Vietnam is changing how it issues seafarer certificates. From 1 December 2026, the maritime authority must decide on many applications within two working days. Seafarers and companies can apply in person, by post or online. Each new certificate comes on paper and as an electronic copy. The electronic copy has the same legal value as the paper one.
The rules are in Decision 1927/QD-BXD of Vietnam's Ministry of Construction, signed on 7 November 2026. You can read the full text of Decision 1927 in a Vietnamese legal database. It lists six revised procedures and comes into force on 1 December 2026. It replaces an older decision from August 2023.
The six procedures follow Circular 77/2026/TT-BXD on the Vietnamese government portal. A circular is a set of detailed rules from a ministry. This one covers seafarer standards, certificates, training and safe manning on Vietnamese ships. It was issued on 9 October 2026 and also starts on 1 December 2026.
Which certificates get the two-day deadline
The two working days start when the authority has a complete and valid application. The authority is the Vietnam Maritime and Waterway Administration, or a local office or port authority it names. The deadline applies to these papers:
Certificates of competency (CoC) for watch ratings: OS and AB on deck, Oiler and AB in the engine room, and electro-technical ratings.
A Vietnamese CoC for Vietnamese seafarers who already hold a CoC from another country.
Recognition endorsements for foreign certificates. This is the paper that lets a foreign officer work on a Vietnamese-flag ship.
Endorsements for GMDSS radio certificates and special training. GMDSS is the Global Maritime Distress and Safety System. Special training covers tankers, polar waters and ships using low-flashpoint fuels.
Instructor certificates and the high-speed craft type rating.
New copies of certificates that are lost, damaged or have wrong personal details, and renewals of expired ones.
If the authority refuses, it must say why in writing. If an application sent by post or online is not complete, it must tell you in writing within two working days. The fee is 100,000 Vietnamese dong for most of these papers. There is no fee for the high-speed craft type rating.
Officer exams also get deadlines
The procedure for officers, Masters and Chief Engineers has several steps. The authority must decide to open a course or exam within three working days. After the exam, the exam board has one working day to report the results. The authority then has four working days to confirm them and issue the CoC.
Sea time for ratings
The decision also repeats the sea time for each rating. These are the main rules:
OS (deck) or Oiler: at least 6 months at sea, or at least 2 months of practical training in an approved programme.
AB (deck): at least 18 months as OS, or at least 12 months of AB practical training.
AB (engine): at least 12 months as Oiler, or at least 6 months of practical training.
Electro-technical rating: at least 6 months at sea, or 3 months of practical training.
Renewing an expired CoC
Expired less than 5 years ago, or expiring within 1 year: you need 12 months in the rank in the last 5 years, or 3 months in the last 6 months.
Without that sea time, you can serve 3 months as a trainee in the rank. Or you can pass the exam for the rank.
Expired 5 years or more: ratings serve 3 months as a trainee. Officers, Masters and Chief Engineers must pass the exam again.
In every case, your STCW training certificates for the rank must still be valid.
Seafarers on international voyages may not be able to send a health certificate or seaman's book in time. Then the company can send stamped or digitally signed copies and take responsibility for them, the decision says.
Foreign officers on Vietnamese ships
A company, not the seafarer, applies for the recognition endorsement. The officer needs at least 36 months at sea. The certificate must come from a country that has a recognition agreement with Vietnam. The endorsement is valid as long as the CoC or the planned contract, but for no more than 2 years.
What it means for crews
Check the expiry dates of your CoC and training certificates now. Plan a renewal before your next contract, not during it.
Keep your sea service records complete. Sea time decides if you can renew without an exam.
From 1 December, you can apply online instead of travelling to an office. Keep the electronic copy of your new certificate on your phone, as well as the paper.
Ask your company or manning agency if it will apply for you. Many forms can be sent by the company that manages the crew.
Pay only the official fee. If someone asks for a large extra payment to make your certificate "faster", it may be a scam.
Compare pay before you sign. See AB salaries on Crewboard for current rates.
Vietnam also brought in new rules for training centres and crewing agencies in November. Read our report on Decree 348/2026. Official certificate checks and help lines are on our useful links for seafarers page.
Cover photo: A crane vessel at sea off Vung Tau, southern Vietnam, August 2012. Illustrative photo. Photo: RG72/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sources: Decision 1927/QD-BXD of 7 Nov 2026 on revised maritime administrative procedures (Thu Vien Phap Luat legal database, in Vietnamese), Vietnamese government legal documents portal: Circular 77/2026/TT-BXD on seafarer standards, certificates, training and minimum safe manning (issued 9 Oct 2026, in force 1 Dec 2026), Cong Luan: Six maritime procedures revised, many files processed within two days (9 Nov 2026, in Vietnamese), LuatVietnam: From 1 Dec 2026, recognition certificates for seafarers issued in electronic and paper form (14 Oct 2026, in Vietnamese).
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