Procedure for Issuance of Auditor Certificates
Legal Basis: Circular 91/2017/TT-BTC
1. Examination Eligibility Conditions
- Possessing professional ethical qualities, honesty, integrity, and a commitment to legal compliance;
- Holding a university degree or higher in Finance, Banking, Accounting, Auditing; or holding a university degree in other majors with a total number of credits (or class hours) in subjects: Finance, Accounting, Auditing, Financial Activity Analysis, Tax of 7% or more of the total credits (or class hours) of the entire course; or holding a university degree in other majors and possessing diplomas or certificates of completion from courses awarded by international professional accounting and auditing organizations, ensuring the following conditions:
+ The international professional organization for accounting and auditing granting diplomas or certificates must be a member of the International Federation of Accountants (IFAC), having established representative offices or branches operating in Vietnam.
+ The international professional organization for accounting and auditing must have a cooperation agreement regarding the joint examination program for issuing professional auditor certificates with the Ministry of Finance of Vietnam.
+ The program and course contents for issuing diplomas and certificates must encompass a total of 500 to 600 class hours in finance, accounting, and auditing.
+ The curriculum, examination, and issuance of diplomas and certificates to participants completing courses must be uniformly executed across all countries where the international professional organization for accounting and auditing has representative offices or branches.
- Having a minimum of 36 months of practical work experience in finance, accounting, or auditing, calculated from the month indicated on the university (or postgraduate) degree to the time of registration for the exam. The practical work experience in auditing includes time as an audit assistant at an auditing firm, time in internal audit at an internal audit department of a unit, and time auditing at the State Audit agency;
- Submitting complete, correctly formatted exam registration documents and exam fees as prescribed;
- Not belonging to the following categories:
+ Persons who are minors; persons declared by the court to have limited or lost civil capacity; persons required to undergo measures for placement in compulsory educational institutions, drug rehabilitation centers.
+ Persons prohibited from practicing accounting by the effective court judgment or decision; persons under criminal investigation; persons serving a prison sentence or convicted for crimes related to the economic management order, financial and accounting-related occupational offenses without having their criminal records expunged.
2. Examination Dossier Composition
- First-time Registration
+ Examination registration form confirmed by the workplace or the local People's Committee, with a 3x4 color photo affixed and sealed per the template specified in Appendix No. 02a or Appendix No. 02b issued with this Circular, accompanied by a Certificate of Practical Work Experience in Finance, Accounting, Auditing signed by the legal representative (or authorized individual) and sealed by the agency, unit per the template specified in Appendix No. 06 issued with this Circular;
+ Certified copy of identity card or citizen ID card or passport;
+ Curriculum vitae confirmed by the workplace or local People's Committee;
+ Certified copy of degrees and certificates as prescribed by the issuing organization or notary public. If a university degree in a different specialty is presented, a transcript listing the total number of credits (or class hours) for all courses must be submitted. If a master's or doctoral degree is submitted, the transcript of the respective graduate degree must also be submitted, specifying the certified major;
+ 3 recent 3x4cm color photos taken within the last 6 months and 02 stamped envelopes with the receiver's name and address.
- Registering for Retake or Unpassed Subjects or to Improve Total Score
+ Examination registration form confirmed by the workplace or the local People's Committee, with a 3x4 color photo affixed and sealed per the template specified in Appendix No. 02a or Appendix No. 02b issued with this Circular;
+ Copy of the Examination Score Certificate from previous exams notified by the Examination Council;
+ 3 recent 3x4cm color photos taken within the last 6 months and 02 stamped envelopes with the receiver's name and address.
- Applicants with Accounting Certificates wishing to Obtain Auditing Certificates
+ Examination registration form confirmed by the workplace or the local People's Committee, with a 3x4 color photo affixed and sealed per the form specified in Appendix No. 02b issued with this Circular;
+ Certified copy of identity card or citizen ID card or passport;
+ Curriculum vitae confirmed by the workplace or local People's Committee;
+ Certified copy of the accounting certificate;
+ 3 recent 3x4cm color photos taken within the last 6 months and 02 stamped envelopes with the receiver's name and address.
3. Certification Examination Process
- Candidates for the auditor certificate must pass the following 7 subjects:
+ Economic Law and Enterprise Law;
+ Financial and Advanced Financial Management;
+ Advanced Taxation and Tax Management;
+ Advanced Financial Accounting, Management Accounting;
+ Advanced Auditing and Assurance Services;
+ Advanced Financial Activity Analysis;
+ Foreign Language at Level C in one of the 5 languages: English, Russian, French, Chinese, German.
- Holders of accounting certificates applying for auditing certificates must take the following 3 subjects:
+ Advanced Auditing and Assurance Services;
+ Advanced Financial Activity Analysis;
+ Foreign Language at Level C in one of the 5 languages: English, Russian, French, Chinese, German.
- The Examination Council organizes at least one examination per year in the third or fourth quarter. At least 60 days before the examination, the Examination Council officially announces on the mass media the conditions, standards, time, location, and other necessary information regarding the examination.
- No later than 60 days from the end of the examination, the Examination Council must publish the results of each subject and notify the examinees. In special cases requiring the extension of the publication time, the President of the Examination Council decides, but the extension does not exceed 30 days.
- A passing score for a subject is a score of 5 or higher.
- For the case of obtaining an auditor certificate: Applicants passing all 7 subjects with a total score of preserved subjects (excluding Foreign Language) from 38 points or higher meet the examination requirements;
- For certificate holders of accounting applying for auditing certificates: Applicants passing all 3 subjects with a total score of preserved subjects (excluding Foreign Language) from 12.5 points or higher meet the examination requirements.
- The Examination Council aggregates the examination results of each subject to compile a list of results for each subject for presentation to the Ministry of Finance for approval for each examination.
- Within 15 days from the date of examination results publication, applicants have the right to request a re-evaluation of their examination papers, sending a petition to the President of the Examination Council. If reevaluation is conducted, the result follows the re-evaluation score.
- Based on the examination results approved by the Ministry of Finance, the President of the Examination Council issues the Examination Score Certificate to each candidate (Appendix No. 03a, Appendix No. 03b, Appendix No. 03c). The Examination Score Certificate is the foundation for submitting documents for examinations of untested subjects, retaking unpassed subjects, or taking to improve scores (for candidates who have not taken all or not passed all subjects).
- Within 45 days from the examination result, the Ministry of Finance issues the auditor certificate to successful candidates.
4. Authority to Issue Certificates: Ministry of Finance
5. Timeframe
- No later than 60 days from the end of the examination, the Examination Council must announce the results of each subject
- Within 45 days from receiving the examination results, the Ministry of Finance issues the auditor certificate
6. Fee: 200,000 VND per subject
For information on conditions, standards, applications, and procedures for issuing other professional certificates, please refer to: Professional Certificate Lookup.
Wishing you health and success!
