Supplying Medicines and Supplements to Vietnam
A practical guide for Vietnamese importers, distributors and hospital buyers who source from abroad, and for manufacturers and exporters worldwide selling into Vietnam.
Vietnam is one of Southeast Asia's larger pharmaceutical markets. Its rules changed in July 2025, when the amended Law on Pharmacy took effect alongside new circulars on registration and GMP.
For imported generics, the question that matters most is the tender group. Public hospitals buy by quality group. EU-GMP and stringent-regulator products sit at the top, and for WHO-GMP plants elsewhere, recognised bioequivalence data is the realistic way to move up.
Vietnam at a glance
| Regulator | Drug Administration of Vietnam (DAV), under the Ministry of Health |
|---|---|
| Who applies | A foreign manufacturer with a licensed representative office in Vietnam, or a licensed Vietnamese pharmaceutical company acting for it |
| Timelines | Up to 12 months for a standard application, and about nine months on the reference route for products assessed by EMA or another stringent regulator |
| Foreign plants | GMP assessed on paper for plants with stringent-regulator, PIC/S or EU GMP certificates; other plants may be inspected |
| Tenders | Generics are grouped 1 to 5 by quality. WHO-GMP products from outside the EU and PIC/S usually compete in group 3, with bioequivalence recognised by DAV, or group 5 |
How to supply medicines to Vietnam
- Set up representation. Open a licensed representative office, or work through a licensed Vietnamese pharmaceutical company.
- Get the plant's GMP recognised. DAV assesses foreign plants on paper where they hold stringent-regulator, PIC/S or EU GMP certificates, and may inspect others. A WHO-GMP certificate and a CoPP are the starting point.
- Register the product. An ACTD or ICH CTD dossier, in Vietnamese or English, with a CoPP in WHO format. The patient leaflet must be in Vietnamese. Marketing authorisations last five years.
- Supply. Foreign-invested companies can import and sell to licensed wholesalers and hospitals. For public tenders, bioequivalence data recognised by DAV moves a generic into group 3.
DAV issues special import permits for unregistered medicines for specific patient needs, rare diseases, shortages and emergencies. See named-patient and special import and government tender supply.
Supplements
Health supplements are registered with the Vietnam Food Administration, not DAV. Imports need GMP evidence and a certificate of free sale, and labels must be in Vietnamese and state that the product is not a medicine. We help brands get supplements made under their own label by GMP-certified contract manufacturers: see nutraceutical private label.
What people in Vietnam search for
Semrush data from October 2026 shows that people in Vietnam search most for omega-3 (about 110,000 searches a month), vitamins C and E, collagen, protein, probiotics and magnesium.
Supplements we can help you make
The most searched generic medicines include esomeprazole (about 24,700 searches a month), celecoxib, atorvastatin, desloratadine, rosuvastatin, loratadine and telmisartan.
Documents to ask your supplier for
- A Certificate of a Pharmaceutical Product (CoPP) in WHO format.
- The plant's GMP evidence, such as a WHO-GMP, EU-GMP or PIC/S certificate, plus any inspection by your regulator.
- The registration dossier (CTD or ACTD), with bioequivalence data for generics where required.
- Stability data for hot climates.
- A Certificate of Analysis for every batch.
Not sure a supplier is genuine? Read how to verify a pharmaceutical supplier. For the neighbouring markets, see our Southeast Asia (ASEAN) import guide.
Sourcing for Vietnam?
Send the product, strength, quantity and the documents your regulator needs. We will match you with GMP-certified manufacturers and suppliers who can serve your market, wherever they are based.
Send your requirement Talk to our team