Goods Across Borders · Customs rule card
Seeds & Plants → Vietnam
Purpose: Traveling · Verified: 2026-08-22
Seeds & Plants may require documentation or declaration
Details
Seeds & Plants may require documentation or declaration. Enforcement in Vietnam carries fines from VND 1,000,000 to VND 100,000,000 under Customs Law 2014; Government Decree 128/2020; Criminal Code Art. 188 (ordinary personal cases are handled as civil infringements). Restricted status means compliant carriage is achievable with the right paperwork and quantities; the practical risks are seizure, duty, and delay rather than criminal liability for a good-faith traveller. Arrival checks are carried out by General Department of Vietnam Customs (GDVC); when in doubt use the declare (red) channel — declared goods at worst attract duty or surrender, while undeclared goods attract penalties. Leaving Vietnam with seeds & plants is a separate question: restricted — Seeds and live plants exported from Vietnam need phytosanitary certification for most destinations; casual carriage is routinely seized on arrival.
Documentation required
- Documentation may be required
Leaving with this item
Seeds and live plants exported from Vietnam need phytosanitary certification for most destinations; casual carriage is routinely seized on arrival.
Practical advice
Vietnam restricts import of Seeds & Plants. Personal-use retail-packaged quantities may clear with declaration and inspection but home-prepared, loose-packed, or above-personal-use quantities typically require a Phytosanitary Certificate (plants) or Export Health Certificate (animal-origin). Verify current rules with General Department of Vietnam Customs (GDVC) before travel — biosecurity rules change frequently on specific commodities.
Customs authority
General Department of Vietnam Customs (GDVC) · https://www.customs.gov.vn