Tiếng Việt
中文 (中国)
79/2015/QH13: VIETNAM LAW ON ANIMAL HEALTH AND KEY NOTES FOR IMPORT-EXPORT OPERATIONS
For animals, animal-origin products, animal-origin materials or veterinary drugs, operational risk is not limited to HS classification or import duty. If documents, booking or ETA are fixed before quarantine conditions, Health Certificate requirements, manufacturing establishment status, regulated lists and amended legal texts are reviewed, the shipment may face additional document requests, sectoral inspection delays, DEM/DET/storage and missed delivery milestones.
Operational reference material for importers, exporters, logistics providers, procurement, legal, compliance and operation teams reviewing Vietnam’s Law on Animal Health in the documentation – quarantine – customs clearance – market circulation workflow.
DOCUMENT INFORMATION
| Information field | Reviewed content |
|---|---|
| Document name | Law on Animal Health |
| Number | 79/2015/QH13 |
| Issuing authority | National Assembly of Vietnam |
| Signatory | Chairman of the National Assembly Nguyen Sinh Hung |
| Issuance date | 19 June 2015 |
| Effective date | 01 July 2016 |
| Validity status | The National Database of Legal Normative Documents records the law as partially expired. For application after 01 January 2026, the consolidated text 80/VBHN-VPQH and Law 146/2025/QH15 should also be checked. |
| Scope of regulation | Animal disease prevention, treatment and control; quarantine of animals and animal products; slaughter control, preliminary processing and processing; veterinary hygiene inspection; veterinary drug management; and veterinary practice. |
| Subjects of application | Vietnamese and foreign organizations and individuals involved in animal health activities in Vietnam. |
APPLICATION AND VALIDITY
Law 79/2015/QH13 was issued on 19 June 2015 and took effect on 01 July 2016.
The National Database records the law as partially expired; do not assume that the entire 2015 text remains unchanged.
Consolidated text 80/VBHN-VPQH dated 26 March 2026 consolidates the Law on Animal Health after amendments.
The opening section of consolidated text 80/VBHN-VPQH states that Law 79/2015/QH13 has been amended by the Law on Planning 21/2017/QH14 and Law 146/2025/QH15. For 2026 onward, enterprises should verify applicable provisions against the consolidated text and implementing regulations.
KEY CONTENT TO REVIEW
| Content group | What to review first | Operational impact |
|---|---|---|
| Animal and animal product quarantine | The law regulates technical inspection and control measures to detect and prevent quarantine subjects. | Import files may require quarantine registration, Health Certificate, origin documents, transport documents and sectoral documents before clearance. |
| Veterinary hygiene inspection | Concerns microorganisms, toxins, physical/chemical factors, hazardous substances and environmental factors affecting animal and human health. | Animal-origin food, processed products or raw materials may trigger food safety and veterinary inspection requirements in parallel. |
| Veterinary drug management | Veterinary drugs, vaccines, veterinary drug ingredients and biological products are governed by specific rules. | Do not apply the same approach as ordinary food products; check circulation registration, permitted lists, licences, labels, ingredients, claims and HS classification. |
| Animal disease prevention and control | Relates to disease-free zones/establishments, disease declaration, transport control and handling of animals/products. | Risk may depend on exporting country, disease area, manufacturing establishment, delivery time and Vietnam veterinary authority requirements. |
AFFECTED ENTERPRISES / PRODUCT GROUPS
| Analysis group | Scope to review | Documents to cross-check |
|---|---|---|
| Enterprise groups | Importers/exporters, food processors, seafood companies, trading companies, distributors, cold warehouses, logistics providers, customs brokers and EPE/FDI enterprises handling animal-health regulated goods. | Contracts, PO, corporate documents, business lines and manufacturing establishment records. |
| Product groups | Live animals; terrestrial animal products; aquatic animal products; meat, eggs, milk, honey, skin, hair, bone, horn; veterinary drugs, vaccines, ingredients; samples or R&D goods where applicable. | Catalogue, specification, ingredient list, product label, MSDS if any, Health Certificate template and quarantine/origin certificates. |
| Affected stages | Pre-import review, booking, document preparation, customs declaration, quarantine registration, sectoral inspection, cold storage, post-clearance delivery and audit readiness. | Invoice, Packing List, B/L/AWB, C/O, quarantine registration, quarantine certificate and food safety file if applicable. |
IMPACT ON IMPORT-EXPORT / LOGISTICS OPERATIONS
Commodity policy should be reviewed before declaration; description, HS code, origin, intended use and sectoral documents must be consistent.
Invoice, Packing List, B/L/AWB, C/O, contract, catalogue, label and quarantine documents must match in goods description, quantity, origin, manufacturer, lot/batch and storage conditions.
Quarantine-regulated goods should be reviewed before ETA, especially cold-chain goods or goods with short shelf life.
Missing documents may create storage, DEM/DET, cold electricity, additional inspection and delivery rescheduling costs.
ENTERPRISE REVIEW CHECKLIST
| File group | Documents required | Common errors | Pre-ETA check |
|---|---|---|---|
| Commercial documents | Commercial Invoice, Packing List, Sales Contract/PO, B/L or AWB, C/O if preferential duty is claimed. | Goods name does not disclose animal-origin nature; quantity/weight differs across documents. | Cross-check each line item, unit, weight, packages, origin, parties and Incoterms. |
| Product documents | Catalogue, specification, composition, processing method, original label, product images and storage temperature. | Unable to determine whether the goods are animals, animal products, processed products or veterinary drugs. | Review nature, composition, claims, processing level, storage and intended use. |
| Quarantine documents | Quarantine registration, Health Certificate, exporting country certificate, manufacturer details and batch/lot list if any. | Health Certificate template/content does not fit; manufacturer or shipment data is missing. | Confirm certificate template and mandatory data before shipment departure. |
| Related sectoral files | Food safety file, self-declaration/registration, veterinary drug licence, circulation file, test report and supplementary label where applicable. | Only quarantine is prepared while food safety, label or veterinary drug control is overlooked. | Review the file under animal health, food safety, labelling and product-specific regulations. |
TECHNICAL TERM NOTES
Inspection and technical control process for animal and animal product quarantine subjects.
A health/quarantine certificate issued by the competent authority of the exporting country.
A product of animal origin such as meat, eggs, milk, honey, skin, hair, bone, horn, aquatic products and other regulated products.
Estimated Time of Arrival, a key milestone for document control before customs clearance.
Demurrage, detention and storage charges caused by delayed cargo release.
Temperature-controlled container for chilled or frozen products such as meat, seafood and dairy products.
RELATED LEGAL DOCUMENTS TO REVIEW
| Document group | Name / number | Issuing authority | Effective date / role | Review note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Original law | Law on Animal Health 79/2015/QH13 | National Assembly | Effective from 01 July 2016. | Recorded as partially expired by the National Database. |
| Amending law | Law on Planning 21/2017/QH14 | National Assembly | Effective from 01 January 2019. | Check only when the relevant provision concerns amended planning-related content. |
| Amending law | Law 146/2025/QH15 | National Assembly | Effective from 01 January 2026. | Must be checked for 2026 onward application. |
| Consolidated text | Consolidated text 80/VBHN-VPQH | Office of the National Assembly | Issued on 26 March 2026. | Use as a practical cross-check for currently consolidated provisions. |
| Decrees / Circulars | Decree 35/2016/NĐ-CP; Decree 90/2017/NĐ-CP; Circulars 25/2016, 26/2016, 13/2016, 10/2016 and related MARD circulars. | Government / MARD | Implementing, quarantine, veterinary drug, disease control and technical regulation documents. | Validity and amendments must be checked at the time of filing. |
VIEW / DOWNLOAD ORIGINAL LEGAL TEXT
Priority sources include the Government legal document portal, the National Database of Legal Normative Documents and signed PDF files. The source links are grouped once before the full-text preview to avoid repeated buttons.
FULL TEXT / PDF PREVIEW
SOCIALIST REPUBLIC OF VIETNAM
Independence – Freedom – Happiness
LAW ON ANIMAL HEALTH
No. 79/2015/QH13
The signed PDF of Law on Animal Health 79/2015/QH13 has 72 pages. This page uses a direct PDF preview in line with the website guide so that readers can view the complete legal text without truncating provisions or annexes.
This English version is for operational reference only and is not an official legal translation.
Priority official source: Government legal document portal / issuing authority portal. This operational English content does not replace the signed Vietnamese PDF.
View the consolidated text for current application
Consolidated text 80/VBHN-VPQH dated 26 March 2026 consolidates the Law on Animal Health after amendments. Enterprises should cross-check this text when citing applicable provisions in 2026 onward.
FAQ
1. When did Law 79/2015/QH13 take effect?
It was issued on 19 June 2015 and took effect on 01 July 2016. The National Database records it as partially expired, so amendments and the consolidated text should be checked before citation.
2. Does a shipment already in transit automatically follow the old rule?
Not necessarily. The applicable rule depends on declaration timing, sectoral filing timing, product type, applicable effective legal text and veterinary authority instructions.
3. Does a preferential C/O replace quarantine documents?
No. C/O is for origin and preferential duty; quarantine is a separate animal-health control regime.
4. Can HS code alone determine quarantine policy?
No. Review HS code together with product nature, animal-origin composition, processing level, intended use, exporting country and sectoral lists.
5. What documents should be retained after clearance?
Keep commercial documents, quarantine/sectoral certificates, exporting-country certificates, labels, food safety documents if any and delivery records for post-clearance audit readiness.
6. Where should uncertain validity be checked?
Check the Government legal document portal, the National Database of Legal Normative Documents, issuing authority websites and the latest consolidated/amending texts.
TGIMEX OPERATIONAL SOLUTIONS
For shipments affected by Vietnam’s Law on Animal Health 79/2015/QH13, the key operational issue is not merely collecting commercial documents. The critical point is to correctly identify the nature of the goods, determine the applicable animal-health control requirements and lock the document data before the cargo arrives at the port or border gate.
TGIMEX can support enterprises through an E2E (End-to-End) control workflow, covering pre-import policy review, document preparation, customs coordination, quarantine/sectoral procedures and post-clearance file retention.
Review product name, composition, processing level, intended use, exporting country, manufacturer, storage condition and tentative HS code to assess whether the shipment may fall under animal quarantine, animal product control, veterinary drug control or other related sectoral procedures.
Cross-check the original Law 79/2015/QH13, its partial validity status, Consolidated Text 80/VBHN-VPQH, amending laws and relevant decrees/circulars. The objective is to avoid citing outdated provisions or missing rules that are effective at the filing date.
Cross-check Invoice, Packing List, B/L/AWB, contract/PO, catalogue, original label, C/O, Health Certificate, quarantine registration, test report and food-safety documents where applicable. Key data fields such as product description, quantity, weight, origin, manufacturer, batch/lot and storage condition should be aligned before arrival.
Map the preparation date, cargo-ready date, ETD, ETA, quarantine/sectoral filing date, expected inspection window and post-clearance delivery milestone. This timeline helps reduce storage, demurrage/detention, production delay and delivery-plan risks.
Coordinate customs declaration, quarantine/sectoral filing, international transport, trucking, cold-chain or normal warehousing and domestic delivery under one consistent data set. If additional documents or physical inspection are required, the operation team has a verified basis for timely response.
Build a shipment-by-shipment archive including commercial documents, transport documents, quarantine/sectoral certificates, exporting-country certificates, labels, food-safety files where applicable, delivery records and reconciliation data. This supports accounting, compliance and post-clearance audit readiness.
NEED TO REVIEW IMPORT PROCEDURES OR A SHIPPING PLAN?
Send us the product name, shipping route, current dossier, or implementation request in advance so we can suggest a suitable approach that is practical, focused, and aligned with your shipment.
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