Conditions and procedures for licensing maritime crew training facilities.

This Decree stipulates the conditions for maritime crew training facilities; the procedures for granting and revoking Certificates of Eligibility for maritime crew training facilities; the evaluation and temporary suspension of maritime crew training activities; and the issuance of Certificates of Conformity for the recruitment and supply of maritime crew.

This Decree applies to maritime crew training and education institutions; maritime crew recruitment and supply organizations; and organizations and individuals involved in maritime crew training, education, recruitment, and supply activities in Vietnam.

Regarding the requirements for facilities and instructors of maritime crew training institutions, the Decree stipulates the following:

Facilities requirements

1. Possess training facilities and equipment that comply with national technical standards issued by the Minister of Construction .

2. Possess a valid Certificate of Conformity to the Quality Management System according to TCVN ISO 9001 or ISO 21001 standards.

3. There is a database for managing the training and professional certification of maritime seafarers, which can be searched in accordance with the provisions of the STCW Convention and connected to the seafarer management database of the specialized maritime state management agency.

Faculty requirements

1. Lecturers teaching theoretical subjects in maritime crew training programs must possess a university degree or higher in a field relevant to the subject and training program they are assigned to teach.

2. Practical instructors must have:

a) A Chief Instructor Certificate or certification issued by the International Maritime Organization (IMO), or an IMO-accredited body, in accordance with Rule 1/6 of the STCW Convention;

b) Certificate of professional competence for a minimum position of Chief Officer on a ship of 3000 GT or more, or Second Engineer on a ship with a total main engine power of 3000 kW or more; Certificate of professional training and experience suitable to the requirements of each training program as prescribed by the Minister of Construction.

Issuing Certificates of Eligibility for Maritime Seafarer Training Facilities

The decree stipulates the cases in which a certificate can be issued, including:

a) Initial issuance for training and educational institutions that meet the conditions stipulated in Articles 4 and 5 of this Decree;

b) Changes to the information regarding the name of the training institution as stated on the Certificate;

c) Changes to the training location stated on the Certificate.

The Vietnam Maritime and Inland Waterways Administration issues certificates to facilities that meet the requirements for training maritime crew members in accordance with the provisions of this Decree.

Organizations can submit one set of documents directly, or send them via postal service, or send them through the online public service system to the Vietnam Maritime and Inland Waterways Administration.

The file includes:

a) The original or electronic version of the declaration form according to Form No. 01 as prescribed in the Appendix issued with this Decree;

b) A copy or electronic copy of the Decision to establish or permit the establishment of the educational institution or the Business Registration Certificate (in cases where the information cannot be obtained from the shared database);

c) The original or digitally signed electronic copy of the Report explaining the conditions for ensuring training and instruction activities according to Form No. 02 specified in the Appendix attached to this Decree (for initial issuance or issuance due to change of training and instruction location).

The Vietnam Maritime and Inland Waterways Administration receives the application and follows the following procedure:

a) In the case of direct submission of documents, if the documents are incomplete or invalid, the Vietnam Maritime and Inland Waterways Administration will immediately guide the organization to supplement and complete the documents; if the documents are valid, a Receipt of Documents will be issued and a date for returning the results will be set within the prescribed time;

b) In cases where applications are received via postal service, if the application is incomplete according to regulations, within 3 working days at the latest from the date of receipt, the Vietnam Maritime and Inland Waterways Administration shall issue a written instruction to the organization that submitted the application, providing guidance on how to complete the application.

c) In cases where applications are received through the online public service system, if the application is incomplete, within 8 working hours of receipt, the Vietnam Maritime and Inland Waterways Administration will provide guidance on completing the application through the organization's account on the online public service system.

Application processing procedure:

a) In the case of issuing a Certificate for the first time or issuing it due to changes in the training address information recorded on the certificate: No later than 10 working days from the date of receiving a complete and valid application, the Vietnam Maritime and Inland Waterways Administration shall conduct an on-site inspection and issue a Certificate according to Form No. 03 as prescribed in the Appendix attached to this Decree; if the certificate is not issued, a written response must be provided stating the reasons;

b) In cases where the certificate is issued due to a change in the name of the training institution as recorded in the Certificate: within a maximum of 3 working days from the date of receiving a complete and valid application, the Vietnam Maritime and Inland Waterways Administration shall issue the Certificate according to Form No. 03 as prescribed in the Appendix attached to this Decree; if the certificate is not issued, a written response must be provided stating the reasons.

c) The results of the administrative procedure are returned in electronic form; if the organization requests a paper copy, the Vietnam Maritime and Inland Waterways Administration will provide both an electronic and a paper copy to the organization. The Vietnam Maritime and Inland Waterways Administration will return the results through the online public service system, directly, or via postal service as requested by the organization; and will also publish the information on the Vietnam Maritime and Inland Waterways Administration's website.

Administrative documents and the results of administrative procedures in electronic form have the same legal validity as paper copies.

This Decree shall take effect from November 1, 2026./.

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