If someone has a tattoo, does he/she have to join military service in Vietnam?

If someone has a tattoo, does he/she have to join military service in Vietnam?

Pursuant to Article 4 of the Circular 148/2018/TT-BQP stipulating drafting requirements as follows:

1. Age:

a) Citizens from the age of 18 to under 26.

b) Graduate male citizen who enters university or college and postpones conscription for a training course of a level will be drafted until he turns 28.

2. Political requirements:

a) Comply with Joint Circular No. 50/2016/TTLT-BQP-BCA dated April 15, 2016 of the Minister of National Defense – the Minister of Public Security on provisions for political requirements for conscripting citizens into the Vietnamese People’s Army.

b) Drafting for crucial and classified agencies, units and positions in the Army; ceremonial battalion; professional National Guards and Military shall comply with regulations and law of the Ministry of National Defense.

3. Health requirements:

a) Draft citizens with health type 1, 2, 3 as specified in Joint Circular No. 16/2016/TTLT-BYT-BQP dated June 30, 2016 of the Minister of Health – the Minister of National Defense on provisions for pre-enlistment check-up.

b) Drafting for agencies, units and positions specified in Point b Clause 2 of this Article must ensure separate standards as regulated by the Ministry of National Defense.

c) Do not conscript citizens with health type 3 and eye disorders (1.5 dioptre myopia or higher, hypermetropia at all degrees); drug addicts, those contracted with HIV, AIDS.

4. Cultural requirements:

a) Draft citizens who finished 8th grade or higher in descending order. In areas where the drafting quota cannot be guaranteed due to hardship, request the competent authorities to consider and decide to draft citizens who finished 7th grade.

b) Communes in remote and isolated areas, in areas with economic - social hardships according to regulations and law; ethnic minorities below 10,000 people shall draft no more than 25% of the citizens who finished primary education and the citizens who finished lower secondary education are drafted to fill the rest.

As regulations above, there is no regulation prohibiting citizens, who have tatoos, from joining military service in Vietnam.

If you have tattoo on your right arm but still satisfy above requirements of age, political, health and cultural requirements, you are eligible to join military service in Vietnam.

Is it permissible for 17-year-old female citizens to register for military service in Vietnam?

Pursuant to Article 12 of the Law on Military Service in 2015 stipulating entities subject to registration for military service as follows:

1. Male citizens turn 17 years old and above

2. Female citizens specified in clause 2 Article 7 of this Law turn 18 years old and above.

Pursuant to Article 7 of the Law on Military Service in 2015 stipulating military service in reserve force as follows:

1. Male citizens at the call-up age shall perform the military service in reserve force in the following cases;

a) The male citizen older than the call-up age has not performed military service in regular armed force;

b) The male citizen stopped the military service in regular armed force;

c) The male citizen has stopped the service in People’s Army.

2. Female citizens at the call-up age that has profession skills conformable with the requirement of People’s Army may serve military service in reserve force.

The Government shall specify the profession mentioned in this Clause.

As regulations above, female citizens that has profession skills conformable with the requirement of People’s Army may serve military service in reserve force. However, they must be over 18 years old to join military service.

Which entities are eligible for postponement from conscription in Vietnam?

Pursuant to Clause 1 Article 41 of the Law on Military Service in 2015 (amended by Clause 1.c Article 49 of the Law on Militia and Self-defense Forces in 2019) stipulating postponement from conscription as follows:

a) Any citizen whose health is unsatisfactory for active duty military service according to the conclusion of pre-enlistment check-up board;

b) Any citizen being the sole earner who directly takes care of his/her relative who lost working capacity or under working age; any citizen being the sole earner in a family suffering serious damage to humans and properties due to dangerous accidents, disasters, epidemics certified by People’s Committees of communes;

c) Any citizen who is a child of sick soldiers, people infected with dioxin and suffering labor capacity reduction from 61% to 80%;

d) Any citizen whose full brother/sister is a non-commissioned officer/active duty enlisted soldier or a non-commissioned officer/enlisted soldier performing service in People’s Army;

dd) Any citizen who is subject to emigration or evacuation in 03 first years to extremely disadvantaged communes according to the socio-economic development project of the State that is decided by People’s Committees of provinces or higher levels;

e) Any citizen who is official or youth volunteer assigned to extremely disadvantage socio-economic area according to the law provisions;

g) Any citizen who is studying at compulsory education institutions or receiving training of university level at higher education institutions or training of college level at vocational education institutions for a training course of a level.

h) Standing militia.

Above are entities that are eligible for postponement from conscription in Vietnam.

Best regards!