How much alcohol can I take out of Vietnam? Vietnam laws for tourists: what you need to know

2024 Author: Harold Hamphrey | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 10:06

Travellers, coming to another country or city, certainly want to try local cuisine and traditional drinks. In this regard, Vietnam is the perfect place. The choice of dishes and drinks for them is simply amazing and even the most experienced tourist will be delighted. The variety of drinks that the people of Vietnam drink is huge, and the prices are more than affordable. It is worth noting that alcoholic drinks are sold here everywhere and without time limits, that is, around the clock.

Having learned that the cost of alcohol starts from the amount of less than 1 dollar, every person who comes to this country begins to think about how much alcohol can be taken out of Vietnam. However, before answering this question, you still need to first look at the range of alcoholic products on offer. What do locals and visitors drink in Vietnam?

Vietnamese beer

Beer rightfully occupies the first place among Vietnamese alcoholic products. Here he is treated in a special way, giving him a certain status amongother drinks. It should not be surprising that it is also served at the table during large celebrations such as birthdays, anniversaries and weddings.

The most famous drink in this category is Saigon. It received this name in honor of the southern capital of the country. In shops, bars and restaurants, you can find three types of this beer: with a green sticker, with a red sticker, or with a Saigon Export sticker. The tastes of these three species are different, and everyone should try everything to decide which one is their favorite. But there is no doubt that among them there is a favorite. The price tag will serve as a pleasant bonus, because in stores such beer will cost about $ 0.5. Of course, in bars, cafes and restaurants the cost will be higher, but not critical.

Buying a beer or ordering it at dinner will not be difficult even for those who do not know a word of Vietnamese. The Vietnamese word for "beer" is very similar to the English word for this drink. Therefore, you can safely say “bia”, and the waiter will certainly bring exactly what you need.

Vietnamese wines

Don't think that Vietnamese alcohol is only beer products. The alcoholic niche is also represented by wine drinks, among which Dalat wines occupy a special place. You can try both white and red varieties, but it is worth remembering that they will all be dry. This is a kind of distinctive feature of this type of wine. Winemaking appeared in this country at the time when the French colonized these lands. The grapes are grown in Lam Dong province,whose central city is Dalat. Hence the name of the most common variety of wine. The cost of one bottle will make this wine even more delicious, because it is only a few dollars. What do you think, how much alcohol can be taken out of Vietnam, and especially wine, when there are such “delicious” prices!

Vietnamese rum

Among strong alcoholic products, rum is the clear favorite. But this is not an accident: a huge amount of sugar cane grows throughout the country, the juice of which is used to produce rum. You can often see how residents collect this juice right on the streets of cities. There are many, many types of rum here, so you should be careful: cheaper varieties will not be to everyone's taste, while ISC or Chauvet will clearly become favorites among connoisseurs of this type of alcohol. White rum is most often used to add to cocktails, while dark rum is mixed with Coca-Cola. The cost of rum, again, starts at $ 1. Of course, this is the cheapest and not the most delicious rum, but it is quite good for cocktails. Types of rum more impressive differ in cost, but it is still pleasant for buyers.

Vietnam Vodka

Vodka is not as popular in Vietnam as, for example, in Russia. Vodka in its pure form is practically not consumed, but it is often used in bars and restaurants as a component of cocktails. However, quite often you can find rice moonshine, which locals prefer to drink inas a substitute for vodka. The most popular vodka brand is called Hanoi, after the capital of Vietnam. The taste of this vodka is very specific, because it is made on the basis of rice. And the level of the fortress in it may differ. The stores have both vodka with 29.5%, and 33.5%, and 39.5%. When buying vodka and other alcoholic drinks as a gift, you should take into account the officially allowed amount of alcohol you can take out of Vietnam in order to avoid problems with the authorities.

Exotic Vietnamese alcohol

We can say that now Vietnam belongs to the list of exotic and unusual countries to visit, and the number of tourists is increasing every year. Its unusualness is reflected in alcohol. Here is not something out of the ordinary vodka with a snake, seahorses, various rare herbs and roots. The most famous unusual tincture is ginseng tincture. Such atypical drinks have a very good effect on the immunity of the human body, but only in small doses. In no case should they be abused.

Gifts of Vietnam

All tourists, no matter what country they are in, always wonder what to take home with them as souvenirs and gifts for themselves and their loved ones. What is being brought from Vietnam is a very interesting question. People take a bunch of things with them from the Vietnamese expanses. Their list includes coffee, pearls and jewelry made from it, artichokes, coconut oil, fruits, traditional clothes,leather and silk and, of course, alcoholic drinks. All this can become an inimitable and delightful memory for the traveler of Vietnamese adventures.

Do's and Don'ts

However, it will not work to collect everything and more and take it home: the customs of Vietnam clearly controls what and how much tourists bring and take away.

Tourists are prohibited from exporting from Vietnam weapons in any of its manifestations and types, anti-government and pornographic materials, some exotic plants, corals, stuffed turtles, lizards, scorpions and other crustaceans. Tourists can easily take fruits, flowers, spices, tea, coffee, jewelry and antiques with them from Vietnam. For the latter, however, there is a restriction: they can be freely taken away only if there is a special certificate that is issued in the store along with the purchase.

Important about alcohol

The most important question that torments many is not about watermelons, coconuts or durians (which, by the way, are forbidden to export), but about alcohol. Beer, wine, rum, rice moonshine… So how much alcohol can you take out? From Vietnam, according to official sources, one person can take no more than 1.5 liters of alcoholic beverage with a strength level of 22% or more. If the content percentage is less than 22%, then it is allowed to export 2 liters of liquid. As for beer, the allowable volume is 3 liters. Transportation of alcohol is only allowed for people over 18.

Restrictions on the number of exported goods are also imposed ontobacco, tea and coffee. If a tourist wants to bring home Vietnamese ground tobacco, he can only take 500 grams. If these are cigarettes, then the number reaches 400 pieces, if cigars - 100 pieces. As for tea and coffee, everything is measured in kilograms. Tea is allowed to be exported in packages weighing up to 5 kg inclusive, coffee - up to 3.

In case of violation of these restrictions, the tourist may face problems at customs, confiscation of goods, as well as a fine.

Vietnam is a vibrant and amazing country worth visiting if only to taste all the delights of the local cuisine, enjoy the flavor of the local culture and bring some delicious and fine alcohol with you.