Regulations on animal and plant quarantine are stated in two legal documents: State Law on the Veterinary Sector issued on 29/4/2004 containing detailed provisions on imported and exported animals and plants and State Law on Plant Protection and Quarantine issued in 2001 containing detailed provisions on imported, temporarily imported, re-exported, temporarily exported, or re-imported plants.

a) The responsibilities and obligations of organizations and individuals importing and exporting animals

+ For exported animals, animal products: Under the State law on the veterinary sector, exported animals, animal products shall be quarantined, examined for veterinary hygiene at their departure subject to requests of import countries or of the owners of such animals, animal products. Organizations, individuals exporting animals, animal products if requesting for quarantine shall declare with animal quarantine authorities. Subject to natures, numbers, types of animals, animal products, and animal quarantine, authorities shall inform owners of the places, times of quarantine. Animal quarantine authorities shall issue certificates of quarantine at the departure of animals, animal products. Facilities transporting animals, animal products requiring veterinary hygiene examination shall meet veterinary hygiene standards.

+ For imported animals and animal products: Organizations, individuals importing animals, animal products shall declare with Vietnamese animal quarantine authorities. Subject to natures, numbers, types of animals, animal products, animal quarantine authorities shall inform such organizations, individuals of the places, times of quarantine and monitor quarantine isolation. The quarantine shall be done after animals or animal products are brought to the places prescribed by animal quarantine authorities. The time for quarantining animal products shall not exceed 10 days.

When animals are brought to border gates, quarantine authorities shall examine files, health status of such animals. If the files are eligible, animals do not indicate any symbols of dangerous diseases, certification thereof shall be made so that owners can prepare customs' formalities and take the animals to quarantine isolation areas. The time for monitoring quarantine isolation depends on each disease, each kind of animals, however does not exceed 45 days; animal owners will be instructed to apply methods of sanitizing persons who make contact with animals, sanitizing the environment, feeding tools, discharging tools, transportation means, holds containing animals and relevant subjects required to be examined.

If organizations, individuals temporarily import, re-export, temporarily export, re-import, or transfer animals or animal products transit in Vietnam, they shall declare with Vietnamese animal quarantine authorities at least 7 days before the goods arrive at border gates.

b) Responsibilities and obligations of organizations, individuals importing, and exporting plants

Before taking plants required to be quarantined to transit through Vietnamese territory, organizations, individuals shall obtain approvals from plant protection and quarantine state authorities and apply measures to prevent the spread of pathogens and harmful micro-plants and micro-animals from such plants to Vietnam.

In the event of spread, plant owners shall inform the nearest plant protection and quarantine state authorities of Vietnam and apply measures of plant protection and quarantine under Vietnamese laws.

If the plants are infected by objects of quarantine objects not having been present in Vietnam but are on the Vietnamese list of quarantined objects, such plants shall not be imported but returned to the places of origin or destroyed.

If the plants are infected by objects of quarantine, which are limited in Vietnam but are on the Vietnamese list of quarantined objects, or by other strange pathogens or harmful micro-plants or micro-animals, before taken into the interior, such plants shall be treated by strict measures under decisions of plant protection and quarantine authorities.

Pending the decision about the status of the infection of objects of quarantine as above-mentioned, plants shall be strictly kept in places in accordance with regulations.

When objects required to be quarantined, after being treated can't