Shipping From Hoi An
With the increasing numbers of tourists in Hoi An, shipping parcels internationally has become relatively easy. Prices and procedures are usually clearly displayed on postal storefronts or in booklets inside the post office. The recent addition of a DHL office in Hoi An will speed up international deliveries even more. Shipping with DHL provides visitors to Hoi An with access to an internationally trusted shipping brand.
However, there are still some challenges: language barriers, figuring out appropriate measurements, recognising prohibited items, and the cost differences between air and land mail. This is where the Hidden team comes in! We answer these questions and look into shipping the most common item tourists ship from Hoi An: tailored clothing.
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Postal Services in Hoi An
Currently, Hoi An has three options for shipping parcels overseas:
Dai Nam Postal Service
Address: 231 Nguyen Duy Hieu – Business hours: 8:00 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily
Hoi An Post Office
Address: 6 Tran Hung Dao – Business hours: 6.30 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. daily
DHL Express
Address: 495 Cua Dai – Business hours: 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. (closed for lunch 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m.) Monday to Saturday, closed Sunday,
There is another option. It’s probably the easiest of them all: Ask your tailor or your hotel to help you have your item shipped. Virtually all of the tailors and hotels in Hoi An can arrange shipping for you. Many will have existing relationships with the postal service and experience of the procedures involved. Most tailors and hotels would be happy to arrange to ship your parcel back with no additional service charge. However, there may be some tailors or hotels that charge a small convenience fee for this service and the fee will be dependent on the tailor and the hotel.
Shipping Options: What Does it Cost to Ship a Suit from Hoi An?
Below is a chart showing price comparisons between each shipping service. Currently, the four most common countries shipped to are the United States of America, Australia, the United Kingdom, and the Netherlands.
Dai Nam lists their prices in USD, whereas the Hoi An post office and DHL list their prices in VND. The following tables show price comparisons for shipping a parcel weighing three kilograms, which is the approximate weight of a tailored suit.
| Airmail (3-4 weeks) | 1,123,584 (48.52 USD) | 53.50 | Only express service |
| Seamail (3-4 months) | 690,624 (29.76 USD) | 32.89 | Only express service |
| Eco Express (15 days) | *calculated on site | 64.50 | Only express service |
| Express (5-6 days) | *calculated on site | 97.55 | 3,300,000 (142.22 USD) (up to 5 kg) |
| Airmail (3-4 Weeks) | 49.43 (1,146,948 VND) | 54.62 | Only express service |
| Seamail (3-4 months) | 34.68 (804,672 VND) | 38.32 | Only express service |
| Eco Express (15 days) | *calculated on site | 64.62 | Only express service |
| Express (5-6 days) | *calculated on site | 98.79 | 3,300,000 (142.22 USD) (up to 5 kg) |
| Airmail (3-4 Weeks) | 895,752 (38.60) | 42.65 | Only express service |
| Seamail (3-4 months) | 605,616 (26.10) | 28.84 | Only express service |
| Eco Express (15 days) | *calculated on site | 57.30 | Only express service |
| Express (5-6 days) | *calculated on site | 90.46 | 2,860,000 (123.26 USD) (up to 5 kg) |
| Airmail (3-4 Weeks) | 48.25 (1,119,888 VND) | 53.33 | Only express service |
| Seamail (3-4 months) | 28.11 (652,344 VND) | 31.06 | Only express service |
| Eco Express (15 days) | *calculated on site | 63.33 | Only express service |
| Express (5-6 days) | *calculated on site | 114.85 | 3,300,000 (142.22 USD) (up to 5 kg) |
Dai Nam Postal Service
The shipping prices are posted outside Dai Nam, but there are no English instructions. The staff speak only a little English but they do have a booklet that provides instructions on how to ship items. This includes information like having a 5 USD customs fee on top of the shipping fee. Besides the customs fee, there are no other taxes or hidden costs on top of the shipping fee. Insurance is available for an extra 10 USD for items valued under 1,000 USD. Insurance is 2% of the total value for items valued over 1,000 USD.
DHL Express
DHL Express opened in Hoi An in the middle of February making them Hoi An’s newest shipping option. Their office is small and clean, usually with a friendly English speaking staff member working behind the counter. They have all their shipping boxes stacked on the left side of their shop. So this allows you to see which box will best fit your items. They do not have any extra customs fees in addition to their shipping fee. However, there is a 10% tax on top of their shipping price.
Hidden Hint: DHL Express does not ship to P.O. Boxes as a signature is required when the parcel is received.
Hoi An Post Office
The Hoi An post office looks and feels like a typical post office. There are staff behind a glass counter along with seating for customers. There are pens available for you to sit down and fill out shipping forms. As with Dai Nam, they also have a 5 USD customs fee on top of their shipping fee. Optional insurance is available for 220,000 VND (9.50 USD).
Price Comparison
Comparing the prices from the tables above, Hoi An Post Office has the lowest costs for shipping parcels abroad. However, the price difference is not significant.
Packaging your Items
All postal services in Vietnam open and check every single item you send abroad. Therefore, it is best to bring your items in unwrapped and let the workers do the packing for you. Note that Dai Nam, the Hoi An post office and DHL will all wrap and pack your parcels at no extra charge. Additionally, they all offer free bubble wrap and boxes if you are shipping internationally. They even do house calls! Meaning you can ask them to collect your item from your hotel.
Hidden Hint: All parcels will be opened and inspected! Leave the packing to your chosen Hoi An shipping company who will pack your item at no extra charge.
If you are packing items yourself, then follow these guidelines:
- Use good condition, rigid boxes that suit the size of your items (too much padding reduces the stacking strength of a box).
- Label “HEAVY” on boxes over 23 kg.
- Clearly label and also remove old labels.
- Affix new labels on top so that the barcode is flat (not folded over the edge).
Restricted Content
As every postal service checks your items individually, you can be sure that no items that are banned will be shipped. For all express shipping options, no liquids are allowed. Dai Nam and the Hoi An postal service both do not ship food items (including dried foods like coffee, etc.) to Australia. Finally, no weapons, sharp objects, ATM cards, money, gold, and live items permitted.
Hidden Hint: As the staff will help pack your items, they will also notify you if anything you intend to send is prohibited.
Customs
If you don’t declare your goods accurately, then it can end up costing you unnecessary time and money. On arrival, your home customs officials will assess any additional taxes and duties. So the key is to complete the forms provided by the shipping service accurately. Value your goods according to their true value. Even if the item is a sample, a gift or a return, it will still have to have a value assigned. Along with a description, quantity, and value of contents.
Declaring package contents on the form is the same as it is in many other countries. You fill out your information (name, address, email, phone number, postal code) and then list the contents and approximate value of the item you’re shipping out of Hoi An (for example: two dresses, 20 USD; one coffee, 5 USD) The form is in both Vietnamese and English and the staff at the shipping office in Hoi An will help you fill it out as they inspect your items.
Hidden Hint: Ask about additional services offered on conditional electronics and specialised goods, or high-value items.
Hidden’s thoughts
Shipping internationally from Hoi An is now common practice, with three quality options available, making shipping parcels easy. Now, all post offices in Hoi An have clear shipping instructions with prices in English.
Dai Nam and the Hoi An post office are both local shipping services that have been running in Hoi An for many years with business running smoothly. Opening its office in February 2019, DHL Express has introduced an internationally recognised shipping brand into the mix. Above all, DHL offers the security of a reliable, tried and true shipping service. Their greatest point of difference is through reliable tracking numbers, guaranteeing the safety and shipment of your parcel.
However, if your holiday time is precious, then the easiest option by far is simply to ask your hotel or tailor in Hoi An to assist with shipping your items home.
Overall, shipping parcels internationally has become increasingly easier in Hoi An. There are now three good shipping offices and user-friendly instructions in English. So… get shopping! You can rest easy that your back doesn’t need to bear the burden of your shopping pursuits — leave it to the professionals to send it home for you.
im looking at getting 25 kg sent to Canada, by ship, what would this cost be,