Import Procedures for Televisions in Vietnam: 9 Important Things You Should Know

The current television import process is becoming a top concern for many enterprises operating in the electronics sector, especially as legal regulations are increasingly strict and continuously updated. The following article by Phuc Gia will provide detailed instructions on Import Procedures for Televisions in Vietnam, helping businesses be more proactive in their import plans and fully comply with current regulations.

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Table of contents

1. General Overview of Televisions

According to TCVN 7490:2005 (ISO 9241-303:2001), a television is an electronic device used to reproduce images and sound from television signals or other signal sources through a display screen. Currently, televisions come in many forms such as LED, OLED, QLED, LCD, or Plasma TVs, along with modern features like Internet connectivity, integrated online applications, and support for high resolution (HD, 4K, 8K).

Structure:

A modern television is composed of many complex parts. Each part assumes a specific function, combining to create accurate images and sound. Below are the functional blocks in the structure of a television:

Radio Frequency (RF) and Intermediate Frequency (IF) Block: This is the first part to receive signals from the antenna. The task of this block is to receive signals from the antenna, then amplify the signals, separate the video signal from the total signal, and automatically adjust the gain coefficient and heterodyne frequency. Simultaneously, it transfers the processed signals to the audio, video, and scanning blocks.
Audio Processing Block: Specifically responsible for the audio portion of the television signal. It includes functions such as: Receiving the audio carrier signal, pre-amplification, detection, and power amplification to output to the speakers.
Video Processing Block: Tasked with receiving and amplifying the video signal, decoding colors, amplifying each individual color signal, and delivering them to the three cathodes of the picture tube to create a full-color image.
Synchronization and Scanning Pulse Generation Block: Tasked with separating horizontal and vertical synchronization pulses, vertical scanning pulses, and delivering them to the deflection yoke of the picture tube. Simultaneously, it provides high voltage to be delivered to the anode of the picture tube.
Image Recovery Block: Tasked with receiving color image signals and scanning signals to restore the image consistent with the original signal and display it on the screen.
Processing and Control Block: Tasked with receiving commands from buttons or remote controls to coordinate the operations of the television.
Power Supply Block: The power supply block is tasked with creating appropriate voltage levels to provide for the working blocks, ensuring stable and safe operation for the system.

Operating principle of the color signal processing block in a television:

In a color television system, the transmission and reception mechanism is based on the principle of combining primary colors: Red (R), Green (G), and Blue (B).

After detection, the image signal is led to specialized functional blocks within the color processing system:

Block 1: Amplifies and processes the luminance signal Y;
Block 2: Decodes R-Y and B-Y color signals.

The outputs of Block 1 and Block 2 are sent to matrix circuit 3 for the purpose of restoring the three color signals: Red (R), Green (G), and Blue (B).

These three color signals continue to be amplified one last time through Blocks 4, 5, and 6 to reach a sufficiently large amplitude. Simultaneously, the phase is inverted into negative polarity and then transferred to the three cathodes in the color picture tube, which then controls the three electron beams to strike the corresponding red, green, and blue phosphor dots on the screen.

When the three electron beams strike the pixels simultaneously, the basic colors red, green, and blue are combined, creating the vivid colored images that the viewer sees.

nhập khẩu máy thu hình — *Televisions are electronic goods with high import demand in Vietnam*

2. Legal documents regulating import procedures for televisions

When importing televisions (TVs) and Set Top Boxes into Vietnam, enterprises must strictly comply with legal regulations issued by various State management agencies. Below is the system of relevant legal documents:

Specialized inspection regulations of the Ministry of Information and Communications (MIC) include:

Circular No. 02/2024/TT-BTTTT – Issued by the Ministry of Information and Communications on March 29, 2024, regulating the list of potentially unsafe products and goods (Group 2) under the management responsibility of the MIC.
Circular No. 30/2011/TT-BTTTT – Issued by the Ministry of Information and Communications on October 31, 2011 – Regulating Certification of Conformity and Declaration of Conformity for specialized information and communication technology products and goods.
Circular No. 15/2018/TT-BTTTT – Issued by the Ministry of Information and Communications on November 15, 2018, amending and supplementing Circular No. 30/2011/TT-BTTTT dated October 31, 2011, of the Minister of Information and Communications regulating Certification of Conformity and Declaration of Conformity for specialized information and communication technology products and goods.
Circular No. 10/2020/TT-BTTTT – Issued by the Ministry of Information and Communications on May 07, 2020, amending and supplementing certain contents of Circular No. 30/2011/TT-BTTTT dated October 31, 2011, of the Minister of Information and Communications regulating Certification of Conformity and Declaration of Conformity for specialized information and communication technology products and goods.
Circular No. 07/2013/TT-BTTTT – Issued by the Ministry of Information and Communications on March 18, 2013, regulating the timing for integrating terrestrial digital television reception functions for televisions manufactured and imported for use in Vietnam.

Regulations on energy efficiency and energy labeling include:

Decision No. 14/2023/QĐ-TTg – Issued by the Prime Minister on May 24, 2023 – Regulating the list and roadmap of energy-using means and equipment to be discarded and low-efficiency power generating units not allowed for new construction.
Decision No. 04/2017/QĐ-TTg – Issued by the Prime Minister on March 09, 2017 – Regulating the list of means and equipment subject to energy labeling, application of minimum energy efficiency levels, and implementation roadmap.
Circular No. 36/2016/TT-BCT – Issued by the Ministry of Industry and Trade on December 28, 2016 – Regulating energy labeling for energy-using means and equipment under the management of the Ministry of Industry and Trade (along with Consolidated Document No. 23/VBHN-BCT dated March 24, 2020).
Consolidated Document No. 23/VBHN-BCT issued on March 24, 2020 – Regulating the list of means and equipment subject to energy labeling for energy-using means and equipment under the management of the Ministry of Industry and Trade.

Other documents from the Ministry of Industry and Trade related to DVB-T2 televisions:

Official Dispatch No. 7750/BCT-TKNL dated November 03, 2023, of the Ministry of Industry and Trade issuing the list of Vietnamese standards used for energy efficiency testing for TVs.
Decision No. 1725/QĐ-BCT – Issued by the Ministry of Industry and Trade on July 01, 2024, on the list of items subject to energy efficiency inspection and energy labeling under the management responsibility of the Ministry of Industry and Trade.
Circular No. 30/2011/TT-BCT – Issued by the Ministry of Industry and Trade on August 10, 2011 – Providing temporary regulations on the allowable content limits of certain hazardous chemicals in electrical and electronic products.
Standard TCVN 9536:2021 on televisions – energy efficiency takes effect from April 01, 2025, replacing TCVN 9536:2012 – Compiled by the National Standard Technical Committee TCVN/TC/E1 Electrical machines and apparatus, proposed by the Directorate for Standards, Metrology and Quality, and published by the Ministry of Science and Technology.

Other supplementary legal documents from the Ministry of Information and Communications applied to DVB-T2 TVs:

Decree No. 74/2018/Đ-CP – Issued by the Government on May 15, 2018, amending and supplementing certain articles of Decree No. 132/2008/NĐ-CP dated December 31, 2008, of the Government providing detailed regulations for the implementation of certain articles of the Law on Product and Goods Quality.
Circular No. 24/2022/TT-BTTTT – QCVN 132:2022/BTTTT – Issued by the Ministry of Information and Communications on November 30, 2022: National technical regulation on electrical safety for telecommunications and information technology terminal equipment.
Circular No. 08/2021/TT-BTTTT – Issued by the Ministry of Information and Communications on October 14, 2021 – Regulating the list of radio equipment exempt from radio frequency use licenses, along with accompanying technical and operational conditions.
According to Circular No. 02/2024/TT-BTTTT – Issued by the Ministry of Information and Communications on March 29, 2024, on the list of potentially unsafe products and goods under the management responsibility of the Ministry of Information and Communications, it stipulates:
In Appendix II, televisions with integrated DVB-T2 terrestrial digital television reception functions (iDTV) are mandatory to have a Declaration of Conformity according to QCVN 132:2022/BTTTT. In addition, the circular also requires enterprises to conduct Electrical safety testing for this product according to QCVN 132:2022/BTTTT starting from January 01, 2024.

Regulations on hazardous chemical limits for Televisions:

The Draft National Technical Regulation (mandatory application from January 01, 2026) stipulates the allowable content limits of certain hazardous chemicals in electrical and electronic products, including televisions with HS codes in the list subject to certification of conformity.

Some other legal documents:

Law on Value Added Tax No. 13/2008/QH12, issued by the National Assembly on June 03, 2008, effective from January 01, 2009, clearly stipulates contents related to taxable objects, tax calculation methods, and value-added tax (VAT) declaration applied to all production, business, and import activities of goods and services within the territory of Vietnam.
Circular No. 38/2015/TT-BTC – Issued by the Ministry of Finance on March 25, 2015 – Regulating customs procedures; customs inspection and supervision; export tax, import tax, and tax management for exported and imported goods. This Circular was amended and supplemented by Circular No. 39/2018/TT-BTC, officially effective from April 01, 2025.
Consolidated Document No. 25/VBHN-BTC – Issued by the Ministry of Finance on October 24, 2022, regulating invoices and documents, and Decree No. 15/2022/NĐ-CP dated January 28, 2022, providing detailed regulations on tax exemption and reduction policies according to Resolution No. 43/2022/QH15 of the National Assembly on fiscal and monetary policies to support the Socio-economic Recovery and Development Program.
Decree No. 128/2020/NĐ-CP – Issued by the Government on October 19, 2020, regulating the sanctioning of administrative violations in the field of customs.
Decree No. 69/2018/NĐ-CP dated May 15, 2018, of the Government providing detailed regulations for a number of articles of the Law on Foreign Trade Management.

3. HS codes and import taxes for televisions

Before performing import procedures for televisions, enterprises need to clearly understand the HS codes and the types of taxes to be paid. This is a crucial step to ensure the customs declaration process complies with regulations, while avoiding unnecessary risks caused by incorrect code classification or application of wrong tax rates.

According to Circular No. 02/2024/TT-BTTTT – Issued by the Ministry of Information and Communications on March 29, 2024 – Regulating the list of potentially unsafe products and goods (Group 2) under the management responsibility of the MIC, televisions (TVs) within the mandatory scope are: “Reception apparatus for television with the capability of decoding terrestrial digital television signals using DVB-T2 technology. Designed with an integrated screen/projector, in color, not battery-powered, and not using cathode-ray tubes”, including two related HS codes: 8528.72.92 and 8528.72.99.

Import taxes for televisions consist of two types: import tax and VAT:

Ordinary import tax: This rate may fluctuate but is usually 5% for items in group 8528.
Preferential import tax: If the goods have a Certificate of Origin (C/O) from countries that have free trade agreements with Vietnam, they may enjoy preferential import taxes, even 0%. For example, agreements such as ATIGA (ASEAN), ACFTA (ASEAN-China), VJEPA (Vietnam-Japan), and EVFTA (Vietnam-EU) may apply a tax rate of 0% or 5%.
VAT: In addition to import tax, televisions are also subject to a Value Added Tax (VAT) of 10%.

4. Preparation of import dossiers for televisions

In the television import process, enterprises need to prepare a full set of dossiers as prescribed in Clause 2, Article 16 of Circular No. 38/2015/TT-BTC – Regulating customs procedures; customs inspection and supervision; export tax, import tax, and tax management for exported and imported goods issued on March 25, 2015, and amended and supplemented by Circular No. 39/2018/TT-BTC dated April 20, 2018, of the Ministry of Finance.

The set of import-export documents for televisions includes the following main documents:

Customs declaration;
Commercial invoice;
Bill of lading;
Packing list;
Sales contract;
Dossier for registration of product quality inspection;
Dossier for energy labeling;
Certificate of Origin (C/O), if any;
Catalog (if any).

In case of importing televisions subject to specialized inspection, enterprises need to supplement the following documents:

Dossier for registration of imported goods quality inspection, with confirmation from the competent inspection authority.
Energy efficiency test report, or a document confirming the completion of procedures for declaration of energy efficiency and energy labeling in accordance with the law.

5. Import procedures for televisions

The importation of televisions (TVs) must mandatory follow a clear process, ensuring compliance with current Vietnamese legal regulations. Specifically, the television import process includes the following steps:

5.1. Step 1: Registration for quality inspection

Televisions belong to the group of potentially unsafe products (Group 2) under the management of the Ministry of Information and Communications; therefore, registration for quality inspection is mandatory.

Enterprises need to submit dossiers to the authority designated by the Ministry, including:

Registration form for imported goods quality inspection
Copies of contract, invoice, bill of lading
Technical documentation of the product
Photos or description of the goods label

After acceptance, the inspection authority will proceed to take samples for electrical safety testing, certification of conformity according to QCVN 4, and simultaneously perform television energy efficiency testing and energy labeling before circulating the product on the market.

5.2. Step 2: Opening the declaration

Enterprises need to prepare customs documentation and open the television import declaration on the VNACCS/VCIS system of the Department of Vietnam Customs.

The dossier usually includes:

Commercial Invoice
Packing list
Bill of Lading/Airway Bill
Sales contract (if any)
Catalogue or technical documentation of the product
Letter of authorization (if authorizing another unit to perform)

After the declaration is opened and channeled, the enterprise will perform the next steps as required by customs.

5.3. Step 3: Testing and Certification of Conformity

After the enterprise registers for quality inspection on the National Single Window system and is granted a dossier number, it is required to submit a laboratory confirmation slip to proceed with sampling for testing.

Once electromagnetic compatibility testing and certification of conformity are completed, the enterprise continues to prepare a full dossier to perform television import procedures. Testing for television products (TVs) usually consists of two main categories:

Electrical safety testing according to QCVN 132:2022/BTTTT
Energy efficiency testing according to Decision No. 51/2011/QĐ-TTg of the Prime Minister dated September 12, 2011

In case your enterprise needs support in preparing and completing import dossiers or performing testing and inspection for televisions, contact Phuc Gia Laboratory Corporation immediately – a unit with more than 10 years of experience in the fields of testing, inspection, and certification of conformity – standard conformity for electrical and electronic equipment, and supporting legal consultancy related to import, certification, and product declaration.

With a team of nearly 100 experts, Phuc Gia will stand by the enterprise at every stage, from reviewing dossiers, performing testing and inspection, until the completion of certification. We always strive to provide a fast, accurate, and cost-optimized process, helping your television products enter the market legally and on time.

Note: In case the enterprise wishes to transport goods to its warehouse before testing, close coordination with the testing unit and customs is required. Please contact Phuc Gia directly for specific advice and support with the necessary procedures.

5.4. Step 4: Customs clearance of the declaration

When importing televisions (TVs), enterprises need to prepare a full set of dossiers as prescribed for fast clearance. The dossier includes:

Import customs declaration (according to the electronic form on the VNACCS/VCIS system).
Commercial Invoice – Original or copy.
Packing List – Showing quantity, weight, and packing specifications.
Bill of Lading / Airway Bill – Confirming the transport of goods.
Sales Contract – Agreement between the buyer and the seller.
Certificate of Origin (C/O) – If any, to enjoy tariff preferences.
Technical documentation or product catalog – Serving HS code classification.
Certificate of Conformity (CR) for televisions, issued by an organization designated by the MIC.
Test results of the equipment according to National Technical Regulations (QCVN).
Import license (if under special management).

After completing the dossier inspection steps, if there are no errors or requests for supplementation, the testing laboratory will issue the test results for the enterprise to complete the television import customs procedures, and the customs officer will decide on the clearance of goods.

In some special cases, the declaration may be granted temporary release of goods for the enterprise to bring the goods to the warehouse for preservation first (usually applied to yellow and red channels or cases awaiting supplementary quality inspection documents). When the enterprise completes its tax obligations and supplements all necessary dossiers, the customs will update the official clearance status for the declaration.

5.5. Step 5: Bringing goods to the warehouse

After the declaration is cleared, the enterprise proceeds with the steps to liquidate the declaration and perform procedures to receive the goods. Note that the enterprise needs to carefully prepare relevant documents to ensure the pick-up process takes place quickly, avoiding incurred warehousing and yard storage costs.

6. What should be noted when importing televisions?

When performing the process of importing televisions into the Vietnamese market, enterprises should note a number of mandatory regulations and recommendations below to properly comply with the law:

Based on Decision No. 14/2023/QĐ-TTg, dated July 15, 2023, of the Prime Minister, enterprises must perform energy efficiency testing and declare energy labeling for televisions according to the latest standard TCVN 9536:2021 (mandatory application from April 01, 2025).
According to Circular No. 30/2011/TT-BCT issued by the Ministry of Industry and Trade on August 10, 2011, DVB-T2 TV products are in the list of electronic products that need to ensure the allowable content limits of certain hazardous chemicals, applying IEC 62321 standards.
Smart TVs wishing to be imported into Vietnam must mandatory integrate terrestrial digital television reception functions (DVB-T2). TV lines imported from the US or European markets usually do not have DVB-T2; therefore, enterprises need to check carefully before ordering.
Some large-sized display screens that do not integrate a television receiver will not be considered TVs and the aforementioned mandatory regulations do not apply.
According to Article 5 of Circular No. 02/2024/TT-BTTTT, DVB-T2 TVs integrated with short-range radio devices (under item 2 of Appendix I or item 4 of Appendix II) and not integrated with other radio transmitters or transceivers will be exempt from certification and declaration of conformity if they meet the conditions:

- - Imported for the personal use of individuals/organizations.
  - A maximum of 03 products of each type per shipment is imported.
  - The products have frequency bands and technical parameters consistent with Circular No. 08/2021/TT-BTTTT.

According to Article 5 of Circular No. 02/2024/TT-BTTTT, imported DVB-T2 TVs will be exempt from certification and declaration of conformity for QCVN 101:2020/BTTTT and QCVN 132:2022/BTTTT if they simultaneously meet the requirements:

- - A maximum of 03 products of each type per shipment is imported.
  - There is a written commitment to comply with part or all of the technical regulations that have destructive sample tests, and the enterprise is fully responsible for the safety of the imported products and goods.
Validity of testing and energy labels: According to Chapter II, Article 4, in Circular No. 36/2016/TT-BCT issued by the Ministry of Industry and Trade on December 28, 2016: “Test results are the basis for energy labeling for products with the same model, same technical specifications, same origin, and same manufacturing facility. Test results are valid indefinitely, except in cases where a competent state agency detects errors in the test results or errors/violations by the testing organization.” Accordingly, the energy label for each model is valid indefinitely, unless the product has improvements or changes in efficiency and power.

The above are all the important contents in the television import process – from dossier preparation and testing to customs clearance and necessary legal notes. If your enterprise is facing difficulties in finding a testing and certification unit, please contact Phuc Gia – a unit designated by Ministries, Departments, and Agencies with a team of experienced experts and advanced equipment systems. Phuc Gia Laboratory always strives to support your enterprise in a timely, effective, and accurate manner.

For more details, please contact us at:

PHUC GIA LABORATORY CORPORATION

PHUC GIA CERTIFICATION CENTER

PHUC GIA INSPECTION TESTING CENTER

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