Customs clearance is one of the key steps that determine how fast goods move through the supply chain. For air freight, the faster the clearance, the more storage and demurrage costs are reduced and the better the schedule is maintained.
When Long Thanh International Airport reaches full operation, it will become an important air import-export gateway for Vietnam. Many businesses ask: how long does it take to clear goods through Long Thanh Airport?
In reality, there is no fixed timeframe for all shipments. Clearance time depends on many factors such as the type of goods, the customs channel assignment, the completeness of the documentation, the fulfillment of tax obligations and specialized inspection requirements.
With complete documentation and a favorably assigned declaration, processing may take only a few hours; whereas shipments requiring physical inspection or additional documents may take one to several working days.
Factors That Determine Clearance Time
1. The Customs Channel Assignment
After a business declares on the VNACCS system, the declaration is assigned to one of three risk-management channels:
Green Channel
This is the most favorable case. Its features:
- Exempt from detailed document inspection.
- Exempt from physical inspection of goods.
- Only requires fulfilling tax obligations (if any) to be cleared.
Provided the documentation is accurate and the system operates normally, many green-channel shipments can complete the procedures in about 1–2 hours, or even faster for businesses with a good compliance history.
Yellow Channel
For the yellow channel, customs will inspect the electronic file or the paper documents. If the documentation is complete and no supplements are needed, processing time usually ranges from a few hours to about one working day, depending on the volume and complexity of the file.
Red Channel
This is the case requiring document inspection combined with physical inspection of the goods. Clearance time will depend on:
- The time to arrange the physical inspection.
- The condition of the goods.
- The inspection results.
- The supplementing of documents if requested.
In many cases, this process can take 1–2 working days, or longer if issues related to specialized inspection or incomplete documentation arise.
2. The Type of Goods
Not all goods follow the same process. Ordinary items are usually processed faster than:
- Medical devices.
- Cosmetics.
- Food.
- Chemicals.
- Lithium batteries.
- Animals and plants.
- Goods subject to specialized management.
These categories may require additional licenses, test results or quarantine before they can be cleared.
3. Is the Documentation Complete?
A complete set of documents saves a great deal of time. The following are usually required:
- Commercial Invoice.
- Packing List.
- Air Waybill.
- Foreign trade contract.
- Certificate of Origin (C/O), if available.
- Catalogue.
- Specialized license (if subject to management).
If documents are missing or the information between them is inconsistent, customs may request supplements before continuing processing.
4. Tax Payment
For goods subject to taxes, the business must complete:
- Import duty.
- Value-added tax (VAT).
- Special consumption tax (if any).
- Environmental protection tax (if any).
Paying taxes electronically at the right time helps the system update quickly and avoids prolonging clearance time.
5. Specialized Inspection
Some items must undergo:
- Plant quarantine.
- Animal quarantine.
- Quality inspection.
- Food safety inspection.
- Declaration of conformity.
This is a factor that often prolongs processing time if the business has not prepared the documentation in advance.
Clearance Time by Case
| Case | Reference time |
| Green channel | About 1–2 hours if documentation is complete |
| Yellow channel | A few hours to about 1 working day |
| Red channel | About 1–2 working days, or longer if specialized inspection arises |
Note that these are reference times under normal system operation and provided the business has prepared complete documentation.
Reasons Goods Get Delayed in Clearance
Some common causes include:
- Declaring the wrong HS code.
- Wrong product name.
- Wrong declared value.
- Missing documents.
- Missing import license.
- Tax obligations not yet fulfilled.
- Documents inconsistent between the Invoice, Packing List and Air Waybill.
- Being subject to specialized inspection.
- Being assigned to the red channel.
How to Shorten Clearance Time?
- Prepare complete documentation before the goods arrive.
- Determine the correct HS code.
- Check the management policy for each item.
- Fulfill tax obligations early.
- Prepare specialized licenses before opening the declaration.
- Monitor the processing status on the system.
- Coordinate closely with the carrier and the warehouse.
- Use professional customs declaration services for goods with special requirements.
Benefits of Using Customs Services
A professional service provider will support you with:
- Checking documents before declaring.
- Advising on HS codes.
- Advising on product policy.
- Filing the electronic declaration.
- Monitoring the channel assignment.
- Dealing with the customs authority.
- Handling issues as they arise.
- Advising on specialized inspection.
This significantly reduces the risk of delayed clearance and optimizes logistics costs.
Conclusion
The time to clear goods through Long Thanh Airport has no fixed figure; it depends on the type of goods, the channel assignment, the state of the documentation and specialized management requirements.
Under favorable conditions, many shipments can be cleared within a few hours; conversely, shipments requiring inspection or additional documents will need more time. Preparing complete documentation and complying fully with regulations is the key to optimizing delivery timelines and reducing logistics costs.
We are committed to delivering optimal solutions that save time, cut costs and minimize risks throughout the import-export process via Long Thanh Airport. Contact Embassy Freight now via Hotline: 0936911656 for prompt advice and a quote!
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