EM – In an effort to ease difficulties faced by businesses following the issuance of Circular No. 13/2024/TT-BLDTBXH, which revokes the acceptance of test results from foreign laboratories, the Vietnam Elevator Association (VNEA) has submitted an official dispatch to the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Department of Employment, proposing the consideration and recognition of conformity assessment results, along with a compiled list of proposed internationally recognized certification/testing bodies.
In response to ongoing obstacles in the conformity certification process for elevators and related equipment since Circular No. 13/2024/TT-BLĐTBXH took effect, the Association held two consultation meetings with businesses to consolidate feedback and recommendations for submission to the relevant regulatory authorities.
Based on this, on July 2nd, 2025, the Ministry of Home Affairs issued Official Dispatch No. 4620/BNV-CVL in response to VNEA’s Dispatch No. 24/CV-VNEA dated June 11, 2025. Simultaneously, the Department of Employment provided preliminary directions during a meeting on the same day to partially address the bottlenecks faced by enterprises and elevator sector certification bodies.
However, in practice, businesses remain confused and face significant challenges, leading to delays in implementation. In particular, conformity assessment bodies lack a clear legal basis and specific guidance for conducting assessments and issuing certificates of conformity.
Grounded in current Vietnamese legal provisions, referencing international best practices (the Asia-Pacific Elevator and Escalator Association, the Federation of European Small and Medium-Sized Lift Enterprises, etc.), and in response to practical demands, the Vietnam Elevator Association proposes that results from conformity assessment bodies be recognized based on the following criteria:
– Accreditation by international accreditation bodies through mutual recognition arrangements (MRAs) such as: ILAC-MRA, APAC-MRA, IAF-MLA.
– Possession of valid certifications under ISO/IEC 17025 and ISO/IEC 17065 standards.
– Testing standards aligned with TCVN 6396 or EN 81 (equivalent to TCVN 6396).
Additionally, the Association proposes the unilateral recognition of conformity assessment results from testing bodies that apply testing standards equivalent to TCVN 6396, or which demonstrate appropriate technical capability and credibility (from countries and regions such as Europe, the United States, Japan, South Korea, China, etc.).
In the dispatch submitted to the Department of Employment, the Association also compiled a list of conformity assessment bodies that fully meet regulatory requirements, proposing the Department review and approve these entities. This would serve as a legal basis for domestic organizations to conduct conformity assessments and issue conformity certificates for elevator equipment during this transitional phase. The list will continue to be consolidated, supplemented, and updated by the Association to ensure compliance with applicable regulations.
The proposed list of internationally recognized certification/testing bodies is attached to VNEA’s Official Dispatch No. 27/CV-VNEA dated July 15, 2025, submitted to the Department of Employment.
It is respectfully hoped that the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Department of Employment will give due consideration and issue timely guidance and directives to help resolve current obstacles and challenges faced by elevator industry enterprises.
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