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Exporting alcoholic drinks from Vietnam

Beer, wine and spirits leaving Vietnam meet three export-side steps on the official pages read here: a certificate of origin from MOIT's eCoSys system where the importer claims a trade agreement, a certificate of free sale for exported goods under Decree 69/2018/ND-CP, and the export declaration on VNACCS.

Updated · Each section links to the official source it comes from

EU origin rule
Change of heading, no materials of headings 2207 or 2208 (Chapter 22)
Wine
Grapes and grape juice used must be wholly obtained
Certificates of origin
EUR.1, EUR.1 UK, CPTPP and others on eCoSys
Free sale
CFS for exported goods, 3 working days from a complete file
Customs
Electronic export declaration on VNACCS

Before the goods leave

The questions to answer, in the order they usually come up.

  1. 1Does the drink meet the Chapter 22 origin rule of the agreement claimed? Read more
  2. 2Which certificate of origin does the destination accept? Read more
  3. 3Does the buyer's market ask for a certificate of free sale? Read more
  4. 4Is the export declaration ready, with any licence or inspection certificate it needs? Read more

The rules, by area

What each area covers, the texts that set it, and what the official pages say.

Origin and trade agreements

Whether beer, wine or spirits qualify for preferential duty in the destination, and the proof they need.

  • Under the EVFTA rules in Circular 14/2026/TT-BCT (Thông tư 14/2026/TT-BCT), beverages, spirits and vinegar of Chapter 22 must change heading, and may not use materials of heading 2207 (undenatured ethyl alcohol) or 2208 (spirits).
  • Fresh grapes of subheading 0806.10 and grape juice of subheadings 2009.61 and 2009.69 used must be wholly obtained.
  • Sugar and dairy materials of Chapter 4 may each be no more than 20% of the product's weight.
  • Circular 40/2025/TT-BCT lists the forms MOIT issues, including EUR.1 for the EU, EUR.1 UK under the UK agreement and Form CPTPP.
  • Certificates of origin are issued through MOIT's eCoSys system by the Agency of Foreign Trade (Cục Xuất nhập khẩu) and organisations assigned by provincial People's Committees, under Decree 31/2018/ND-CP (Nghị định 31/2018/NĐ-CP) and Circular 40/2025/TT-BCT.
  • For the EU, the proof is a Form EUR.1 or, for consignments up to €6,000, the exporter's origin declaration; either is valid for 12 months.
  • Where no agreement is claimed, MOIT's regional offices have issued the non-preferential Form B, and certificates under the importing country's own rules, since 5 May 2025.

How we help: Compliant Always reads the recipe and the origin of the alcohol, grapes and sugar used against the product-specific rule, and keeps them with each batch. Ask about this

Certificate of free sale for exported goods

The CFS that Decree 69/2018/ND-CP provides for exported goods, as MOIT publishes the procedure.

  • MOIT publishes a procedure for a certificate of free sale (Giấy chứng nhận lưu hành tự do, CFS) for exported goods under Decree 69/2018/ND-CP (Nghị định 69/2018/NĐ-CP) and Circular 12/2018/TT-BCT, handled by the provincial People's Committee.
  • The application names the goods, their HS code, the product standard certificate or registration number, the standard applied, the composition where relevant and the importing country, in Vietnamese and English.
  • It comes with the standard declared for the product and how that is shown on the label, packaging or accompanying documents, and a list of production facilities, if any.
  • The CFS is issued within 3 working days of a complete file; the issuer may inspect the production site where the file is not enough to decide.

How we help: Compliant Always keeps the CFS with the products and importing country it names, beside the certificates each shipment carries. Ask about this

Export declaration

How goods are declared to customs on the way out of Vietnam.

  • The exporter registers the declaration on VNACCS (EDA), amends it if needed (EDB) and submits it (EDC); registered information is kept for up to 7 days.
  • The system routes the declaration to the green, yellow or red channel: no check, a document check, or a document check and physical inspection.
  • The file includes the commercial invoice where the buyer pays, any export licence and any inspection certificate the law requires.
  • Licences and inspection certificates sent electronically by the issuing authority through the National Single Window need not be submitted again.

How we help: Compliant Always keeps the declaration with the certificate of origin and CFS for the shipment, in one dated record. Ask about this

Who answers for what

WhoWhat they answer forHow we help
ExporterThe certificate of origin and CFS applications, and the export declaration.Each shipment's certificates kept together, dated.
Brewer, winery or distillerThe recipe and supplier records behind origin, and the product standard the CFS states.Recipes and supplier documents kept with the batches they describe.
Customs broker or freight forwarderLodging the VNACCS declaration.The documents the declaration needs, ready before the shipment.

Who issues what, and where

Under Circular 40/2025/TT-BCT, certificates of origin are issued by the Agency of Foreign Trade (Cục Xuất nhập khẩu) of the Ministry of Industry and Trade and by organisations that provincial People's Committees assign to the task, each for the forms listed in the Circular's annexes.

MOIT's published procedure for a certificate of free sale for exported goods names the provincial People's Committee as the issuing body.

Export phytosanitary certificates are issued by the regional plant quarantine sub-departments and the plant quarantine stations at border gates.

Where are the goods going?

Most of what alcoholic drinks have to meet is set where they are sold. Each guide sets out the rules on arrival, with the official source for each.

Questions businesses ask

What is the EVFTA origin rule for spirits made in Vietnam?
Spirits of Chapter 22 must change heading and may not use non-originating materials of headings 2207 (ethyl alcohol) or 2208 (spirits). Sugar and dairy materials may each be no more than 20% of the weight.
Can Vietnamese wine use imported grapes and still qualify for the EVFTA?
Not grapes from outside the agreement. Under the Chapter 22 rule, fresh grapes of subheading 0806.10 and grape juice of subheadings 2009.61 and 2009.69 must be wholly obtained; bilateral cumulation lets EU-originating materials count.
What is the EVFTA origin rule for beer made in Vietnam?
Beer falls in Chapter 22: a change of heading, no materials of headings 2207 or 2208, and sugar and dairy materials each no more than 20% of the product's weight.
Which certificate of origin do I need to export alcohol to the EU from Vietnam?
A Form EUR.1 issued through eCoSys, or the exporter's origin declaration on the invoice for consignments up to €6,000. Either is valid for 12 months.
Which certificate of origin covers exports to the UK?
Form EUR.1 UK, under Circular 02/2021/TT-BCT on the Vietnam-UK agreement, is one of the forms Circular 40/2025/TT-BCT lists for MOIT's Agency of Foreign Trade.
Do I need a certificate of free sale to export alcohol from Vietnam?
Decree 69/2018/ND-CP provides for a certificate of free sale for exported goods. MOIT publishes the procedure; the provincial People's Committee issues it within 3 working days of a complete file.
Do alcoholic drinks need an export licence in Vietnam?
An export licence is needed only for goods on the lists that require one. The agency that manages that list issues it, on an application with the business registration certificate and any other documents the law requires.
How are alcoholic drinks declared for export from Vietnam?
Electronically on VNACCS, with the commercial invoice and any licence or inspection certificate required. The system assigns the green, yellow or red channel, which decides whether documents or goods are checked.
How does Compliant Always help with exporting from Vietnam?
Our team reads the rules for the routes you ship. Compliant Always shows which export documents apply to your product, keeps them with the shipment beside what the destination asks for, and watches the sources for changes. It shows what the requirements say and what your documents show; you decide.

Sources

Compliant Always is a product of Lettuce Labs LLC. It shows what requirements say and what your documents show. It is not legal advice, and you decide.

Tell us what you make, and we will show you the rules for it.

Name the product and the markets you sell in. We will come back to you with what applies in Vietnam and what your paperwork needs to show.

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