A vehicle control method in a vehicle control system which includes a portable device configured to store information on an electronic lock of a vehicle and an in-vehicle controller configured to communicate with the portable device, the in-vehicle controller being installed in the vehicle, the portable device or the in-vehicle controller having a function of communicating with a communication terminal of a user of the vehicle, the vehicle control method comprising performing a process of causing the in-vehicle controller to
- determine whether near field communication between the portable device and the communication terminal based on a first telecommunications standard is established or whether near field communication between the in-vehicle controller and the communication terminal based on the first telecommunications standard is established when a specific operation that needs permission from the user is requested to be performed on the vehicle and the portable device is within a predetermined range around the vehicle in which communication is performed, and
- generate a permission command to permit the specific operation to be performed when the in-vehicle controller determines that the near field communication based on the first telecommunications standard is established.