The resolution stipulates that the issuance and management of growing area and packing facility codes will be conducted entirely online. Under the new mechanism, organisations and individuals will submit declarations and assume responsibility for the accuracy of the information provided.
The reform is designed to reduce processing time and compliance costs; simplify administrative procedures without creating new ones; and improve convenience while ensuring transparency, practicality, and suitability for actual crop production and packing conditions.
Administrative procedures relating to growing area and packing facility codes will be accompanied by a post-clearance inspection mechanism, including monitoring, compliance checks, enforcement measures, and product traceability by competent authorities. Pre-approval inspections will be conducted only where required by the importing country.
Regarding the application process, organisations and individuals must submit their applications for growing area or packing facility codes to the People's Committee of the commune or ward where the growing area or packing facility is located via the National Public Service Portal.
For applicants that do not intend to export to markets requiring such codes, the chairperson of the commune-level People's Committee must, within three working days of receiving a valid application, issue a notification granting the growing area or packing facility code using the prescribed templates attached to the resolution. If the application is rejected, a written explanation stating the reasons must be provided.
For applicants exporting to markets that require growing area or packing facility codes, the chairperson of the commune-level People's Committee must, within 10 working days of receiving the application, organise an inspection and issue the corresponding notification. Where the importing country authorises the competent Vietnamese authority to approve the codes directly, approval shall be granted immediately. Applications that are not approved must likewise receive a written response specifying the reasons.
For growing area or packing facility codes that require approval by the importing country, the designated provincial authority must compile the list of approved codes and submit it to the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment within three working days of issuing the notification. Within a further three working days, the ministry will consolidate the list and forward it to the importing country's competent authority for review and approval. Where the importing country specifies a different submission schedule, that requirement shall prevail.
