Streamlining procedures to facilitate seaport trade
Since April 2026, nearly 50% of administrative procedures related to border management and seaport operations have been eliminated, helping businesses save both time and costs while facilitating the flow of trade through the ports.
Reducing administrative procedures by nearly 50%
When carrying out procedures to obtain boarding permits for Vietnamese and foreign nationals at the Hai Phong Port Border Gate Border Guard Station (Hai Phong City Border Guard Command), Mr. Do Thanh Cong, an employee of BH Global Co., Ltd., said that the process has become much more convenient thanks to standardization and improved organization.
Accordingly, the boarding permit procedure has been standardized from two separate administrative procedures in the past—issuing 12-month and 3-month permits for Vietnamese and foreign individuals working regularly on foreign vessels. This adjustment helps businesses reduce the number of trips required, saving both time and costs.
Lieutenant Colonel Phan Duc Long, Commander of the Hai Phong Port Border Gate Station, said that in implementation of Decision No. 1909 dated April 19, 2026 and Decision No. 1305 dated March 20, 2026 issued by the Minister of National Defence on the list of administrative procedures in the field of border and port management, the unit has streamlined procedures from 37 to 19.
Specifically, only 2 procedures remain for military vessels, while 17 procedures apply to commercial ships, fishing vessels, and other types of transport vehicles. The nearly 50% reduction not only cuts the number of procedures but also reflects a shift in management mindset—reducing paperwork, shortening processing time, and lowering costs related to berthing, storage, and port operations, thereby improving overall port efficiency.
In response to these changes, the Hai Phong Port Border Gate Border Guard Station has proactively conducted outreach and dissemination to businesses, shipping agents, and relevant agencies. Transparent communication of the new procedures helps enterprises stay updated in a timely manner and reduces administrative barriers.
Building a more open and transparent environment to promote development
Lieutenant Colonel Ngo Minh Dat, Head of the Procedures Team at the Hai Phong Port Border Gate Border Guard Station, said the unit is strongly promoting digital transformation and the provision of online public services to minimize paperwork and create more favorable conditions for businesses.
Currently, the entire workflow—including permit issuance, inspection, and border control supervision—has been digitalized. Unit leaders can directly monitor vessel entry numbers, schedules, crew lists, and processing progress through the document management software system. The system also automatically issues alerts for cases requiring operational control, enabling timely detection and handling while reducing errors.
Thanks to digital transformation, processing time has been significantly reduced, with staffing needs per shift decreasing from three officers to one compared to before.
In the first six months of 2026, the Hai Phong Port Border Gate Border Guard Station ensured the safe management of 9,730 vessel entries and exits, monitored 6,110 instances of foreign crew shore leave, and handled over 44,000 cases of personnel boarding vessels for work. The unit also promptly detected and addressed 263 cases of foreign nationals using passports containing “nine-dash line” images that violated sovereignty regulations during entry procedures.
In the coming period, the unit will continue to coordinate with relevant functional forces to effectively implement new regulations issued by the Ministry of National Defence, while also enhancing staff capacity and promoting the use of the electronic port border gate system integrated with the National Single Window Portal.
These efforts aim to contribute to a transparent, open, and safe business environment, thereby promoting the socio-economic development of the Port City.
Hoang Xuan