Vietnam Import Tax on Parcels: What Changed in 2025 (and What You'll Actually Pay)

If parcels that used to sail into Vietnam duty-free suddenly come with a tax bill — or a mysterious phone call from Vietnam Post — here's why.

The change, in one paragraph

Until early 2025, parcels worth under 1,000,000 VND (~$39) entered Vietnam via express courier exempt from import duty and VAT. Decision 01/2025/QD-TTg, effective 18 February 2025, abolished that exemption. Every commercial parcel is now taxable regardless of value. The government projected roughly 2.7 trillion VND per year in extra VAT, and enforcement has been real and increasingly digital ever since.

What you actually pay

Two layers, calculated on the CIF value (item + international shipping):

1. Import duty — depends on the product category (HS code):

2. VAT — standard 10% (a temporary 8% reduction applies to some goods through end-2026), charged on CIF + duty.

Plus, if it comes by DHL/FedEx/UPS: a customs brokerage fee, typically ~2% of the tax with a ~200,000 VND minimum — even when the tax itself is small.

Worked example

A $100 pair of sneakers with $10 shipping, by courier:

• CIF = $110
• Duty (shoes, ~15%): $16.50
• VAT 10% on $126.50: $12.65
• Courier brokerage: ~$8
• Total surprise on delivery: ~$37 on a $100 purchase.

Why the experience feels random

Three different channels, three different realities:

• Express couriers (DHL/FedEx): formal entry, tax collected consistently, paperwork correct, brokerage fees added. Predictable but maximal.
• Postal (Vietnam Post/EMS): slower processing; you may get a call or a notice in Vietnamese asking for payment or an invoice for valuation. Miss the call and the parcel sits.
• Consolidated freight lines (how goods from China mostly actually arrive): the freight operator clears an entire truckload in bulk and the cost is built into the per-kg rate — which is why parcels via these lines arrive with nothing to pay. The trade-off is that you're trusting the operator's clearance practices.

This is also why two neighbors ordering similar items can have totally different stories.

A pending change worth watching

A proposal (not yet law as of mid-2026) would restore duty-free treatment for e-commerce imports under ~2,000,000 VND (~$78) with an annual per-person cap. If it passes, small-parcel math changes again — we'll update this page.

How to never think about any of this

The reason "DDP" (Delivered Duty Paid) matters: a proper service quotes you one price with tax already inside and handles clearance on its own account. No calls, no delivery-day surprises, no brokerage minimums.

That's how we quote everything — item + shipping + Vietnamese tax + door delivery, one number, before you commit.

📦 Want something from China without the customs lottery?

WhatsApp WhatsApp us — send a link, photo or description. All-in DDP quote within a day.

FAQ

Do I pay tax on gifts or personal items?

Genuine personal/gift shipments have separate, limited allowances — but couriers routinely classify e-commerce parcels as commercial. Don't count on the gift lane for shopping.

Can I just declare a lower value?

Under-declaring is customs fraud, and Vietnam's 2025-2026 digitization push includes cross-checking e-commerce platform data. If a shipper can't classify goods properly, customs applies the highest relevant rate. Not worth it.

Is there tax on parcels between individuals inside Vietnam?

No — this applies to goods entering Vietnam from abroad.

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