Exemptions from Military Service due to Myopia

According to Points a and c, Clause 3, Article 4 of Circular 140/2015/TT-BQP on the regulations for selecting and calling citizens to enlist and Appendix attached to Joint Circular 16/2016/TTLT-BYT-BQP on the regulations for health examinations for military service, citizens with the following vision impairments are exempt from enlistment:

- Myopia from 3.0 diopters or higher.- Myopia from 1.5 diopters or higher and classified as health category 3.

Simultaneously, Joint Circular 16/2016/TTLT-BYT-BQP stipulates the cases of eye diseases exempt from enlistment as follows:

- Visual acuity:- Visual acuity of the right eye is 8/10; total visual acuity of both eyes is 16/10.- Visual acuity of the right eye is 6/10, 7/10; total visual acuity of both eyes is 13/10 - 15/10.- Visual acuity of the right eye is 1/10, 2/10, 3/10, 4/10, 5/10; total visual acuity of both eyes is 6/10 - 12/10.- Retinal degeneration due to severe myopia (from -3D or higher);- Hyperopia: All degrees of hyperopia;- All types of astigmatism;- Pterygium:- Pterygium grade 3;- Pterygium covering the pupil;- Reoperated pterygium causing adhesion;- Corneal diseases:- Corneal scars with iris adhesion;- Simple, thin, small corneal scars outside the central region (depending on visual acuity, an increase of 1 point);- Trachoma:- Uncomplicated: If in the progressive stage (depending on visual acuity, an increase of 1 point, considering exemption); If in the scar stage (depending on visual acuity, maintain classification by visual acuity, considering exemption);- Complicated (with blood vessels, corneal scars).- Distichiasis (entropion) of the eyelid:- Does not affect visual acuity: (depending on visual acuity, an increase of 1 point, considering exemption);- Affects visual acuity.- Conjunctivitis: Spring conjunctivitis- Lacrimal apparatus: Chronic dacryocystitis or repeated unsuccessful treatments:- Extraocular muscle diseases:- Functional strabismus: Affects functionality;- Strabismus due to paralysis of one or more extraocular muscles (internal, external, upward, downward)- Nystagmus (pathological or congenital).- Eyelid and orbital diseases:- Scars damaging the eyelid: unable to close the eye, eyelid adhesion, eyelid eversion, eyelid inversion;- Congenital or pathological ptosis of various degrees;- Orbital diseases.- Color blindness (partial or total).- Pigmentepithelium degeneration (night blindness).- Congenital cataracts.- Other eye diseases:- Glaucoma, bilateral cataracts, dislocated lens, uveitis, pupillary block, retinal detachment, optic nerve atrophy in one or both eyes;- Retinal lesions caused by pathological conditions (hypertensive retinopathy, retinitis pigmentosa) or congenital (congenital retinal degeneration).

Article 41. Temporary postponement and exemption from enlistment - Law on Military Service 2015

1. Temporary postponement of enlistment for the following citizens:

a) Citizens who are not healthy enough to serve according to the conclusion of the Health Examination Council;

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Article 4. Recruitment standards - Circular 140/2015/TT-BQP

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3. Health standards:

a) Select citizens with health categories 1, 2, 3 as prescribed by the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Defense on health standards for military service.

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c) Do not enlist into the Army citizens with health category 3 who have refractive errors of the eyes (myopia of 1.5 diopters or higher, hyperopia of all degrees); drug addiction, HIV, AIDS.

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