customs at the border.
Declare large cash, respect duty-free limits, and don't carry banned goods or antiques.
The rule, in plain English
You must declare cash on entry or exit above the thresholds — over USD 5,000 (or equivalent foreign currency) or over 15,000,000 VND. Duty-free allowances cap how much alcohol and tobacco you can bring. Drugs, weapons and certain banned media are prohibited, and antiques or cultural relics need an export permit to take out of the country.
What's banned vs allowed
Declare cash over USD 5,000 or over 15,000,000 VND at the red channel.
Modest personal amounts of alcohol and tobacco are duty-free within limits.
Drugs, weapons and certain banned print/media are strictly prohibited imports.
Vapes and heated tobacco count as prohibited too — they're confiscated.
Antiques and cultural relics need an export permit to leave Vietnam.
How to stay legal
- 1Count your cash before flying; declare anything over the thresholds.
- 2Keep alcohol and tobacco within the personal duty-free allowance.
- 3Leave vapes, weapons and any banned items out of your bags entirely.
- 4Buy a receipt and an export permit for any genuine antique or relic.
- 5Use the red channel to declare; the green channel means 'nothing to declare'.
If you break this rule
- Undeclared cash over the limit can be held and fined.
- Prohibited goods are confiscated and may bring fines or charges.
- Taking out an unpermitted antique can mean seizure and an investigation.
§ Decree 134/2016/NĐ-CP (duty-free) + Circular 15/2011/TT-NHNN (cash declaration) + Law on Customs 54/2014/QH13· Reviewed by lawyers·Verified Jun 2026
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