Which cases are permissible for foreign medical practitioners in Vietnam to use foreign languages to provide medical care to patients?

Which cases are permissible for foreign medical practitioners in Vietnam to use foreign languages to provide medical care to patients?

Pursuant to Article 21 of the Law on Medical Examination and Treatment in 2023 (effective from 01/01/2024) stipulating cases in which foreign medical practitioners in Vietnam are permissible to use foreign languages to provide medical care to patients as follows:

Use of languages in the practice of medicine

1. The language used in the delivery of healthcare is Vietnamese, except as defined in clause 2 of this Article.

2. Any medical practitioner who is a foreigner or overseas Vietnamese (hereinafter referred to as foreign practitioner) may use other languages rather than Vietnamese to provide medical care to patients if:

a) these patients and their practitioners use the same language; these patients are proficient in the languages that medical practitioners have registered for use in their practice of medicine;

b) these patients are foreigners and are not covered in point a of this clause;

c) the humanitarian outreach healthcare campaign organized at intervals; the transfer of professional and technical expertise in healthcare takes place under the cooperation agreement between a medical establishment of Vietnam and a foreign medical establishment.

3. The usage of language prescribed in clause 2 of this Article shall conform to the following regulations:

a) When providing medical care as defined in point b and c of clause 2 of this Article, a language interpreter shall be required;

b) Information required for the delivery of healthcare shall be given in the language that the foreign medical practitioner has registered for usage, and be translated into Vietnamese.

4. The Government shall elaborate on this Article; shall impose regulations on qualification criteria of the language interpreter referred to in point a of clause 3 of this Article; on the usage of language in the distribution of healthcare services to ethnic minorities who are incapable of using Vietnamese; people with language disorder or impairment; foreign patients.

As regulations above, foreign medical practitioners in Vietnam are permissible to use foreign languages to provide medical care to patients if:

+) these patients and their practitioners use the same language; these patients are proficient in the languages that medical practitioners have registered for use in their practice of medicine;

+) these patients are foreigners and are not covered in point a of this clause (it is compulsory to have an interpreter);

+) the humanitarian outreach healthcare campaign organized at intervals; the transfer of professional and technical expertise in healthcare takes place under the cooperation agreement between a medical establishment of Vietnam and a foreign medical establishment (it is compulsory to have an interpreter).

Information required for the delivery of healthcare shall be given in the language that the foreign medical practitioner has registered for usage, and be translated into Vietnamese.

Which cases are compulsory for foreign medical practitioners in Vietnam to register languages used in the practice of medicine?

Pursuant to Article 37 of the Law on Medical Examination and Treatment in 2023 (effective from 01/01/2024) stipulating as follows:

Information required for registration

1. Full name, reference number of the practising license.

2. Professional title or rank of the medical practitioner.

3. Information about the practice location, including name and address of the medical establishment granting registration to the medical practitioner.

4. Working hours and days.

5. The language used by the foreign medical practitioner in the delivery of healthcare. This information is required for those defined in point a and b of clause 2 of Article 21 herein.

As regulations above, foreign medical practitioners in Vietnam have to register languages used in the practice of medicine in these following cases:

+) these patients and their practitioners use the same language; these patients are proficient in the languages that medical practitioners have registered for use in their practice of medicine;

+) these patients are foreigners and are not covered in point a of this clause;

What is the time limit of regulations on use of language in licensing and practising medicine applied to foreign medical practitioners in Vietnam?

Pursuant to Clause 4 Article 121 of the Law on Medical Examination and Treatment in 2023 (effective from 01/01/2024) stipulating validity of regulations on use of language in licensing and practising medicine applied to foreign medical practitioners in Vietnam as follows:

Grandfather clauses

1. Practicing certificates issued before January 1, 2024 shall be converted into practicing licenses according to the conversion roadmap approved by the Government, and shall be renewed every 5 years from the date of conversion as prescribed in this Law.

2. Issuing practicing certificates according to application packages submitted before January 1, 2024 shall comply with the regulatory provisions of the Law on Medical Examination and Treatment No. 40/2009/QH12, which was amended and supplemented by the Law No. 21/2017/QH14.

3. Practising certificates issued under clause 2 of this Article shall be converted into practising licenses, and renewed in accordance with clause 1 of this Article.

4. Regulations on use of language in licensing and practising medicine applied to foreigners and overseas Vietnamese under the Law on Medical Examination and Treatment No. 40/2009/QH12 amended and supplemented by the Law No. 21/2017/QH14 shall apply until the end of December 31, 2031.

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As regulations above, regulations on use of language in licensing and practising medicine applied to foreign medical practitioners in Vietnam shall be applied until the end of December 31, 2031.

Best regards!