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Exporting electrical and electronic products from Vietnam

Electrical and electronic goods leaving Vietnam may meet strategic trade control: dual-use goods need a MOIT export licence under Decree 259/2025/ND-CP in the cases it sets, and civil cryptography products on a listed schedule need a licence. Origin follows the product-specific rules of each agreement, and the goods are declared on VNACCS.

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

Dual-use goods
MOIT export licence in the cases Decree 259/2025/ND-CP sets
Licence timing
7 working days from a complete file or the other ministry's reply
Civil cryptography
Licence for products on the listed schedule (Decree 58/2016/ND-CP, amended)
EU origin rule
Change of heading, or non-originating materials up to 70% (most of Chapter 85)
Customs
Electronic export declaration on VNACCS

Before the goods leave

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

  1. 1Is the product, or a part of it, a dual-use item needing an export licence? Read more
  2. 2Does it contain civil cryptography on the licensed list? Read more
  3. 3Does it meet the Chapter 85 rule of the agreement claimed? Read more
  4. 4Which certificate of origin does the destination accept? Read more
  5. 5Is the export declaration ready, with any licence it quotes? Read more

The rules, by area

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

Dual-use goods and civil cryptography

Export licensing of strategic goods, as MOIT publishes the procedure, and of civil cryptography products.

  • Decree 259/2025/ND-CP of 10 October 2025 on strategic trade control (Nghị định 259/2025/NĐ-CP về kiểm soát thương mại chiến lược) governs licences to export, temporarily import for re-export, transfer, tranship or transit dual-use goods.
  • A licence is needed for dual-use goods in the cases set out in Article 4(2) and 4(3) of the Decree; the Ministry of Industry and Trade issues it.
  • The file includes the application, the contract and other documents for the shipment, and an end-user or importer commitment, in English with a Vietnamese translation, that the goods will not be used to make weapons of mass destruction or supplied to designated persons.
  • A licence for a set period needs MOIT's decision confirming the trader's internal compliance programme, and repeat applicants report on use of earlier licences.
  • MOIT may consult other ministries, which reply within 7 working days; it then decides within 7 working days.
  • Civil cryptography products on the list in Appendix II of Decree 58/2016/ND-CP, as replaced by Decree 53/2018/ND-CP, are exported and imported under licence.

How we help: Compliant Always keeps the classification reasoning, end-user commitments and licences with the products and shipments they cover, and shows when a time-limited licence is close to expiry. Ask about this

Origin and trade agreements

Whether electrical goods 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), most electrical machinery of Chapter 85 must change heading, or keep non-originating materials within 70% of the ex-works price; some headings have stricter rules.
  • Simple assembly of parts into a finished product does not confer origin on its own (Article 10).
  • 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 bill of materials and part costs against the rule for the product's heading, and keeps them with each production lot. Ask about this

Imported components

Duty treatment of components brought in to make electronics for export.

  • Raw materials, supplies and components imported for processing of exports, or for manufacture of exports, are exempt from import duty under the Law on Import and Export Duties.
  • Import duty already paid on materials used to make goods that have since been exported can be refunded.
  • The EVFTA allows refund of duties paid on non-originating materials used in products exported under the preference.

How we help: Compliant Always ties imported components to the export lots made from them, so duty, origin and licence records agree. 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 export licence, if any, and the certificate of origin for the shipment, in one dated record. Ask about this

Who answers for what

WhoWhat they answer forHow we help
ExporterApplying for any dual-use or cryptography licence, the certificate of origin and the export declaration.Licences, certificates and declarations kept with each shipment.
ManufacturerThe technical data that decides classification, and the bills of materials behind origin.Specifications and records kept by product and lot.
Customs broker or freight forwarderLodging the VNACCS declaration with the licence it quotes.The licence and declaration filed together.
Ministry of Industry and TradeIssuing dual-use export licences and confirming internal compliance programmes.What each licence covers, kept beside the shipments that use it.

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 electrical and electronic products 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

Do electronics need an export licence in Vietnam?
Only where the goods are dual-use items in the cases set out in Article 4(2) and 4(3) of Decree 259/2025/ND-CP on strategic trade control, or civil cryptography products on the licensed list. MOIT issues dual-use licences.
What is Decree 259/2025/ND-CP?
Vietnam's decree of 10 October 2025 on strategic trade control. It governs licences to export, re-export, transfer, tranship or transit dual-use goods.
How long does a dual-use export licence take in Vietnam?
MOIT decides within 7 working days of a complete file, or of the reply from another ministry it consults, which itself has 7 working days.
What documents does a dual-use export licence application need?
The application, the contract and related documents, and an end-user or importer commitment in English, with a Vietnamese translation, that the goods will not be used for weapons of mass destruction or supplied to designated persons.
Do products with encryption need a licence to leave Vietnam?
Civil cryptography products on the list in Appendix II of Decree 58/2016/ND-CP, as replaced by Decree 53/2018/ND-CP, are exported under licence.
What is the EVFTA origin rule for electronics made in Vietnam?
For most of Chapter 85, a change of heading or non-originating materials within 70% of the ex-works price. Some headings have stricter rules; check the annex for the product's heading.
Which certificate of origin do I need to export electronics 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.
Are imported components duty-free if the electronics are exported?
Components imported for processing or manufacture of exports are exempt from import duty, and duty already paid on materials used in exported products can be refunded.
How are electronics declared for export from Vietnam?
Electronically on VNACCS, with the commercial invoice and any export licence 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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