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Exporting food supplements from Vietnam

Food supplements leaving Vietnam meet three export-side steps on the official pages read here: a certificate of free sale for exported goods, a certificate of origin from MOIT's eCoSys system for a preferential duty claim, and the electronic export declaration on VNACCS.

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

Free sale
CFS for exported goods under Decree 69/2018/ND-CP
CFS timing
3 working days from a complete file
EU origin rule
Change of heading, with limits on dairy and sugar (ex Chapter 21)
Certificates of origin
MOIT's eCoSys system
Customs
Electronic export declaration on VNACCS

Before the goods leave

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

  1. 1Does the buyer's market ask for a certificate of free sale? Read more
  2. 2Does the product meet the origin rule of the agreement the importer will claim? Read more
  3. 3Which certificate of origin does the destination accept? 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.

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, and reads the standard and composition it states against your current specification. Ask about this

Origin and trade agreements

Whether a supplement qualifies for preferential duty in the destination, and the proof it needs.

  • Under the EVFTA rules in Circular 14/2026/TT-BCT (Thông tư 14/2026/TT-BCT), food preparations of Chapter 21 must change heading, with dairy materials of Chapter 4 each no more than 20% and sugar no more than 40% of the product's weight, and the two together no more than 50%.
  • A 10% tolerance by value or weight applies to non-originating materials for Chapters 2 and 4 to 24, but cannot exceed a percentage limit in the product-specific rule.
  • 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 formula and supplier origin documents against the product-specific rule and keeps them with each batch. 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 CFS and certificate of origin for the shipment, in one dated record. Ask about this

Who answers for what

WhoWhat they answer forHow we help
ExporterThe CFS and certificate of origin applications, and the export declaration.Each shipment's certificates kept together, with expiry dates shown.
ManufacturerThe product standard, composition and production facility details the CFS states, and the records behind origin.Specifications and batch records kept with the products 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 food supplements 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 I need a certificate of free sale to export supplements 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 the certificate, naming the goods and the importing country.
How long does a certificate of free sale take in Vietnam?
MOIT's published procedure gives 3 working days from a complete file. The issuer tells the trader within 3 working days if the file is incomplete, and may inspect the production site.
What goes in a CFS application for exported goods in Vietnam?
An application naming the goods, HS code, standard or registration number, composition and importing country, in Vietnamese and English; the standard declared for the product and how it is shown; and a list of production facilities, if any.
Do Vietnamese supplements qualify for EVFTA preferences?
If they meet the product-specific rule. For food preparations of Chapter 21, materials must change heading, with dairy materials each under 20% and sugar under 40% of the weight, and both together under 50%.
Which certificate of origin do I need to export supplements 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.
Can I get a certificate of origin for a country with no trade agreement?
Yes. Since 5 May 2025, MOIT's regional import-export offices issue the non-preferential Form B and certificates under the importing country's own rules.
Do supplements 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 supplements 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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