How to refund tourists tax for purchases in Vietnam

Промо

As in many other countries, in Vietnam since 2011, the VAT refund system has been introduced, which allows tourists to return part of the cost of expensive purchases when leaving the country. Return 85% of the amount of tax paid, which is included in the cost of the goods, while the tax itself is about 10% and depends on the type of goods, i.e. as a result, you can return about 8.5% of the total cost of the goods, and sometimes more. If we talk in more specific figures, then, for example, if you buy an expensive souvenir for $ 200, for example, then at the check-out you can return $ 17.

To benefit from a tax refund, certain conditions must be met:

• You are not a crew member of an air or sea vessel.
• The product must be purchased in a store that can issue the appropriate documents for return. You can find out about this from the sellers in the store itself.
• The goods must be purchased no earlier than 30 days before departure, i.e. if you are vacationing in Vietnam for several months, it is better to postpone such purchases for the last month of your stay.
• The amount of each of the purchases in one store must be at least 2,000,000 VND for one day (approximately 78.06 USD., see Vietnam's currency and exchange rate). If you purchase an item from the same store on different days, such a purchase will unfortunately not be counted for a tax refund. The upper bar for the amount is not set.
• The goods should not be among those prohibited for export from Vietnam (see Vietnam Customs rules, what can and can not be exported).
• Do you fly out through one of Vietnam's international airports or through the Seaport:
  • Hanoi airport-Noi Bai International airport
  • Ho Chi Minh City Airport-Tan Son Nhat International airport
  • Nha Trang Airport-Cam Ranh International Airport
  • Seaport Nha Trang - Nha Trang seaport
  • Da Nang Airport - Da Nang International Airport
  • Da Nang Seaport-Da Nang port
  • Seaport Ho Chi Minh City - Khanh Hoi International seaport
  • Phu Quoc Airport - Phu Quoc International Airport
  • Con Dao island Seaport - Ben Dam Con Dao Seaport

How to refund tax for purchases

The stage of returning part of the purchase price begins with the purchase itself. First of all, do not forget about the conditions that the goods must be purchased no earlier than 30 days before departure from the country, and that the purchase amount in one store for one day must be at least 2,000,000 VND. You also need to clarify before buying whether this store is included in the tax refund system.

Immediately upon purchase, you will need to issue a special document on the form (all this is done by the sellers themselves), for which you will need your passport.

The tax refund itself is made at the airport before departure after check-in and receipt of a boarding pass. After that, you will need to proceed to a special counter or office of VAT refund (it is easy to find them, they are marked at each airport).

Hanoi airport tax refund desk

There you need to provide a document and a check from the store, passport, boarding pass, and the purchased goods themselves. Especially do not forget about the last item and do not hand over the purchased items in the luggage, otherwise after check-in you simply can not present them at the counter, because the luggage is handed over at check-in. After verification, you will receive the refund amount in cash dongs, which can be changed right here at the airport, back into dollars or another currency. The exchange rate at airports in Vietnam is acceptable.