Before being imported into Vietnam, imported food products must satisfy the following:

• The Conformity Announcement or Announcement On Conformity With Regulation on Food Safety must be registered at a competent state agency; and 
• A Certificate of Compliance with the Foods Import Requirements must issued by a designated inspection agency for each consignment.

In addition to the above, functional food, micronutrient-fortified food, genetically modified food and irradiated food must obtain a Certificate of Free Sale or Health Certificate.

The Vietnamese legislation on foods does not recognize a separate import permit for food products. In order to import food products into Vietnam and circulate such imported food products in the Vietnamese market, the importer/trader must carry out the following procedures:

• Register the Conformity Announcement or Announcement On Conformity With Regulation on Food Safety;
• Obtain a Certificate of Compliance with the Foods Import Requirements; and
• Obtain a Certificate of Food Hygiene and Safety. 

In practice, this process may take up to 3 months.

Food products entering Vietnam are subject to the State inspection for food safety. Imported food products are transported to warehouses for preservation pending customs clearance only when they have registration for food safety inspection. The customs clearance will only be effected when there is a written certification of satisfaction of import requirements. The following cases will be exempted from the inspection:

• Food brought imported for private consumption within the norms exempted from import duties; 
• Food in diplomatic bags or consular bags; 
• Food in transit and transshipment; 
• Food sent in bonded warehouses;
• Food to be used as a prototype or research sample; and
• Food to be used as samples displayed in fairs, exhibitions. 

Please note that at least 5 days before the arrival of the goods at a port or border gate, the importer must register for the hygiene and safety inspection with the competent inspection agency. Inspection agencies are technically specialized agencies possessing sufficient technical conditions and capabilities. They are assigned by the Ministry of Health to perform this specific function (e.g., the Institute of Hygiene and Public Health of certain cities and provinces).

In order to avoid costs and delays associated with inspection and testing under the State inspection, the exporting countries may consider the Vietnam Treaty on Mutual Recognition of Food Safety Certification.

When making an assessment for mutual recognition, the competent authorities of the exporting countries will send a registration dossier to the relevant Ministries of Vietnam. The registration dossier will comprise:

• A list of the facilities manufacturing and trading food which will be registering for export into Vietnam by the form prescribed in Form No. 06 attached to Decree No. 38/2012/ND-CP dated 25 April 2012 of the Government, Providing Detailed Regulations Regarding Some Provisions of Law No. 55/2010/QH12 on Food Safety ("Decree No. 38");
• A written account on the management systems and capacity for food safety control of the competent authorities of exporting countries by the form prescribed in Form No. 07 attached to Decree No. 38; and
• A summary of information on conditions to ensure food safety for facilities manufacturing or trading food by the form prescribed in Form No. 08 attached to Decree No. 38.

Within 30 working days from the date of receiving the complete registration dossiers listing the trading and manufacturing facilities of the competent authorities of the exporting countries, the competent authorities of the Ministries of Vietnam shall appraise, and inform the competent authorities of the exporting countries of, the results of the appraisal and the inspection plan. This is necessary in the case that an inspection is needed for the countries exporting into Vietnam.

Export requirements differ depending on the product and destination country. The competent Vietnamese authority may grant Certificates of Free Sale, Health Certificates, Certificates of Origin or other certificates for exported food, if so requested by the country of importation.

In addition to the Conformity Announcement or Announcement On Conformity With Regulation on Food Safety, an importer/trader must obtain a "Certificate of Food Hygiene and Safety for Distribution Centre." This certificate is aimed at regulating the food's hygiene and the safety standards of the related traders' premises, as well as the behavior of their staff. This certificate is not only required from the business entities that are importing and storing food products, but also for those that are selling and distributing the food products in Vietnam (i.e., traders).

The term of the certificate is 3 years from the date of issuance. If an importer or trader wishes to continue producing or trading the product, they must submit an application for the renewal of the certificate within 6 months prior to the certificate expiry.