Section 4. CERTIFICATES AND DOCUMENTS OF SEAGOING VESSELS

Article 26.-Certificates and documents of seagoing vessels
1. Seagoing vessels must have seagoing-vessel registration certificates, certificates of marine navigation safety, marine navigation security and prevention of environmental pollution according to the provisions of Vietnamese law and treaties to which the Socialist Republic of Vietnam is a contracting party.
The Transport Minister shall provide in detail for certificates and documents of Vietnamese seagoing vessels.
2. Certificates of marine navigation safety, marine navigation security and prevention of environmental pollution must show the period of their validity. This period may be extended for ninety days at most if the seagoing vessels are actually unable to call for inspection at the designated place and their practical technical conditions still ensure marine navigation safety, marine navigation security and prevention of environmental pollution. This extended duration shall expire immediately upon the seagoing vessel’s arrival at the designated port for inspection.
3. Certificates of marine navigation safety, marine navigation security and prevention of environmental pollution shall become invalid if the seagoing vessels see alterations that seriously affect their capability of ensuring marine navigation safety, marine navigation security and prevention of environmental pollution.
4. Where they have grounds to believe that seagoing vessels fail to ensure marine navigation safety, marine navigation security and prevention of environmental pollution, the maritime inspectorate and port authorities shall be entitled to suspend the operation of such seagoing vessels, conduct by themselves or request Vietnamese registry organizations to conduct technical inspection of such seagoing vessels, despite that the seagoing vessels have all certificates of marine navigation safety, marine navigation security and prevention of environmental pollution.

Article 27.-Seagoing-vessel tonnage certificates
1. Vietnamese seagoing vessels and foreign seagoing vessels, when operating in Vietnamese seaport waters or seas, must have seagoing-vessel tonnage certificates granted by Vietnamese registry organizations or competent foreign seagoing vessel tonnage measurement organizations. Seagoing-vessel tonnage certificates must comply with the provisions of Vietnamese law and treaties to which the Socialist Republic of Vietnam is a contracting party.2. In case of doubting the authenticity of seagoing-vessel tonnage certificates specified in Clause 1 of this Article, competent Vietnamese state agencies may decide on their own initiative or at the request of concerned organizations or individuals to re-inspect the capacity of seagoing vessels. In case the inspection results are incompatible with the seagoing vessel’s capacity certificates, the shipowner must incur expenses related to the re-inspection. In case the inspection results are compatible with the seagoing vessel’s capacity certificates, the competent state agencies which have decided on their own initiative on the inspection or the organizations or individuals that have requested the inspection must incur expenses related to the re-inspection.