CONDITIONS FOR FIRST-TIME INSPECTION WAIVER FOR UNUSED AUTOMOBILES

On March 21, 2023, the Ministry of Transport issued Circular No. 02/2023/TT-BGTVT (“Circular 02”) amending and supplementing Circular 16/2021/TT-BGTVT on technical safety and environmental protection inspection of road motor vehicles. One of the core contents of Circular 02 is to allow unused automobiles to be exempted from the first-time inspection. However, this exemption is not apparently applicable, but must comply with certain conditions and procedures.

In this account, we would like to provide some notes on this issue for Clients and Readers in practice as follows:

 Conditions for first-time inspection waiver for unused automobiles

1. Having the following documents granted: "record of factory release quality inspection" for manufactured and assembled motor vehicles or "Certificate of technical safety and environmental protection inspection of imported motor vehicles" or "Notice of exemption from technical safety and environmental protection inspection of imported motor vehicles";
2. The period from the production time to the time of application for an inspection certificate is under 02 years (production year plus 01 year); and
3. Having a sufficient valid vehicle dossier as prescribed.

A valid vehicle dossier includes

1. Vehicle registration documents: master register of Vehicle registration; or notice of receipt of master register of registration certificate of vehicles used as security of credit institution, or a copy of vehicle registration certificate certified by the financial leasing organization; or notice on date of issuing registration
2. Record of factory release quality inspection for motor vehicles manufactured and assembled domestically: A copy;
3. Certificate of technical safety and environmental protection for renovated motor vehicles in case of recently renovated motor vehicles: An original;
4. Vehicle identification number file;
5. Monitoring declaration according to the prescribed form.

Responsibilities of vehicle owners subject to the first-time inspection waiver

1. Submitting vehicle dossier without taking the vehicle to the registration unit;
2. Applying Inspection Stamp on the vehicle as per regulations before putting into traffic.

Unused vehicles may still be subject to the first-time inspection if the Inspection Certificate or First-time Inspection Stamp is lost or damaged

In case of loss or damage to the inspection certificate or the First-time Inspection Stamp, first-time inspection shall be required, except for the following cases:

1. The vehicle owner informs on the loss within 07 working days from the issuance date and shall only be reissued 1 time.
2. In case of damage, or deviation of vehicle's information (compared to the original submission).