From October 15, passengers who have completed the procedures for exit or transit and passengers awaiting exit may buy duty-free goods and receive them from abroad, according to Government Decree 100 dated August 31, on trade in duty-free goods.
Under the new Decree, passengers on exit or in transit through international land border gates; cross-border transportation railway terminal checkpoints, class-1 seaports, and international civil aviation checkpoints will be allowed to purchase goods at duty-free shops inside isolated areas.
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| A duty-free shop at Noi Bai international airport__Photo: Internet |
Passengers awaiting exit may also buy duty-free goods at local duty-free shops. Duty-free goods will be picked over counters inside isolated areas of international checkpoints where these passengers exit.
Foreign tourists travelling in group by sea and holding passports or international travel documents may buy duty-free goods at class-1 seaport checkpoints or inland duty-free shops.
Passengers on international flights to/from Vietnam are eligible for purchasing duty-free goods on aircraft.
The new Decree also allows seafarers working on board international sea-going ships (including both Vietnamese and foreign ships) to purchase duty-free goods at class-1 seaports and inland duty-free shops to meet their needs while the ships are anchored at Vietnamese seaports.
Under the new regulation, customs branches in charge of managing duty-free shops and warehouses are responsible for carrying out physical inspection of transported goods for risk management and detection of violations, if any. They will have to reach agreement with operators of seaports, international civil airports and international railway stations, management units of international land border gates and units assigned to manage international land border gates on places for customs supervision of goods and cash brought into and out of isolated areas and restricted areas.
Currencies used for purchase of duty-free goods include Vietnam dong, currencies of countries bordering places where duty-free shops are located in border areas, USD, EUR and currencies of countries where international flights of airlines established and operating in accordance with Vietnam’s law are on entry or in transit.-
