Newly manufactured vehicles are exempt from the initial inspection if they have been unused for less than 2 years, according to Circular No. 2/2023 issued by the Ministry of Transport (MoT) on March 21.

A vehicle registration center in Hanoi. Photo: The Hanoi Times

Under the circular, vehicle owners will receive stamps and certificates at registration centers without taking the vehicle to inspection centers.

The MoT has extended the inspection cycle for passenger cars for personal use with up to 9 seats from 30 months to 36 months.

The periodic inspection cycle for vehicles up to seven years old will be extended from 18 to 24 months. The periodic inspection cycle for vehicles between seven and 20 years old will remain at 12 months. Vehicles over 20 years old will have a 6-month periodic inspection cycle.

For passenger vehicles with more than nine seats, the initial inspection cycle is extended from 18 months to 24 months. The periodic inspection cycle for vehicles up to five years old has been increased from 6 months to 12 months. For vehicles older than five years, the inspection cycle remains at 6 months.

Meanwhile, trucks and tractors that are 20 years or older, including those that have been converted into special-purpose vehicles and trucks that have been converted from passenger cars and are 15 years or older, will be inspected every six months instead of 3 months.

The circular was adjusted to reduce the procedures, costs, and time for individuals and companies to register their vehicles.

According to the MoT, the previous Circular 16/2021 on the inspection of technical safety and environmental protection of road motor vehicles had some shortcomings related to the inspection requirements for new vehicles and inappropriate inspection cycles for personal vehicles (not used for transportation business).

In addition to revising Circular 16, the Ministry is also leading the amendment of Decree 139/2018 on the business of inspection services for motorized vehicles to separate state management and public service provision in registration, promote decentralization, and strengthen inspection, audit, and corruption prevention.

The Ministry is also weighing enabling registration centers of the police, military, and vehicle warranty and maintenance facilities authorized manufacturers, assemblers, and importers to comply with the regulations on the provision of motorized vehicle inspection services.

The amendment of these two documents is seen as a fundamental solution to the current registration crisis, which has led to the closure of over 70 registration centers and the investigation of nearly 500 individuals for crimes such as accepting bribes, facilitating bribes, forgery at work, illegal production and trade in tools and software.