The Ministry of Construction has issued a circular, stipulating the authority and procedures for granting domestic maritime transport permits to foreign vessels, applying to Vietnamese and foreign organizations and individuals involved in domestic maritime transport using foreign ships, according to a report from the Vietnam News Agency.
Under the circular, which will take effect from February 1, 2026, the Minister of Construction will grant the permits for cases such as transporting oversized or overweight cargo or other types of goods using specialized vessels; clearing congested cargo, passengers, and luggage at ports when Vietnamese ships are unable to handle them; and conducting disaster relief, disease control, or emergency humanitarian aid.
Meanwhile, the Director of the Maritime Administration under the Ministry of Construction will issue permits for foreign vessels transporting passengers and luggage from cruise ships to the shore using the ships’ own shuttle services.
Regarding validity, domestic maritime transport permits for foreign vessels are valid for one year when the ship serves a production facility, or is a type not yet available in the Vietnamese fleet.
For all other cases, the permit is valid for six months.
If a company requests a specific validity period for a foreign vessel’s domestic maritime transport permit, the permit will be granted according to the enterprise’s proposal, but cannot exceed one year for the specified cases and six months for all other cases.
For voyage-based permits, the validity applies to foreign vessels transporting passengers and luggage from cruise ships to the shore.
Google translate