PROCESS OF PROCEDURE OF IMPORTING & EXPORTING BOOKS & CULTURAL PRODUCTS

1. What kind of Books, magazine, cultural products are allowed to import to Vietnam or export out of Vietnam without any license?

- Books, magazine or any kind of newspaper which are published legally in Vietnam.

- CDs, cassette tape with content & label controlling by Vietnam Cinema Department or Culture Management Office are allowed in circulation in Vietnam.

2. What kind of books, cultural products require import or export license before processing?

• Books, newspaper, magazine, calendar, maps, all kind of documents in different industries which are printed, typed, written or copy with different methods.
• Technical design, the design of civil construction.
• Filmed movies, used film camera, photos or artistic photos, films camera use with light meter, firmed video tapes. Cassette tapes, CDs with sound/music/voice, software CDs for computers and others.
• Paintings or artistic paintings. The finished products of art such as graphics, engraved zinger products, engraved wooden products, oil paintings, lacquer paintings, sculpture, mosaic boy products or other materials such stone, wood, bone, ivory, ceramic, terracotta, glass, garment, silk, paper, metal, charcoal, gypsum.
• Handicraft items, antique.

3. Where to apply the license for importing or exporting these items?

- Ministry of Culture & Information:

Department of Management of Import & Export Cultural Products which is belongs to Ministry of Culture & Information complies with licensing for applicator who uses products for exhibition, trade fair, conference, aid, exchange cooperation, attending competition, game show or attending an award program in Vietnam or oversea countries. More popular with movies, TV movies following the rules of the Government and Ministry of Culture & Information.

- Local Offices of Culture & Information:

Complying with organizing on checking the contents and releasing import and export license for cultural products which are not using for trading, they can be used for personal reason, for working purpose of organization/company or other reason accepted by authority of Vietnam.

+ Vietnamese,

+ Vietnamese holding third country passport

+ Foreigners, companies, organizations representative by Vietnamese or by foreigners.

Process of procedure of getting import license for cultural products to Vietnam

Documents following below:
a) Companies, organizations representative by Vietnamese or by foreigner:

– Letter of Introduction by organizations for applicator.

– Application Letter for an Import License

– 02 original of Application

– Import Customs Declaration, B/L, Arrival Notice (for products which can be imported without license)

– Power of Attorney of real consignee to custom brokers or logistics suppliers.

– Copy of Business License (copy of authorized)

b) Personal:

– Application

– Power of Attorney with authorization by local government. (in case the applicator not the owner of shipment)

– Identification or Passport.

Particularly, cultural products content religious information or relate to religion must have approved by The Government Committee for Religious Affairs.

In the other hand, other kind of cultural products which are needed an approved in writing by the highest position manager of specialized Ministries such: cultural products use for studying, not popular, gifts, aid, exchanging cooperation, attending competition, award program, other cultural products  must doing inspection but not belongs to boundaries manage by Cultural & Information Industry.

Process of applying documents and releasing result

a) Companies, organizations representative by Vietnamese or by foreigner

– Once the documents are approved, license will be issued within 2 working days.

– After receiving the shipment from port of discharging, importer must give the cargo with sealed by custom official with import customs declaration to Department of Culture & Information to check the content and complete the import procedure.

b) Personal Receiver:

– Department of Culture & Information get the cargo from custom official directly after cargo arrive to POD. Consignee will be informed about it with a requirement to come and finish the import procedure.

– Processing time depends on the volume of shipment and items.

Process of procedure of applying the export license for exporting cultural products out of Vietnam

1. Books, newspaper, cultural products can be exported without license:

a) Companies, organizations representative by Vietnamese or by foreigner:

- Export customs declaration.

– Manifest of shipment.

– Letter of Introduction by organizations.

b) Personal exporter:

- Export customs declaration.

– Manifest of shipment.

– ID or Passport.

2. Books, newspaper, cultural products must be exported with license:

• Exporter or owner’s representative has to give all items they want to export to Department of Culture & Information for checking.
• Processing time depends on the volume of shipment and items.

Particularly, cultural products content religious information or relate to religion must have approved by The Government Committee for Religious Affairs.

In the other hand, other kind of cultural products which are needed an approved in writing by the highest position manager of specialized Ministries such: Documents of internal circulation or any kind of documents belongs to secret of country, documents use for studying, teaching, movies……other cultural products  must doing inspection but not belongs to boundaries manage by Cultural & Information Industry.

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