Trip Planning & Practicalities
Vietnam Entry Rules for Riders: Cash, Medicines, Vapes, and What Is Unverified About Drones and Cameras
About 6 minutes to read
Cash, medication, vaping devices, cameras, drones and helmets are all things a visiting rider might pack, and each raises a different question. This guide sets out what government pages say about most of them, and is open about what could not be verified. The official Vietnam Customs page on allowances could not be opened when checked on 24 October 2026, so no duty-free allowance for alcohol, tobacco, perfume or gifts is given. None of the pages reviewed says anything about carrying a helmet or a camera through customs, and the only drone source is a secondary one.
Rules change, so check Vietnam Customs and your nearest Vietnamese embassy before you travel. Where a page shows no date, that is stated.
What must be declared at customs
The UK government’s Vietnam travel advice says that anyone taking cash into or out of Vietnam must declare amounts over 15 million Vietnamese dong or 5,000 US dollars, or the same value in other currencies. The page shows no date. Noi Bai International Airport’s departure guide gives the same two thresholds for cash at the customs checkpoint. That page is undated and is written for departing passengers. Neither page states a penalty for failing to declare, so none is given here.
The same UK page says Vietnam has strict rules on goods taken into or out of the country, and that anything that may be prohibited or subject to tax or duty must be declared. It does not list duty-free allowances.
Medicines
Three governments give advice on prescription medication. Only the UK page gives figures.
| Government | What it says | Date |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom (GOV.UK travel advice) | Carry prescription medication in hand luggage with a copy of the prescription, and declare it at customs if its total import value is over 100 US dollars. Vietnam restricts medicines it classes as addictive or psychotropic, including some used for addiction, anxiety, depression and insomnia, and it is illegal to have more than 7 days of such prescribed medicine. Carry the prescription and a doctor’s letter stating how much is needed for the trip. | No date shown on the UK pages |
| Australia (Smartraveller) | Some addictive and psychotropic medications are controlled in Vietnam, so check whether yours is legal before travelling, and carry medication in its original packaging. | Updated 24 September 2026 |
| Canada (travel.gc.ca) | Travellers are responsible for determining whether their prescription medication is legal in Vietnam. | Updated 19 October 2026 |
The 100 US dollar declaration threshold and the 7-day limit come from the UK government only; Australia and Canada give no figures. They are the UK government’s advice to its own travellers, so confirm them with the Vietnamese embassy before relying on them, particularly for medicines used to treat conditions the UK page names, such as anxiety, depression or insomnia.
Vaping devices and drugs
The Australian government says it is illegal to purchase, use, possess, sell or bring electronic cigarettes, vaping devices and vaping liquids into Vietnam. Canada’s travel advice says it is illegal to bring, sell, use or distribute vaping products. The Australian page was updated on 24 September 2026 and the Canadian page on 19 October 2026. Nothing in the pages reviewed covers heated-tobacco products, or the lithium batteries and power banks used with cameras, gimbals or drones, so those need a direct question to Vietnam Customs.
On drugs, Canada’s advice says penalties for possession, use, production or trafficking, including cannabis, are severe, and that charges are possible even if the drugs were taken outside Vietnam before arrival.
Cameras and photography
No source reviewed sets rules for bringing a camera or action camera into Vietnam. The sources do describe where photography itself becomes a problem. Australia’s Smartraveller page says it is illegal to photograph border areas or military sites. The UK government’s living-in-Vietnam guide, last updated 23 September 2025, warns that photographing anything that could be seen as being of military or security interest may lead to questioning, fines or delayed travel. Neither page lists the places concerned. A rider whose route heads towards a border region may want to read the official advice for their own country before taking photographs there.
Drones: what could and could not be verified
The only drone source reviewed is Vietnam Law Magazine, a legal publication linked to the state news agency. It is a secondary source, not a government page, and the page shows no date. Its question-and-answer article says Decree 288/2025/ND-CP generally took effect on 5 November 2025, that unmanned aerial vehicles including flycams must be registered with the competent authorities, and that a foreigner permanently residing in Vietnam may operate one provided a Vietnamese agency, organisation or individual guarantees the operation.
That answer is written for foreign permanent residents. It does not say whether a visitor may bring a drone into Vietnam or fly one, so no rule for visitors is given here, and nothing in it should be read as permission. Anyone considering taking a drone should ask Vietnam Customs and the Ministry of National Defence before packing it.
Helmets: a riding rule, not a customs one
Wearing a helmet is a requirement for riders. The UK government’s safety and security advice says it is illegal for drivers and passengers to ride without a helmet, and Canada’s page says motorcycle drivers and passengers must wear one. The UK page shows no date, and the Canadian page was last updated on 19 October 2026. The pages do not say whether a rider may bring their own helmet through customs, or what a rental includes. A rider who is unsure whether a helmet comes with a rental can ask the shop before booking.
Where to go next
Customs rules are one part of arriving as a rider. For a motorbike brought into the country rather than rented, see Bringing a Foreign-Registered Motorbike Into Vietnam: Decree 30/2024 Permission Rules for Tourists. On the licence side of riding, see Can an International Driving Permit Be Used in Vietnam? Current Rules and Vietnam Driving Licence Classes A1 and A Explained for Motorbike Renters Under the 2025 Rules.
Sources checked
- UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office: Vietnam travel advice, entry requirements (cash, goods and prescription medication). gov.uk entry requirements
- UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office: Vietnam travel advice, health (addictive and psychotropic medicines). gov.uk health
- UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office: Vietnam travel advice, safety and security (helmets). gov.uk safety and security
- UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office: living in Vietnam guidance, last updated 23 September 2025 (photography). gov.uk living in Vietnam
- Australian Government Smartraveller: Vietnam destination advice, updated 24 September 2026 (medication, vaping, photography). smartraveller.gov.au Vietnam
- Government of Canada: Vietnam travel advice, last updated 19 October 2026 (medication, vaping, drugs, helmets). travel.gc.ca Vietnam
- Noi Bai International Airport: international departure procedure, cash declaration thresholds. noibaiairport.vn departure page
- Vietnam Law Magazine (Vietnam Law and Legal Forum), a secondary source: question-and-answer article on flycams under Decree 288/2025/ND-CP. vietnamlawmagazine.vn flycam article
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