IOR & EOR services in Vietnam - The best for IT products

EXTENDMAX – When your shipment lands Vietnam, you may quickly find out that some of the products need certain compliance requirement or import permit to be released. Or sometimes, there are doubts of the customs officer regarding certification or permit that need clarification from professional experienced handler. It could be the time to seek ExtendMax for the Importer of Record (IOR) or Exporter of Record (EOR) services. We are exceptionally good at IOR & EOR services for IT products such as firewall, switch, router, mobile phone, laptops, access points and other network appliances.

Importer of Record ( IOR ) and Exporter of Record ( EOR ) service supplier in Vietnam - The best for IT products — *ExtendMax - The best IOR & EOR service supplier for IT products*

What is Importer of Record (IOR), Exporter of Record (EOR)?

Importer of Record is an authorized entity (or person) that takes responsibility for an import. Importer of Record is also known as entity (or person) that put their name on importing documents as consignee and responsible to provide all necessary compliance requirement and license or permit for customs clearance process and pay related fee.

Exporter of Record is similar to IOR, but in term of exporting products out of a country. Sometimes, IOR and EOR are also known as “entrusted import” and “entrusted export” services.

Responsibility of Importer of Record, Exporter of Record

→ Ensuring import and export compliance pursuant to Vietnam regulations

→ Categorize the products, evaluate import / export requirement and respective cost

→ Apply for necessary certificate, license, and permit to import or export

→ Pay necessary relevant taxes, duties, and other fees for shipment

Why you need IOR & EOR services for Vietnam market?

Using IOR service enable you to access Vietnam market with great benefit as below:

Using an IOR & EOR service allows your business to import products into Vietnam or export products out of Vietnam, breaking down barriers to market entry and enabling seamless global trade.

You can avoid the complexities and costs of establishing a legal entity or fiscal presence in a foreign country, making market expansion faster and more cost-effective.

The IOR & EOR service integrates with your existing operations, ensuring minimal disruption. You don’t need to modify your core business processes to meet local regulatory requirements.

Maintain full oversight and control of your supply chain while delegating the complexities of compliance, documentation, and regulatory management to the IOR & EOR.

Using an IOR reduces delays in the supply chain by ensuring spare parts for warranty or replacement purposes are delivered quickly and efficiently to their destination, minimizing downtime for machinery or equipment requiring repairs.

IOR & EOR services provide specialist knowledge in import regulations, licensing, and compliance, helping you navigate the complexities of international trade and avoid costly errors.

With IOR & EOR support, your shipments clear customs smoothly, reducing delays and ensuring an efficient supply chain flow.

Additionally, import requirement for IT products to enter Vietnam is quite complicated and sometimes your shipment could get stuck at port due to certain requirements which cannot be accomplished quickly due to authority’s procedures or certification requirements. Sometimes, simply the importer is not qualified or not experienced enough to get through the process properly and quickly. Typical troubles are as follows:

Civil Cryptography Products (CCP) dealer license and import permit which takes several months to obtain (if the applicant is qualified and meet all requirements). CCP dealer license and CCP import permit is usually required for IT products such as security appliance, firewall, gateway, router, switch, storage server, bank tokens…

MIC type approval certification process for wireless products and ITE is complicated and hard to analyze certification cost for the shipment. For certain products (laptop, tablet, and mobile phone) a huge number of lithium battery test samples are required for testing and will be broken after test. If the importer is not well-prepared, the importer will get big trouble in preparing battery test samples.

Certain IT products need to meet minimum energy performance standard (MEPS) for customs clearance.

Certain IT products need import permit for Cyber Security Product (CSP). At this moment, only a short list of less than 100 companies in Vietnam has been licensed to trade and import CSP.

Vietnam civil cryptography trading license template — *ExtendMax's CCP trading license for import and trading T encryption products*

Who qualifies an Importer of Record for Vietnam?

Any legally registered company possessing a Vietnam Enterprise Registration Certificate (ERC) is eligible to act as an importer. However, it is advisable to select a supplier that aligns with your expectations and product categories.

When choosing a supplier for IOR (Importer of Record) & EOR (Exporter of Record) services, ensure that:

1. The supplier's ERC includes the scope for both Importer of Record and Exporter of Record services.

2. The supplier has extensive experience with customs and tax regulations.

3. The supplier possesses comprehensive expertise in licensing and state quality inspections for the type of product you intend to import.

4. The supplier maintains a high reputation in the market, particularly those who are established providers for major brands.

The trading scope for foreign-invested logistics suppliers is generally restricted by the type and HS code of goods they are permitted to trade. Therefore, when engaging a supplier with overseas investment, it is crucial to meticulously verify the HS code and the product scope they are authorized to handle.

ERC scope including IOR & EOR services — *ExtendMax's ERC scope includes IOR & EOR services*

You may need to know: Useful tips to select a reputable service supplier in import-export industry

How to include Importer of Record in shipping documents?

Based on practices and legal regulations detailed in the IOR or EOR agreement between both parties, the actual consingnee remains the owner of the goods, while the service company (the IOR) acts as the importer on the customs declaration for imported goods. The actual consingnee (the owner) is also responsible for paying the value of the goods to the seller (usually the exporter) and settling import duties and value-added tax (VAT) related to the customs-declared value of the goods.

In the reverse case, when exporting under an entrusted agreement, the actual exporter is the party receiving payment for the goods' value from the buyer and pays export duties and VAT related to the entrusted export's goods value. The service company acting as the EOR is listed as the exporter on the customs declaration for the exported goods.

An entrusted import or export contract, in cases where the goods' owner entrusts the import or export to a service company such as ExtendMax, is a mandatory document for entrusted import/export transactions. Furthermore, preparing a set of documents for entrusted import/export differs in several aspects from the typical import/export documentation. These differences include the following:

The bill of lading lists the the IOR as consignee, with the owner listed as the "notify party."
A commercial invoice is not used; instead, a proforma invoice is issued.
The proforma invoice includes the IOR as the "Importer," while the owner is listed as the "notify party" or "consignee."
Typically, any specialized inspection licenses are issued in the name of the IOR service provider.
The commercial contract retains the name of the original buyer or seller (the goods' owner).
When preparing the entrusted import/export documentation, the entrusted import/export contract must be submitted alongside.
On the customs declaration, the importer IOR company is listed as "importer", and the goods' owner is recorded under the "import entrustor" section.

Below is a sample customs declaration form (clearance) for goods imported through the entrusted import method:

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Learn more: What is included in a full set of shipping documents

Delivery of goods imported under IOR service after customs clearance

Based on the entrusted import or export contract and the agreement between both parties, after customs clearance, the goods may be delivered directly to the owner's warehouse or to an intermediary warehouse at any location designated by the owner.

In cases where the entrusted import/export services of ExtendMax are utilized, the delivery address will be specified in the service contract. The goods' owner may also designate a third-party logistics provider or forwarder to handle customs declarations and transport the goods directly from the customs warehouse to the owner's warehouse.

Taxpayer and invoicing methods when using IOR & EOR service

As analyzed above, in essence, the importer (the principal) remains the party responsible for paying import (or export) duties and value-added tax (VAT) related to the customs-declared value of the goods. However, the importer may choose one of the following two methods:

1. Fast tax payment to the state budget

The importer may advance funds to the entrusted import company (IOR) so that taxes are paid into the state budget from the account of the entrusted importer. Under this method, the importer is still entitled to VAT refund; however, this approach is not beneficial in cases where the importer is entitled to tax incentives (e.g., export processing enterprises or companies enjoying special tax incentives).

2. Method for obtaining tax refunds under tax incentives

Legal basis for tax refund eligibility under preferential tax treatment:

According to Section 2.2, Appendix 4 issued together with Circular No. 39/2014/TT-BTC dated March 31, 2014, of the Ministry of Finance, providing regulations on sales invoices and service provision invoices and guidance on issuing invoices for certain cases:

“2.2. Organizations engaged in import and export that apply the credit method for VAT and receive entrusted import goods for other entities shall issue documentation as follows:

When the entrusted importer returns the imported goods, if VAT has already been paid at the import stage, the importer shall issue a VAT invoice to the principal (entrusting party) as the basis for input VAT credit for the entrusted import goods. If VAT has not yet been paid at the import stage, when returning the goods, the entrusted importer shall issue an internal delivery and transportation note attached with an internal dispatch order as required, to serve as documentation for goods circulation in the market. After VAT is paid at the import stage for the entrusted goods, the importer shall issue the VAT invoice as prescribed above.”

Additionally, Official Letter No. 1332 dated March 12, 1999 (still effective) of the General Department of Taxation provides detailed guidance:

“I. INVOICES AND DOCUMENTATION FOR DETERMINING ENTRUSTED IMPORT-EXPORT GOODS FOR VAT CALCULATION:

For entrusted import goods:

a) The principal assigns the right to import goods to the entrusted party under an entrusted import contract.

b) The entrusted importer performs the import service on behalf of the principal, declares and pays VAT on imported goods, and retains all relevant import documentation, including:

Entrusted import contract
Import contract signed with the foreign supplier
Commercial invoice issued by the foreign supplier
Import customs declaration
VAT payment receipt for imported goods

c) VAT declaration procedures: When returning the entrusted goods, the entrusted importer must issue a VAT invoice. Based on the import invoice, customs declaration, and VAT payment receipt, the entrusted importer shall issue a VAT invoice reflecting the actual import value stated in the commercial invoice, and separately record import duty and VAT amounts as notified by the customs authority. This invoice serves as the basis for output VAT of the entrusted importer and input VAT credit of the principal.”

Other related documents guiding VAT refund for entrusted import/export transactions:

Official Letter No. 2374/TCT-CS dated June 1, 2016 – Guidance on invoice issuance for entrusted import goods.
Official Letter No. 46418/CT-TTHT dated July 10, 2017 – Guidance on tax policies for entrusted import goods.
Official Letter No. 23471/CT-TTHT dated April 22, 2019 – Guidance on issuing invoices upon returning goods by the entrusted importer.

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The benefit of using ExtendMax’s IOR & EOR services

As a leading consulting firm in certification and licensing for information technology, radio, and telecommunications products, ExtendMax possesses unique strengths in offering Importer of Record (IOR) and Exporter of Record (EOR) services, including:

Accurate Compliance Evaluation and Licensing

→ ExtendMax evaluates and classifies products, helping businesses accurately identify all required permits and quality certifications for import. This enables enterprises to plan timelines, manage budgets, and avoid unexpected disruptions. Common licenses and certifications needed for importing IT, radio, and telecom equipment include:

Business and import licenses for civil cryptographic products
Business and import licenses for cybersecurity products
Import licenses for industrial or high-speed color printers
Import quality inspection registration
Certificates of conformity (QCVN) for radio and ICT devices

Legal and Transparent IOR&EOR Services

→ ExtendMax advises on procedures and provides legally compliant IOR&EOR services. We follow standard processes, sign official IOR/EOR contracts with clients, make customs declarations, and issue appropriate invoices for imported or exported goods.

Civil Cryptography Business License Readiness

→ ExtendMax already holds a wide-scope business license for civil cryptographic products, covering many items such as firewalls, routers, security gateways, switches, security appliances, storage servers, banking tokens, smart cards, and more.

Pre-Certified Product Samples for Fast Clearance

→ ExtendMax already possesses conformity certificates (ICT), test samples, and test results for various products such as phones, laptops, tablets, lithium batteries, RFID barcode scanners, and other wireless devices. This enables rapid importation at optimized costs.

→ ExtendMax also has pre-tested samples and energy efficiency test results for laptops, tablets, monitors, and printers. This prevents delays during customs clearance.

Proven Experience in Major Projects

→ ExtendMax has years of experience in IOR&EOR services. We have executed large-scale projects such as acting as IOR for the world's largest LEGO factory and for Dung Quat Oil Refinery under tight deadlines.

Trusted by Major Manufacturers

→ ExtendMax currently serves major global manufacturers such as Lenovo, Dell, dynabook, ASUS, allowing us to work closely with OEMs to provide resources for clients, optimizing certification time and costs.

Flexible Operations Model

→ ExtendMax offers a flexible operational model. If your business already has a trusted logistics or forwarding provider, we are happy to coordinate with them to fulfill the scope of work efficiently.

Strong Logistics and Compliance Network

→ With a broad network of logistics partners, customs agents, testing and certification bodies, ExtendMax offers end-to-end door-to-door delivery services.

International Recognition

→ ExtendMax has been internationally recognized with prestigious awards such as SME100 Asia and the Stevie Awards. Our CEO Tran Thanh Phuong is widely acknowledged as one of Vietnam's leading legal experts in conformity certification, civil cryptography licensing, and ICT product regulatory compliance.

Case Study : LEGO and ExtendMax team up for world's largest LEGO factory