On October 27, 2026, the Ministry of Science and Technology issued Circular 63/2026 on the list of used digital technology products banned from import into Vietnam. A few days later, headlines prohibiting the import of old phones, computers and cameras appeared heavily on news sites.

For people who are saving money to upgrade with an old iPhone, that headline can easily be read as saying there will be no way to buy a used device next year. The original text tells a much lighter story.

Circular 63/2026 is like a border gatekeeper: this person only blocks used goods from coming in from abroad, while the second-hand market inside is still open as usual. The document takes effect from January 1, 2027.

The gate is closed with what items?

The prohibited list is classified according to HS code, which is a series of customs numbers used to classify all goods passing through the border gate. According to the circular's appendix, the list names almost every technology item you use every day, from phones and laptops to cameras and headphones.

When a category lists a 4-digit code, the ban covers all 8-digit codes in that group. When the list has all 8 digits, only the item with that code will be blocked.

The gate is also closed to used parts and accessories of items listed in the catalog. Refurbished goods are still blocked like old goods, even though the machine has been repaired or replaced with components so that the function and appearance are equivalent to the new machine.

Replacing components cannot change the legal status of a machine when passing through the border gate. The old phone is re-shelled, has the battery replaced and is packaged in a new box, still carrying the status of a used product.

The indoor market is still open

The scope of Circular 63/2026 is the import of goods, not the purchase, sale or use of used equipment that is legally circulating in the country. The phone you are holding or the laptop you intend to sell to a colleague are all located inside the gate.

Shipments that have been permitted to be imported by competent authorities before January 1, 2027 will not be blocked midway. These batches are imported according to the content and time limit stated in the written permission.

The portal also leaves a separate path for the semiconductor industry. Used machinery and equipment directly serving projects on production, microchip testing or digital technology research can be imported if legal conditions are met.

The ban has been in place since 2018

Old phones, laptops and cameras have been on the list of prohibited imports since Circular 11/2018 of the Ministry of Information and Communications. Circular 63/2026 replaces that document, after this ministry is merged into the Ministry of Science and Technology from March 2025.

The new basis for the circular is Decree 292/2026 guiding the Law on Foreign Trade Management, issued on July 22, 2026. The list is updated according to the current HS code system, with clearer principles for components, refurbished goods and exclusions.

Circular 63/2026 does not open a new ban but replaces the sign on the gate that has been closed since 2018, this time more clearly labeling components, refurbished goods and chip industry equipment. People who are saving money to upgrade with an old machine do not need to collect goods before January 1, 2027. When used machines with unknown routes are blocked right at the border gate, domestic buyers have one less source of goods that are difficult to warranty, and legally circulating machines can still be bought and sold as before. The outer gate is closed to foreign used goods, while the indoor market is still open for you.

• Content of Circular 63/2026/TT-BKHCN dated October 27, 2026 and based on Decree 292/2026/ND-CP according to the document summary of LuatVietnam and the Journal of Financial Economics. Scope of adjustment, exclusion cases and replacement of Circular 11/2018/TT-BTTTT according to Dan Tri newspaper.

• The seizure of 418 old phones at Tan Son Nhat airport in May 2019 according to Online Customs. The milestone of merging the Ministry of Information and Communications into the Ministry of Science and Technology is from March 1, 2025.

• The Circular does not specifically mention the case of personal devices brought along when entering or exiting the country, so people carrying multiple devices need to ask the customs authority directly. This article is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for legal advice. Illustrations are graphic.