Customs clearance is a mandatory procedure for the export and import of products in which a country’s customs authorities carry out the necessary work to check whether the exported items comply with the law or not.

In other words, customs procedures are the import and export customs procedures necessary for goods and modes of transport to be imported/exported into a country. These are the mandatory procedures that must be followed for goods and modes of transport to be imported/entered into a country or exported/exited from a country’s borders.

Please note that customs procedures only apply to goods and modes of transport, not to people. In Vietnam, security agencies or border guards at border gates handle immigration procedures for people.

Customs procedures for import and export of goods can be done at the Border Gate Customs Branch (international seaport, international airport…) or at the Customs Branch outside the border gate (inland port).

The customs clearance process includes the following steps:
1. Prepare necessary documents and information
2. Prepare documents related to the shipment
3. Proceed to declare the customs declaration
4. Carry out customs procedures for exporting goods
5. Complete the customs clearance process and resolve the declaration