Foreign Ships in Vietnam Regulations:
“Foreign ships and boats travel in ocean of Vietnam must be supervised and controlled by competent Vietnamese forces to ensure respect and observance of this Decree and other laws and regulations. and other relevant regulations of Vietnam.
[Please Note: This is a rough translation of the official government web page about international boats in Vietnam territorial waters. It appears that currently the government makes no distinction between pleasure craft and commercial shipping. This information is posted in the public interest, but is in no way an official statement. We are attempting to get clarification on the rules governing personal sailboats and catamarans and this page will be updated at that time.]
– Foreign ships which want to enter ocean of Vietnam, must follow the following procedures:
a. Ships used for transport and trade that wish to enter Vietnam’s territorial water or ports must obtain permission from the Ministry of Transport of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam at least seven days before. After allowed to enter, must notify the Ministry of Transport of Vietnam twenty-four hours before entering Vietnam’s territorial water.
b. Ships that are not used for transport and trade that wish to enter Vietnam’s territorial water or ports must obtain permission from the Government of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam at least fifteen days in advance. After being allowed to enter, must notify the Ministry of Transport of Vietnam forty-eight hours before entering Vietnam’s territorial sea.
SPECIFIC PROVISIONS FOR FOREIGN SHIPS OPERATING IN VIETNAM’S TERRITORIAL WATER
1 – Foreign ships that travel to Vietnam’s territorial water must fly the Vietnamese national flag at the top of the highest masthead and fully comply with the regulations on signal.
2 – In the internal waters and territorial waters of Vietnam, foreign ships must sail continuously, following the correct routes and correct corridors, and must not enter prohibited areas.
4- Foreign ships may not conduct any investigation, exploration or research into natural resources, creature and non-creature in Vietnam’s territorial waters and exclusive economic zone, for the purpose of economic or scientific purposes, except as permitted by the Government of Vietnam.
5- Foreign ships must absolutely not conduct fishing, exploitation, trading in any form in the territorial sea and exclusive economic zone of Vietnam, except with the permission of the Government of Vietnam.
“When traveling within Vietnam’s exclusive economic zone, foreign fishing ships must collect nets and other fishing gear in their inner ships, and turn off all types of probes and detectors to the state of preservation, show, lure fish, etc.
6- Foreign ships operating in Vietnam’s territorial are not allowed to do the following:
a. Military exercises, using force or threatening to use force to threaten security and disrupt the order of Vietnam when in Vietnam’s territorial waters and internal waters;
b. Carrying out works harmful to the defense, peace, security and order of Vietnam;
c. Causing interference to all communication systems, machines and equipment of the Vietnam;
d. Using radars, ultrasonic generators, monitoring machines, measuring machines, diving equipment and other types of machines, to measure, survey and probe the geographical and hydro-meteorological situation, culture, sediment, depth or any other objective of exploration in the internal waters and territorial waters of Vietnam;
e. Filming, photographing, using electronic, acoustical, optical, radio and television recording equipment and other technical equipment to collect intelligence, record data and relevant documents related to the security, defense and economy of Vietnam, while in the internal waters, Vietnam’s territorial water;
g. Discharging haze, firing guns, launching signals, and using explosives in Vietnam’s internal waters for any purpose, except for firing signal bullets when rescue and salute if it is a military ships that has been allowed to visit the Socialist Republic of Vietnam;
h. Buying, selling, trading all products, goods, money, precious metals, gems, etc. contrary to the provisions of financial, customs and quarantine laws of Vietnam;
i. Taking people out of boats or taking people off ships without complying with the immigration laws of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam; harboring, abetting those who violate Vietnam’s laws in Vietnam’s territorial water.
“In case of urgent need to take people on board ships or boats, those in distress encountered in the internal waters, territorial waters and contiguous zones of Vietnam’s territorial sea must immediately notify the Vietnamese authorities for handling.
8- Foreign ships which in the internal waters of Vietnam, must seal up all types of machinery, equipment, communication equipment, electronic monitoring equipment, etc. Communication anywhere, including communications about the country of the ship’s nationality, must go through the contact center of the Vietnamese port where the ship is located. The activities of communicating by radio, signing communication contracts, hand flags, etc. with any object, are considered acts of violating the sovereignty and security of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.
10- Foreign ships are not allowed to dispose of wastes and toxic substances that pollute the living environment in the sea and land waters of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam and must apply full measures to combat and prevent pollution of the living environment, causing immediate or long-term harm to people and living things.
11- Foreign ships entering or leaving Vietnamese ports are required to use Vietnamese pilots to guide them according to current regulations of Vietnam; must fully comply with the regulations of the port where they are docking.
12- Except for licensed service ships, foreign ships are not allowed to enter the 500-meter-wide safe zone (from the outermost point) of structures, equipment, artificial islands, etc. exploration and exploitation of natural resources on the seabed and subsoil of the seabed that Vietnam places or allows to be located in Vietnam’s seas and continental shelf. Ships passing outside this safe zone must also comply with the rules of maritime safety so as not to compromise the safety of such structures.
Registration of Ships
Section A: Regulations and rule for ships Registration
A Ship or boat may be registered in the “National Register of Ships” of Vietnam when the following regulations are fully satisfied:
- No longer carrying the registration of the other country ships.
- The ship has been inspected, classified the ship, measured tonnage and issued the necessary certificates corresponding to the ship’s class, type and purpose of use by the Vietnam Register
- If it is an old ship bought from a foreign country, it must not be more than 15 years old when applying for registration or re-registration in Vietnam for the first time. Special cases must be permitted by the Prime Minister;
- Ships Owned by a Vietnamese organization with its head office in Vietnam or by a Vietnamese citizen permanently residing in Vietnam.
- Ship or boat must have its own name set by the ship owner, and approved by the registry of ships. In case the names of historical figures, events or historical places are used to name the ship, it must be approved by the Minister of Transport or the Minister of Fisheries.
- The ship owner must commit not to use the ship for illegal purposes or affect to the interests and prestige of the State of Vietnam.
- The ship owned by a foreign organization or individual may be registered in Vietnam if it fully satisfy the above regulations.
Section B: Procedures for ship Registration
I. The ship owner is obliged to register his/her ship at the Regional Registry of Ships. Only one ship is only allowed to be registered at the same time.
II.- When carrying out the registration procedure, the ship owner must submit the original (or a copy certified by a competent State agency) of the following documents:
- Required documents ( one copy for each ):
- An application for registration of a ship with the commitments specified in Clause 6, Article 6 of this Regulation;
- A certificate of de-registration of the old ship (if it is an old ship) or a certificate of temporary suspension of the original registration during the period of the boat charter or lease-purchase, issued by the foreign registry of that ship;
- Shipbuilding contract or contract of transfer of ownership of the ship;
- A license to buy a ship issued by a competent state agency (if it is a ship purchased from abroad);
- Certificate of issuance of the ship; certificate of seaworthiness and certificate of tonnage of the ship;
- A certificate related to the current state of ownership of the ship;
- Certificate of registration fee payment (if have).
- Documents to be presented:
- Technical safety records of the ship issued by the registry;
- License to use the train station issued by the competent post office (if there is a radio transceiver station on the ship);
- Other certificates of the right to use and operate the ship, issued by the competent State management agency of Vietnam in accordance with the law;
- Contract of civil liability insurance of ship owners.
III- After the ship has been registered, the ship owner has the right and obligation to fly the Vietnamese national flag on the ship;
At the same time, the name of the ship, the place where the ship is registered, and the logo of the Vietnamese ship must be painted on the ship. This will comply with the guidance of the Registry of Ships.
SailVietnam does not speak for the Vietnamese Government
Most of this information is originally in Vietnamese and has been translated from the page below (and other sources). SailVietnam provides this information as a public service and takes no responsibility for the accuracy or timeliness, nor does SailVietnam speak for the Vietnamese Government in any capacity. Sailing visitors wishing to visit Vietnam are responsible for their own research, their own contact with the Government of Vietnam and fulfilling all the obligations of Vietnam while in the territorial waters of Vietnam.
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