VANUATU (including Banks and Torres Islands) (1) Dutiable goods admitted in the letter post. (2) Registration. (3) Packets. (4) Items for the blind. (5) Speedpost. (1) and (3) Green label. Plants; registered philatelic items bearing a fictitious address; any insufficiently protected cutting instrument. See also under AUSTRALIA for air letter and NEW ZEALAND for surface letter. See also under. None. One adhesive form. Letters; arms (except sporting guns admitted under permit); candles; playing cards; saccharin; tobacco essence; valuables such as jewellery, precious metals, precious or semi-precious stones; securities, any form of negotiable financial instrument. See also under AUSTRALIA for air parcel and NEW ZEALAND for surface parcel. Apply to the importation of: Insulin; medicines; serums, vaccines and similar preparations. See also under PARCEL POST. Printed matter: Printed matter, especially books, is liable to an internal tax, but newspapers and periodicals are exempt. May 2016 V page 1
VANUATU (continued) Apply to the importation of: Cut flowers; eggs of game birds during close season; fish and game; fresh fruit; fresh vegetables; and potatoes, including seed potatoes; gramophone records; liqueurs and spirits, except gin and whisky of British origin; living plants, roots and bulbs, shrubs; preserved fish; plums and vegetables; animals and animals products (including bees, milk by-products, tinned meat); apparel and fabrics treated with dangerous chemicals; biological substances; brushes; children s wear made from flammable materials; cinema films, confectionery containing alcohol; culture property of Papua New Guinea; drugs; electronic dog collars; food or drink containing glycol; human bones and human tissue, medicines; oil of wormwood; preparation containing cantharides and other substances which have an aphrodisiac effect; remedies for drunkenness, tobacco habit or drug habit; second-hand carpets; seditious literature; straw packings; sugar, syrup and treacle; therapeutic apparatus; thermometers; used clothing; used jute bags; vaccines, viruses and microbe; weapons. The importation of certain other goods is subject to the production of an import licence, and such goods should not be despatched until the necessary licence has been obtained by the addressee. December 1999 V page 2
VATICAN (1) Dutiable goods admitted in the letter post. (2) Registration. (3) Packets. (4) Items for the blind. Customs declarations and language: (1) and (3) Green label and one non-adhesive form. French as well as English. Arms; clothing; mechanical lighters; perfumes; pharmaceutical preparations; photographic apparatus and films; playing cards; saccharin; tea; tobacco. See under ITALY for air letter. Insurance, air and surface, limit $2,500. Customs declarations and language: One non-adhesive form and despatch note. Italian or French as well as English. Each declaration for gift parcels, as well as the parcel itself, must be conspicuously marked Gift Parcel. Live animals of any species, including birds, leeches, small crustaceans, parasites, destroyers of harmful insects and non-dangerous reptiles. See under ITALY for air parcel. October 2016 V page 3
VENEZUELA (Bolivarian Rep.) (1) Registration. (2) Packets. (3) Items for the blind. (4) Speedpost. (2) Green label and one non-adhesive form. Apply to the importation of: Patent medicines; plants and parts of plants and products from plants such as wheaten flour, except when preserved in tins or previously cooked. The importation of most classes of goods is subject to import licence and senders are advised to confirm before posting whether a licence is required or not. Mail items containing pension cheques or credits cards sent by ordinary mail, registered mail or Speedpost are not accepted. Calendars are subject to a customs charge of 20 bolivars per kilogramme net weight. Articles contrary to the security or morals of the State; banknotes, currency notes and documents payable to bearer; coin, gold, jewellery, platinum, precious stones, silver and other valuable articles; live animals; saccharin; all dutiable articles which, if found, are confiscated except printed matter; samples without value, and sera and vaccine as well as urgently needed medicines which are obtainable in Venezuela; dutiable articles in ordinary Registered letters. See under NETHERLANDS for surface letter. October 2016 V page 4
VENEZUELA (Bolivarian Rep.) (continued) None. Two non-adhesive forms and despatch note. Declarations should show the nature of contents in accordance with the classification of the Venezuelan customs tariff. For goods such as liquids, fats, tobacco, and so on, customs declarations should show the weight of the goods including immediate containers, in addition to the gross and net weights as provided for on the form. Letters; arms (except sporting guns admitted under permit), except for the Government; articles contrary to the security or morals of the State; cigarette papers; coffee in any form and preparations containing coffee; copper, nickel and silver coins, except for the Government; cotton; drugs; live animals; lottery tickets; saccharin. See under NETHERLANDS for surface parcel. Gift Parcels: Gifts are subject to normal customs duties with an addition of 2% of the value of the parcel. Packing: Parcels must be strongly packed and those containing gold, silver, or other precious articles should bear on the cover the words Objectos Preciosos (precious articles) written in letters not less than 1 centimetre in height. Delivery: Parcels are not delivered to the place of address. Addressees are notified of the arrival of parcels and collect them from the relative Customs depot after payment of customs dues. Address: It is required to include the name and full address of both the sender and addressee on all parcels. Residential, office and mobile telephone numbers of both sender and addressee, if available, and e-mail address, if possible, should also be included. Invoice: Invoices for commercial items are required. Apply to the importation of: Patent medicines; plants and parts of plants and products from plants, such as wheaten flour, except when preserved in tins or previously cooked. The importation of most classes of goods is subject to import licence and senders are advised to confirm before posting whether a licence is required or not. Mail items containing pension cheques or credits cards sent by ordinary mail, registered mail or Speedpost are not accepted. October 2016 V page 5
VIET NAM (1) Registration. (2) Packets. (3) Items for the blind. (4) Speedpost. Customs declarations and language: (2) Green label and three non-adhesive forms. French, English or Vietnamese. Letters containing articles or goods. also under. See under. Address: See The correct address is Viet Nam without any reference to South or North. None. Three non-adhesive forms and despatch note. Invisible ink, codes, figures, signs or other types of secret correspondence, stenographic notes. Arms of all kinds, munitions, war materials and accessories, radioactive materials, radio transmitters and receivers and radio set accessories of any kind; platinum, gold or silver (whether manufactured or not), jewels and other precious objects, precious stones, coins, currency notes, banknotes, bearer securities, cheques, bills of exchange, unused postage stamps, narcotics and stimulants (unless exchanged between medical or scientific institutions by authorization of the Ministry of Health in Viet Nam); fresh and dried vegetables, onions, dried garlic, oranges, lemons, pure or mixed coffee, vinegar, sugarcane molasses, golden syrup, honey from bees, pharmaceutical products derived from animal or vegetable products, medicaments, pharmaceutical products or medicinal preparations likely to endanger human or animal life; documents, printed papers, books, brochures, newspapers, magazines, posters, drawings, cards, pictures, paintings, manuscripts, films, photographic plates, film celluloid, reproductions of any kind likely to be construed as prejudicial to Vietnamese views; straw packings; products made from non-vietnamese tobacco; used clothing, blankets, mosquito nets and shoes; used goods; sealed tinned foodstuffs. Cigarettes and cigars of all kinds. Alcohol; mobile telephones; cosmetic products (with the exception of those with HS codes 3306 and 3307). February 2017 V page 6
VIET NAM (continued) Paintings, pictures, books, newspapers, cinema films, photographic films, records and any other literary and artistic productions, objects of art and of sculpture, all kinds of children s toys except by authorization of the Ministry of Culture, postage stamps sent to book and newspaper import and export bodies or other competent bodies; merchandise of commercial value sent for trade only by authorization of the Ministry of External Trade; used garments, footwear and used bed linen must be accompanied by a certificate of disinfection issued by a medical officer of Health. Shotguns, only with the authorization of Viet Nam Socialist Republic s Security Department. Address: See above. January 2016 V page 7
VIRGIN ISLANDS, BRITISH See TORTOLA. VIRGIN ISLANDS (U.S.A.) (St. Croix, St. John and St. Thomas) Same as Puerto Rico. (1) Speedpost. Insurance, air and surface, limit $2,500. One adhesive form. The value shown on the customs declaration must not be less than the market value in Hong Kong. If more than one parcel is sent at one time to one addressee, the sender should number the parcels consecutively and should indicate on each parcel the number of parcels forming the consignment. For instance, if the consignment consists of three parcels, the parcels should be numbered 1/3, 2/3 and 3/3 respectively. One customs declaration may be used for any number of ordinary parcels from one sender to one addressee. The total number of parcels forming the consignment should be shown on the customs declaration. See under UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. General conditions: Same as U.S.A. October 2016 V page 8