Shipping to Philippines from Vietnam

Gateway Express ships from Vietnam to the Philippines through direct daily flights from Ho Chi Minh City (SGN) and Hanoi (HAN) into Ninoy Aquino International (MNL), with onward delivery to all 17 regions of the country — Metro Manila, Cebu, Davao, and the smaller islands. Express transit is 2-4 business days; sea freight runs 10-15 days for heavy cargo.

This page covers our service tiers, the FDA Philippines and Bureau of Customs paperwork you’ll deal with, Balikbayan box rules for OFWs in Vietnam shipping home, the de minimis threshold for low-value parcels, and how to book a pickup.

Shipping Services to the Philippines

Express Air (2-4 Business Days)

Direct daily flights from SGN and HAN into MNL, routed via DHL Express, FedEx International Priority, and UPS Worldwide Express.

Best for:

• Time-sensitive contracts and legal documents
• Commercial samples and small high-value goods
• Last-minute gifts for birthdays, anniversaries, fiestas
• Prescription medications with proper documentation

Service features:

• 2-4 business day delivery to Metro Manila and main hubs
• Direct MNL arrival — no third-country transit
• Real-time tracking with proactive customs updates
• 100% declared-value insurance included
• Onward connection to Cebu, Davao, and regional cities

Standard Air (4-7 Business Days)

The cost-effective tier for most personal parcels and small commercial cargo.

Best for:

• Gifts, clothing, household items
• Vietnamese dried foods and snacks
• Books, electronics, accessories
• Non-urgent commercial shipments

Service features:

• 4-7 business day delivery nationwide
• 30-50% cheaper than express
• Tracking and full insurance retained
• Suitable for parcels up to 30 kg

Sea Freight (10-15 Days)

Most economical option per kilogram for heavy or bulky cargo.

Best for:

• Furniture, appliances, household relocations
• Bulk commercial cargo
• Inventory replenishment for Philippine-based businesses

Service features:

• 10-15 day total transit (port-to-door)
• Direct port calls to Manila, Cebu, and Davao
• LCL (less-than-container) and FCL (full-container) options
• Strong fit for inter-island onward distribution

Balikbayan Boxes — for Filipinos in Vietnam Shipping Home

Filipino workers, students, and residents in Vietnam can use the Balikbayan box privilege to send personal effects home tax- and duty-free under Republic Act 10863 (Customs Modernization and Tariff Act).

How it works

Rule	Detail
Eligibility	Qualified Filipinos abroad (OFWs and other long-term residents)
Duty & tax exemption	Up to PHP 150,000 (≈ USD 2,580) per box, FOB value
Frequency	Up to 3 shipments per calendar year, per qualified sender
Recipient	Family members in the Philippines (parent, spouse, child, sibling, grandparent, grandchild)
Contents	Personal effects and household items only — not for commercial resale
Sender registration	Must be a registered OFW or qualified Filipino abroad — verifiable with consulate or POEA documentation

What you can put in a Balikbayan box

• Used and new clothing
• Personal hygiene products and cosmetics
• Packaged food (subject to FDA/DA rules — see below)
• Small electronics and household items
• Toys, books, school supplies
• Gifts for family members

Important limits

• Single-shipment cap: PHP 150,000. Anything above this value triggers normal duty and VAT on the excess
• Per-year cap: 3 boxes per qualified sender — combined value across all 3 capped at PHP 150,000 each
• Resale prohibition: Items intended for resale forfeit the privilege and are taxed normally
• Registration first: Senders must register with the Bureau of Customs before the first shipment via the Information Management System for Balikbayan Box

Need help registering as an OFW sender or preparing a Balikbayan box from Vietnam? Email info@gatewayexpress.com.vn or call +84 938 373 343.

Customs and Documentation — Bureau of Customs (BOC)

For shipments outside the Balikbayan box program, normal Philippine customs rules apply.

Regulators you may interact with

Agency	Role
BOC (Bureau of Customs)	Customs clearance, duty and VAT assessment
FDA Philippines (Food and Drug Administration)	Food, cosmetics, drugs, devices import oversight
DA (Department of Agriculture)	Plant and animal quarantine

De minimis threshold

The Philippines exempts low-value imports from duty and tax. Parcels with a declared FOB value under PHP 10,000 (≈ USD 175) clear without duty and without VAT — useful for gifts and small personal shipments.

Standard import duties and VAT

For shipments above the de minimis threshold:

• Customs duty: typically 0-15% depending on product (HS code)
• VAT: 12% on CIF value plus duty
• Excise tax: applies to alcohol, tobacco, fuel, automobiles
• Import processing fee: small fixed charge by BOC

FDA Philippines — when registration is needed

Scenario	FDA requirement
Personal-use food shipments (small quantity)	Usually no registration
Commercial food / cosmetics / drugs	License to Operate (LTO) and Certificate of Product Registration (CPR)
Bulk supplements or medical devices	Pre-shipment FDA approval required

If you’re shipping commercial food, cosmetics, or drugs at scale, talk to us before pickup — clearing without LTO and CPR will cause holds at the port.

Shipping Food and Vietnamese Specialties

What you can ship

Dried and shelf-stable foods:

• Cookies, candies, dried fruit, cashews, macadamia nuts
• Roasted and instant coffee — Filipinos love Vietnamese coffee
• Vietnamese teas (green, oolong, herbal)
• Instant noodles, pho noodles, dry rice noodles, vermicelli

Processed dried seafood:

• Dried shrimp, dried squid, properly cured dried fish
• Shrimp floss and fish floss

Seasonings and condiments:

• Bottled fish sauce (nước mắm) and soy sauce
• Powdered seasonings and bouillon

Labeling requirement

Labels must be in English or Filipino. Vietnamese-only labels will not satisfy FDA Philippines for commercial shipments. Personal-quantity gifts are usually accepted with the original Vietnamese packaging if a clear English description is provided on the customs declaration.

Visiting Vietnam and shipping food souvenirs back? See our Vietnamese coffee shipping guide for packing and freshness tips that apply directly to Philippine-bound shipments — and our what-you-can-ship-from-vietnam overview for everything else.

Prohibited and Restricted Items

Prohibited

• Weapons, explosives, controlled substances
• Narcotics — extremely heavy penalties under Philippine law
• Counterfeit currency and counterfeit goods
• Wildlife and endangered-species products

Restricted (require permits or careful documentation)

• Pharmaceuticals: prescription required, reasonable personal quantities only
• Meat and meat products: Department of Agriculture quarantine certificate required
• Alcohol and tobacco: subject to high excise duty
• Plant material: phytosanitary certificate from Vietnam required

Address Format — the Archipelago Detail

The Philippines is 7,640+ islands across 17 regions. Accurate addressing is critical for last-mile delivery.

A complete Philippine address includes:

• House / unit number and street name
• Barangay (smallest local administrative unit — always required)
• City or municipality
• Province
• ZIP code (4 digits)
• Recipient’s mobile number (couriers will SMS for final-mile coordination)

Missing a barangay is the #1 cause of delivery delays.

Best Times — and Times to Avoid

• Christmas peak (December): the heaviest shipping season in the Philippines — book express slots 7-10 days ahead
• Semana Santa (Holy Week, March-April): many businesses close from Maundy Thursday through Easter Sunday
• Undas (All Saints’ Day, November 1): travel and family gathering season; courier capacity tightens
• Typhoon season (June-November): weather-related delays possible for inter-island delivery

How Shipping with Gateway Express Works

Step 1 — Get a quote

Reach us through:

• Hotline: +84 938 373 343 (also +84 944 247 267)
• Zalo / Viber / WhatsApp: message the same number
• Email: info@gatewayexpress.com.vn
• Online: Request a free quote or contact our team

We’ll confirm contents are clear, recommend the right tier, advise on Balikbayan eligibility if applicable, and quote a transparent landed cost.

Step 2 — Pack and prepare paperwork

• Pack to our guidelines (shared with the quote)
• Provide sender ID and full recipient details — including barangay, city, province, ZIP code
• For Balikbayan: registration documents and recipient relationship proof

Step 3 — Free door pickup

Free pickup across Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi; scheduled pickup in Da Nang, Hai Phong, and 60+ provinces.

Step 4 — Transit and tracking

• Tracking number sent by SMS at pickup
• Track 24/7 from our website
• Customs milestone updates

Step 5 — Door delivery in the Philippines

Final-mile delivery with confirmation:

• Express: 2-4 business days
• Standard: 4-7 business days
• Sea freight: 10-15 days

Where We Pick Up and Deliver

Pickup in Vietnam

• Ho Chi Minh City — all districts
• Hanoi — all inner and outer districts
• Da Nang, Hai Phong, and 60+ provinces

Delivery in the Philippines

Metro Manila:

• Makati, Bonifacio Global City (BGC), Quezon City
• Pasig, Mandaluyong, Taguig, Manila City

Cebu:

• Second-largest city, Visayas hub
• Cebu City, Mandaue, Lapu-Lapu

Davao:

• Largest city in Mindanao
• Major southern regional hub

Other cities:

• Clark / Angeles, Subic
• Iloilo, Bacolod
• Boracay, Palawan (tourism corridors)

We deliver across all 17 regions and 7,640+ islands.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does shipping from Vietnam to the Philippines take?

• Express: 2-4 business days
• Standard: 4-7 business days
• Sea freight: 10-15 days

Can I ship Vietnamese food to the Philippines?

Yes. Personal-quantity dried foods, snacks, coffee, and packaged seasonings ship without FDA registration. For commercial volumes, FDA Philippines requires LTO and CPR before clearance.

What is a Balikbayan box and can I send one from Vietnam?

A Balikbayan box is a duty- and tax-free shipment privilege for qualified Filipinos abroad — up to PHP 150,000 per box, three boxes per year, sent to family members in the Philippines for personal use (not resale). Filipino workers and long-term residents in Vietnam can use this privilege if they’re registered with the Bureau of Customs. Email us before your first shipment so we can verify eligibility and help with registration.

What’s the duty-free threshold?

Parcels with declared FOB value under PHP 10,000 (≈ USD 175) clear without duty and VAT. This covers most small personal gifts.

Do I need to register with FDA Philippines for personal food shipments?

No for personal-quantity shipments. Yes for commercial food, cosmetics, drugs, or supplements — License to Operate and Certificate of Product Registration are required.

Can I ship to islands beyond Manila, Cebu, and Davao?

Yes. We deliver to every region, province, and barangay in the country. Smaller islands and remote barangays may add 1-2 days to the express timeline. Always provide barangay, city, province, and ZIP — missing a barangay is the most common cause of delays.

What documents do I need?

• Sender’s national ID, citizen ID, or passport
• Recipient’s full address — barangay, city, province, ZIP — and mobile number
• Description of contents (item, quantity, declared value in USD)
• For Balikbayan: OFW or qualified-Filipino registration documents

Do you offer free pickup and insurance?

Yes to both. Free door pickup in Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi; 100% declared-value insurance included on every shipment.

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Visiting Vietnam as a tourist? Ship souvenirs and excess baggage to the Philippines with free hotel pickup → Tourist Shipping Service.

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Ready to ship to the Philippines? Get a transparent quote and door pickup from Gateway Express.

📞 Hotline: +84 938 373 343
📧 Email: info@gatewayexpress.com.vn
🏢 Office: 72/5 Giai Phong St., Tan Son Nhat Ward, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Your trusted Vietnam–Philippines shipping partner.

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Packaging & shipping operations at the Gateway Express warehouse

Gateway Express staff packing parcels

Team sorting and preparing international shipments

Warehouse staging area for international freight

Gateway Express warehouse ready for dispatch

Weighing and labelling parcels for shipment

Carefully packaged parcels awaiting pickup

No public rate card for Philippines yet

Send us a message on Zalo for a custom quote. We typically reply within 5 minutes during business hours.

Message us on Zalo Hotline: 0938 373 343

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Why Choose Gateway Express?

Vietnam's leading international shipping service

Free Door Pickup

Door Pickup

We pick up packages from your address

Delivery to Philippines

Door Delivery

Delivered directly to the recipient

100% Value Insurance

Full Insurance

Complete peace of mind for every shipment

Real-Time Tracking

24/7 Tracking

Track your shipment anytime, anywhere

Hotline 24/7: 0938 373 343 | 0944 247 267