Alcohol regulations in Vietnam

Licences needed

Industrial Alcohol Production License (Giấy phép sản xuất rượu công nghiệp) or Commercial Craft Alcohol Production License (Giấy phép sản xuất rượu thủ công nhằm mục đích kinh doanh)

Authority

Ministry of Industry and Trade (MOIT) for facilities >= 3 million liters/year; provincial Department of Industry and Trade (DOIT) for facilities < 3 million liters/year or craft commercial operations

Documents

Application form (Form 01); Enterprise Registration Certificate; technological process and equipment documentation; food safety certificate or GMP certificate; environmental protection approvals/EIA; fire safety compliance certificate; product quality standard dossiers; technical staff qualifications

Fees

Statutory assessment fees typically range between 1,200,000 VND and 4,500,000 VND per evaluation depending on facility scale and scope (regulated under MOF Circular 168/2016/TT-BTC)

Time to obtain

15 working days from receipt of a complete and valid application dossier

Who can import

Enterprises holding a valid Alcohol Distribution License (Giấy phép phân phối rượu) can import finished alcoholic beverages; enterprises holding an Industrial Alcohol Production License can import semi-finished alcohol for distillation/processing

Licences or registrations

Alcohol Distribution License (valid for 5 years). For beverages under 5.5% ABV, a pre-import registration with the district-level People's Committee is required instead

Authority

Ministry of Industry and Trade (MOIT) / Provincial People's Committees under decentralization decrees

Documents

Application form; Business Registration Certificate; distribution network contracts/letters of intent with wholesalers across at least two provinces/centrally run cities; authorization letter or distribution agreement from foreign manufacturer; lease/ownership deeds for premises

Fees

Statutory license appraisal fee of approximately 1,200,000 VND

Time to obtain

15 working days from receipt of a complete and valid dossier

Required

yes

Process

Spirits require product self-declaration ('Tự công bố sản phẩm') under Decree 15/2018/ND-CP before market circulation; no prior pre-market ministerial COLA approval is required. The importer/manufacturer tests samples at an ISO 17025 accredited/designated lab, posts the declaration publicly, submits 1 copy to the provincial authority, and can immediately distribute products.

Authority

Provincial Department of Industry and Trade (DOIT) or provincial Food Safety Sub-Department

Documents and samples

Self-declaration form (Form 01 of Decree 15/2018/ND-CP); food safety testing result sheet issued within 12 months by an accredited/designated ISO 17025 lab (covering heavy metals, methanol, esters); product draft label/mockup; notarized Vietnamese translation of foreign documents

Fees

Official submission is free; lab testing fees vary by accredited testing facility (typically 2,000,000 to 5,000,000 VND per SKU)

Renewal

Valid indefinitely unless changes are made to product name, origin, or core ingredient formulation

Time to obtain

Immediate commercial distribution right upon public declaration and filing; authority logs and posts on portal within 3 to 7 working days

Imports permitted only through designated international border gates; each shipment must undergo state inspection of imported food safety under Decree 15/2018/ND-CP prior to customs clearance; all imported spirit bottles must bear official electronic excise stamps (tem rượu nhập khẩu) under Circular 23/2021/TT-BTC before entering domestic circulation; customs clearance requires commercial invoice, bill of lading, packing list, certificate of origin (C/O) for FTA preferential rates, self-declaration dossier, and import distribution license; customs exemption for test samples is capped at 3 liters per label.

Most Favoured Nation (MFN) tariff is 45% ad valorem for HS 2208 (whiskies, vodka, rum, gin, brandy); preferential rates under FTAs (EVFTA, CPTPP, UKVFTA) are transitioning down to 0%; ordinary non-MFN rate is 67.5%.

Special Consumption Tax (SCT): 65% for spirits with ABV >= 20% (scheduled to increase by 5% annually starting 2027 to reach 90% by 2031 under Law No. 66/2025/QH15); 35% for alcoholic beverages < 20% ABV (increasing to 60% by 2031). Value Added Tax (VAT): 10%, applied on CIF + Import Duty + SCT.

Private companies and retail shops holding an Alcohol Retail License (Giấy phép bán lẻ rượu) issued by District-level People's Committees; restaurants, bars, and clubs require a license/registration for on-premise consumption (bán rượu tiêu dùng tại chỗ); no state retail monopoly; retail premises cannot be established within a 100-meter radius of educational and healthcare institutions; sales to individuals under 18 years and via vending machines are prohibited.

allowed

Mandatory Vietnamese-language label or auxiliary sticker ('nhãn phụ') pursuant to Decree 43/2017/ND-CP and Decree 111/2021/ND-CP: product name, name and address of producer and importer, country of origin, net volume, alcohol content (% vol), batch/lot number, date of manufacture/expiry if applicable, mandatory health warning ('Uống rượu, bia có thể gây tai nạn giao thông', 'Uống rượu, bia có thể ảnh hưởng đến sức khỏe thai nhi', or 'Người dưới 18 tuổi không được uống rượu, bia'). Official electronic excise strip stamp must be affixed across the cap/closure.

Advertising of spirits and alcoholic beverages with 15% ABV or higher is completely prohibited across all media (TV, radio, print, online, billboards) under Law 44/2019/QH14. For beverages under 15% ABV, ads are barred between 18:00 and 21:00 on broadcast TV/radio (except international sports broadcasts), prohibited around children's programming, and must feature mandatory health warnings covering at least 10% of visual space. Alcohol sponsorship of youth, educational, or healthcare events is banned.

National standards established by TCVN: TCVN 7038 (Whisky), TCVN 7039 (Brandy), TCVN 7040 (Vodka), TCVN 7041 (Rum), TCVN 7042 (Gin), and TCVN 7044 (Liqueurs). Mandatory chemical limits on methanol (<= 2,000 mg/L ethanol 100%), aldehydes, esters, and heavy metals (lead, cadmium, arsenic) are enforced under QCVN 6-3:2010/BYT.

No dry jurisdictions or dry provinces exist. Consumption and sales are prohibited in designated public premises: medical facilities, educational institutions, youth centers, workplaces of government/public agencies during working hours, bus stations, parks (except preexisting licensed restaurants), and cultural/sporting centers during active events (Law 44/2019/QH14 and Decree 24/2020/ND-CP).

• Enactment of Law No. 66/2025/QH15 on Special Consumption Tax (effective January 1, 2026), establishing a statutory roadmap to hike the excise tax on spirits (>= 20% ABV) from 65% up to 90% in 5 percentage point annual increments between 2027 and 2031.
• Strict national enforcement of absolute zero-tolerance (0.00 BAC) drink-driving rules under Decree 100/2019/ND-CP and updated road traffic laws, causing major shifts in on-premise dining and consumption.
• Expansion of mandatory electronic tax stamps (e-stamps with QR codes) for both imported and domestically produced alcoholic beverages under Circular 23/2021/TT-BTC.
• Decentralization of distribution licensing and trade management from central MOIT to provincial People's Committees and Departments of Industry and Trade.

Tariff phaseouts under the EU-Vietnam FTA (EVFTA), CPTPP, and UKVFTA make imported premium spirits increasingly competitive against standard tariff tiers. Rapid middle-class growth drives sustained demand for premium single malts, cognac, and craft spirits, though brands must adapt to escalating excise taxes and a strict zero-BAC drink-driving environment.

• Ministry of Industry and Trade (MOIT)
• General Department of Vietnam Customs (Hải quan Việt Nam)
• Vietnam Food Administration (VFA) - Ministry of Health
• General Department of Taxation (Tổng cục Thuế)

1. Decree No. 105/2017/ND-CP on Alcohol Trading & Decree No. 17/2020/ND-CP
2. Law No. 44/2019/QH14 on Prevention and Control of Harmful Effects of Alcoholic Beverages
3. Decree No. 24/2020/ND-CP Guiding the Law on Alcohol Harm Prevention
4. Decree No. 15/2018/ND-CP on Food Safety and Product Self-Declaration
5. Law No. 66/2025/QH15 on Special Consumption Tax Revisions
6. Tariff Dismantling Schedule for Spirits under EVFTA and CPTPP
7. US TTB Vietnam Alcohol Beverage Import and Labeling Regulations Guide