Although registering with Vietnamese Customs is not mandatory, it is advisable to add yourself to their database as it will help the Customs authorities to recognise counterfeit versions of your product, and improve the chances of such suspect items being blocked at the border.
If you know of a suspected illegal shipment of your products you can also work together with Vietnamese Customs to detain such shipments. In order to monitor the flow of infringing goods crossing Vietnam’s borders, you will need to initiate customs recording by filing a request with the General Department of Customs. Vietnamese IP right holders may file the request with the General Department of Customs directly. Foreign IP right holders must file the request via an IP Agent. The application must be in Vietnamese, however, the standard forms provided by the General Department of Customs are issued in both English and Vietnamese.
A request for recording must contain the following mandatory documents:
• Certified copies of your IP Certificates of Registration
e.g. trade mark registration certificate;
• Documents relevant to the goods you wish to register with customs, including: list of authorised importers/ exporters, mode of importation/exportation of genuine goods, description of how to distinguish the genuine goods from infringing ones, documents on the origin of genuine goods, and pictures of genuine goods;
• A notarised and legalised Power of Attorney (if you are filing through a local IP Agent)
• In addition, the applicant should submit the following supporting documents (if available):
• Information on estimated time and venue of import and export;
• Expert opinions on infringing goods;
• Sanctioning decisions made by enforcement agencies in previous cases of infringement of the goods you are registering (if applicable).
The Customs Office should notify you no later than 20 days after the receipt of request you regardless of whether your application has been accepted or rejected. There is no official cost for filing a request for registration with Vietnamese Customs.