Clarifications on Military Service Obligations in 2018

1. What age is required to participate in military service?

According to Articles 12 and 30 of the 2015 Military Service Law (Military Service Law), the age required to participate in military service is:

- Male citizens aged 17 and older, and female citizens aged 18 and older with appropriate professional qualifications, which are specified in Chapter II of Decree 14/2016/ND-CP;- Citizens aged 18 onwards are subject to conscription; the age for conscription ranges from 18 to 25 years old.- Citizens undergoing higher education who have postponed military service can be conscripted until the age of 27.

2. How many times a year is conscription held?

According to Article 33 of the Military Service Law, citizens are conscripted once a year in February or March; in necessary cases for reasons of national defense and security, there can be a second conscription.

For localities experiencing disasters or dangerous epidemics, the time for conscription and the performance of obligations to join the People's Police can be adjusted.

Accordingly, the health examination for military service starts from November 1 to December 31 each year. The order for health examination must be delivered to citizens 15 days before the examination date.

3. Under what circumstances can conscription be postponed?

Article 41 of the Military Service Law and Article 5 of Circular 140/2015/TT-BQP provide for postponement of conscription for the following citizens:

- Those not physically fit for active duty as concluded by the Health Examination Council;- The sole laborer directly supporting dependents who are incapable of working or underage; families severely damaged in persons and properties due to accidents, natural disasters, dangerous epidemics, confirmed by the commune-level People's Committee;- A single child of a war invalid, a person suffering from dioxin exposure with reduced working capacity from 61% to 80%;- Having a sibling or cousin who is a non-commissioned officer or soldier serving active duty; non-commissioned officer, soldier performing the obligation to join the People's Police;- Persons in the first 3 years of migration to, and resettlement in, specially disadvantaged communes under the State's socioeconomic development project decided by the provincial-level People's Committee or higher;- Officials and public employees, youth volunteers mobilized to perform duties in regions with specially difficult socioeconomic conditions as prescribed by law;- Currently studying at general education institutions; undergoing regular university training under higher education institutions, regular college training under vocational education institutions during one training course of one training level.

Illustration (Internet source)

4. Under what circumstances can conscription be exempted?

According to Clause 2, Article 41 of the Military Service Law and Clause 2, Article 5 of Circular 140/2015/TT-BQP, citizens exempted from conscription include:

- Children of martyrs and children of first-class war invalids;- One brother or one sister of a martyr;- One child of a second-class war invalid; one child of a patient with a working capacity reduction of 81% or more; one child of a person suffering from dioxin exposure with a working capacity reduction of 81% or more;- Persons doing cryptographic work who are not soldiers or People's Police officers;- Officials and public employees, youth volunteers mobilized to perform duties in regions with specially difficult socioeconomic conditions prescribed by law for 24 months or more.

5. How is the military service health check conducted?

According to Interministerial Circular 16/2016/TTLT-BYT-BQP, the current military service health examination involves two rounds. The first round is considered a preliminary examination, and if passed, a more detailed examination is conducted in the second round. Specifically, the steps for the examination are as follows:

Round 1:

- This examination is conducted at the commune-level medical station.- The examination mainly involves a preliminary external check to detect cases unsuitable for military service due to physical weaknesses, deformities, or exempted diseases, and also collects personal and family medical history.

Round 2: In this round, specialist doctors perform a more thorough examination. It includes examinations in nine medical rooms as follows: Physical Examination Room; Pulse and Blood Pressure Measurement Room; Vision and Eye Examination Room; Hearing and ENT Examination Room; Dental Examination Room; Internal and Psychiatric Examination Room; Surgical and Dermatological Examination Room; Laboratory Room; Conclusion Room.

At the end of this round, the eligible individuals for conscription and those disqualified will be identified. The results of the military service health examination are categorized in detail. Those eligible for conscription will undergo one final health check.

6. Do nearsighted individuals have to participate in military service?

Point c, Clause 3, Article 4 of Circular 140/2015/TT-BQP stipulates that citizens with nearsightedness of 1.5 diopters or more, and all degrees of farsightedness are not conscripted into the military.

Citizens selected and conscripted are those with health standards classified as type 1, 2, or 3.

7. How is the classification of military service health done?

Classification is based on the scores assigned to 8 criteria recorded in the military service health sheet. Specifically:

- Type 1: All 8 criteria achieve score 1;- Type 2: At least one criterion scores 2;- Type 3: At least one criterion scores 3;- Type 4: At least one criterion scores 4;- Type 5: At least one criterion scores 5;- Type 6: At least one criterion scores 6.

Citizens selected for conscription are those with health standards classified as type 1, 2, or 3.

The above content is regulated in Clause 4, Article 9 of Interministerial Circular 16/2016/TTLT-BYT-BQP.

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