To import a car into Vietnam as a foreigner, you’ll need to navigate specific regulatory requirements and comprehensive documentation to meet Vietnamese customs regulations. This process can be complex, as the Vietnamese government mandates strict guidelines to prevent customs issues and ensure compliance.
In this article, we provide a clear guide on car import options in Vietnam, essential prerequisites, and key steps to help you move through the process smoothly. For an efficient, hassle-free experience, consider working with experienced corporate consultancies like InCorp Vietnam.
Importing a Car to Vietnam? Check out InCorp Vietnam’s Legal Advisory Services in Vietnam
Overview of Car Market in Vietnam
As of November 2023, over 86,000 fully-built cars, valued at US$1.9 billion, were imported into the country. During the pandemic, automotive imports saw a downturn, with spending on cars and parts falling by US$1.3 billion year-on-year. However, by 2023, the sector had begun to rebound, with total imports of vehicles and spare parts reaching US$5.1 billion. Toward the year’s end, sales started to recover, with 10,300 units sold in October, 9,700 in September, and early November imports exceeding US$135 million for 6,227 units.
In 2024, the market saw a dip as only 43,805 cars, worth around US$929.4 million, were imported in the first four months—a decrease of 23.5% in value and 19.4% in volume from the previous year. Currently, most imported cars in Vietnam are sourced from Indonesia and Thailand, priced between 350 million and VND 1.2 billion. Recent government policies have made it easier to import vehicles, allowing for new entries from Chinese brands such as Lynk & Co., BYD, Omoda, Haval, and Jaecoo, broadening consumer choices.
Prerequisites and Conditions for Importing a Car into Vietnam
Foreign Car Import Prerequisites
You can import a car to Vietnam only if it is
- A less than nine-seater vehicle or motorbike
- Equipped with a steering wheel on the left side of the car
- Registered in your name or the company’s name (This is crucial to establishing ownership of the vehicle).
Additionally, the car must have an overseas registration plate and follow the safety standards of the origin country. Once a foreign driver fulfills all the requirements for driving in Vietnam, they can import a car that follows the import criteria.
Read Related: Secure a Certificate of Origin in Vietnam: Essential Tips for Foreigners
Foreign Driver Prerequisites
Before you import a car and start driving in the country, you must ensure that all foreign driver conditions are met. This includes:
- Having a valid passport and visa, which are at least 6 months old from the issue date
- A visa in regulation as per the temporary residence permit in Vietnam. Although there are exceptions in cases of visa exemptions.
- Having a driver’s license that aligns with the car to be imported
Read Related: Understanding the Vietnam Temporary Residence Card: Requirements, and Validity
Vehicle Import Options in Vietnam
To further understand the question, you must thoroughly know the options you have. There are certain factors to consider before you can import a car to Vietnam. This includes:
- The duration of use: whether the car will be imported temporarily (for a few months or years) or permanently
- Ownership: whether you have been the owner of the car for over a year
- Age of the Vehicle: If your vehicle is 20 or more years old
To import a car into Vietnam, you must be its registered owner, with registration in your home country for at least six months and at least 10,000 km of mileage. Vehicles over five years old or those with prior ownership changes cannot be imported. The car must arrive fully assembled—modifications like engine swaps or alterations to vehicle identification numbers (VINs) are prohibited, as these may delay customs clearance. Notably, both left-hand and right-hand drive vehicles are allowed in Vietnam, despite right-side driving rules.
Shipping Methods Available
You can import a car into Vietnam in either of the following ways:
- Airplane route: For quick overseas import, it is advisable to opt for an air-freight service that is not subjected to lengthy shipping times and port delays. This is the quickest way, as the car gets delivered in 3–10 days based on customs clearance and documentation.
- Container shipping route: The foremost way of importing cars is container shipping, which can accommodate 1-6 cars at a time, based on their size. The automobiles can either be project cars or run-and-drive cars. Moreover, you get consolidation when shipping to the port, as you save money by transporting your car with other vehicles in the same container. However, high-value automobiles are loaded into specific 20 ft or 40 ft containers.
- Roll-on/ Roll-off (RORO): In this particular way of transporting cars overseas, your car has to be in run-and-drive condition as it needs to drive on and off the ship. You can not put anything inside the vehicle while shipping it. The RORO shipping-enabled ports vary, and their rates vary accordingly.
While importing a car to Vietnam, you must take into account the various container shipping methods available at your disposal as per Vietnamese law. The best ways to ship a vehicle to Vietnam include:
- Roll-on or Roll-off Method: In this process, the automobile and its parts are driven onto one end at the departure point and the arrival destination on the other side. The vehicle is rolled into a secured loading area like a parking lot in the delivery ship. No other expenses are there except for port charges and customs clearance.
- Shared Container Load Method: The Less Than Container Load (LCL) method is a budget-friendly shipping option where multiple shipments share a single container. Although you wait until the container is full before shipping, your vehicle is safely secured using the R-RAK steel loading system. This method allows you to share the costs of the 40-foot container, terminal handling, and customs clearance with other vehicle owners.
- Full Container Load Method: FCL, or Full Container Load, is a secure, though pricier, shipping option where the vehicle occupies the entire container space, avoiding shared terminal handling fees. Once loaded, the vehicle is locked, transported, and inspected upon arrival in Vietnam, including photos and condition checks. This method offers safer and faster transport, with weekly scheduled departures, compared to shared containers or RORO.
Requirements to Import a Car into Vietnam
Once you’re familiar with all the essential prerequisites to import a car to Vietnam, the next step involves collecting and submitting the required documents to the Vietnamese Customs Department. This documentation includes:
- The car import license
- The Bill of Lading (B/L)
- The vehicle registration certificate
- The customs clearance authorization letter issued by the destination agent
- The application form
Additionally, you also need to furnish the following documents to establish and validate the ownership of the car:
- Your passport
- Your visa details, showing at least 3 months of validity
- Your work permit
- A household registration book
The Vietnamese customs department will inspect the car once it arrives in the country, but before that, a vehicle inspection is done at the port of departure, where it is subjected to import duties.
Upon arrival in Vietnam, a customs officer reviews all documents, including the import license, bill of lading, and customs declaration, followed by a physical inspection of the vehicle. You may request to view the car before inspection, but this must be done under the officer’s supervision. According to Vietnamese regulations, automobile imports are subject to a special consumption tax amounting to 50% or more of the vehicle’s value. However, diplomats are exempt from this tax when importing a car.
To import a car into Vietnam, your vehicle has to pass through one or more of these ports, including Danang, Hai Phong, Ho Chi Minh City Port, and Cai Lan Port situated in Ha Long City.
Read More: Trade Logistics in Vietnam: Top Megaports and Their Impact from Saigon to Hai Phong
How Much Does It Cost to Import a Car into Vietnam?
It is essential to keep in mind that the cost to import a car in Vietnam varies according to the model and the build of your vehicle, along with the transport method used, your location (country), and your port of departure. Your destination port and the availability of the services you have chosen also play a crucial role in determining the actual costs. Moreover, you have to take into account additional costs like vendor fees, storage and cleaning costs, along with Vietnamese customs duties and taxes.
The Vietnamese government mandates the following taxes and duties for importing a car to Vietnam from a US port:
- 50% or more Special Sales Tax
- VAT, which consists of customs duties and 10% of the CIF value (cost, insurance, and freight).
For instance, transporting a compact car from the Los Angeles port in the US to the Saigon port in Vietnam through the RORO method would cost around US$1550.
Read Related: Value-Added Tax in Vietnam: Guide to Understanding VAT for Business Success
What to Do After the Arrival of Your Imported Car?
Your import costs do not end at paying the customs duties and taxes; you also have to take into account the cost of registering the car as per Vietnamese law. Foreigners who want to import a car into Vietnam get three business days to register it. Once the registration process is completed, the Vietnamese authorities will examine it to ensure all safety and environmental standards are followed.
The owner receives a certificate of environmental protection and technical safety when the car passes the test. This certificate needs to be submitted to the customs department to complete the car import procedure, following which you can register it at the local traffic police station by furnishing documents like:
- Insurance Proof
- Vehicle Inspection Certificate
- Vehicle Registration Declaration
- Valid Passport and Visa
- Valid Work Permit
Read More: Work Permit in Vietnam: Requirements, Procedures for Your Vietnam Work Visa
After registering to import a car at the local police station, the traffic police will issue a Vietnamese license plate, as foreign plates are generally not permitted. Initially, you’ll receive a temporary license plate valid for 20 days, which can be extended once for an additional 20 days if the permanent plate isn’t yet available. However, this extension can only occur once. Once the permanent plate is issued, it must be affixed to the vehicle.
For foreign-owned vehicles, license plates will typically start with “NG” or “NN,” indicating diplomatic use, followed by letters designating the city and province of registration.
How InCorp Vietnam can Assist?
Our team of experienced business consultants and legal experts has a thorough understanding of Vietnamese laws and regulations. We act as an import agency and regulated business consultancy by guiding you throughout the process, including the preparation of the documents required to import a car into Vietnam.
We understand the complex nature of the import and export process of the country, and we will do everything—from documentation to sending you the bill of lading to shipping the documents. We also provide a clear idea of when and where your car will arrive in Vietnam. We can also help in paying taxes and customs clearance once your car arrives in the country.
About Us
InCorp Vietnam is a leading market entry and corporate services firm in Vietnam. We are part of InCorp Group, a regional leader in corporate solutions that encompasses 9 countries in Asia-Pacific, headquartered in Singapore. With over 1,500 legal experts serving over 20,000 Corporate Clients across the region, our expertise speaks for itself. We provide transparent legal consulting, setup, and advice based on local requirements to make your business fit into the market perfectly with healthy growth.
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