Consolidated Document No. 14/2026/VBHN-QD-BKHCN: Rules on Importing Used Machinery, Equipment and Technology Lines

Scope and Applicability

Consolidated Document No. 14/2026/VBHN-QD-BKHCN merges Decision No. 18/2019/QD-TTg dated 19 April 2019 (effective from 15 June 2019) with the amendments made by Decision No. 02/2026/QD-TTg dated 8 January 2026, which cut and simplified administrative procedures under the Ministry of Science and Technology's management.

The rules apply to the import of used machinery, equipment and technology lines classified under HS Chapters 84 and 85, used for manufacturing activities in Vietnam. They do not apply to goods in transit or transshipment, entrepot trade, temporary import for re-export, goods for scientific research not yet producible domestically, or machinery already governed by sector-specific regulations under Group 2 product safety lists.

Import Criteria

Used technology lines must simultaneously satisfy:

• Manufacture in accordance with a national technical regulation (QCVN); where none exists, compliance with Vietnamese national standards (TCVN) or the national standards of a G7 country or South Korea on safety, energy efficiency and environmental protection;
• Remaining capacity or efficiency of at least 85% of the original design;
• Material and energy consumption not exceeding 15% above design levels;
• Technology not on the list of technologies banned or restricted from transfer;
• The technology must be in current use at no fewer than three production facilities in OECD member countries.

Used machinery and equipment must satisfy:

• Equipment age of 10 years or less (certain sectors have separate limits under Appendix I, e.g. mechanical engineering, wood processing, and pulp and paper, which may extend to 15-20 years depending on the HS code);
• Manufacture in accordance with QCVN or, absent one, TCVN or the national standards of a G7 country or South Korea on safety, energy efficiency and environmental protection.

Import Dossier and Procedure

In addition to the standard customs dossier under the Customs Law, businesses must supply: a certified copy of the enterprise registration certificate; and an inspection certificate issued by a designated inspection body (mandatory for technology lines; for machinery and equipment, mandatory only where no manufacturer's confirmation from a G7 country or South Korea is available or applicable).

Customs clears the shipment only once the dossier is complete and valid and the inspection certificate confirms the equipment meets the criteria. If the certificate is not yet available at the time of filing, the business may bring the goods into bonded storage and must submit the certificate within 30 days; if the inspection result is negative, the business is subject to administrative penalties under customs law.

Special Case: Equipment Exceeding the Age Limit

A business already manufacturing in Vietnam may apply for approval to import equipment exceeding the age limit if its remaining capacity or efficiency is still at least 85% of design and consumption does not exceed 115% of design levels. The application, submitted to the Ministry of Science and Technology, includes a prescribed request form, a certified copy of the enterprise registration certificate, and an inspection certificate. Processing timelines: 2 working days to solicit comments from relevant ministries, 5 working days for those ministries to respond, and 3 working days for the Ministry of Science and Technology to reply to the business.

Inspection Certificates and Inspection Bodies

The inspection certificate must state the name, year of manufacture, brand, operating condition, inspection method and applicable standards, and a conclusion on whether the criteria are met. Certificate validity: no more than 18 months for technology lines and no more than 6 months for machinery and equipment, counted to the date the goods arrive at the Vietnamese border checkpoint. Domestic inspection bodies must hold a certificate of registration under Decree No. 107/2016/ND-CP; foreign inspection bodies must be accredited under an international mutual recognition arrangement.

Transitional Provisions

Dossiers already approved or accepted by the Ministry of Science and Technology under Circular No. 23/2015/TT-BKHCN before Decision No. 18/2019/QD-TTg took effect continue to be processed under the prior rules, or under the new rules at the business's election. Decision No. 18/2019/QD-TTg took effect on 15 June 2019; the amendments under Decision No. 02/2026/QD-TTg took effect on 8 January 2026.

Practical Significance

As a consolidated text, this document creates no new obligations - it simply gathers all currently effective rules into a single reference. It is useful for manufacturing businesses, especially foreign-invested enterprises expanding production with used equipment, who need one complete source for the eligibility criteria, required dossier, and import procedure instead of cross-referencing multiple separate legal instruments.