Vietnam: Changing several fees from January 01, 2017

Fee for passport renewal is 100,000 VND/issue

This is a content newly specified in Circular No. 219/2016/TT-BTC of the Ministry of Finance of Vietnam on on the rate, collection, submission, administration and use of the fees and charges for entry, exit, transit and residency in Vietnam, which replaces Circular No. 157/2015/TT-BTC. Besides, Circular No. 219/2016/TT-BTC also specifies certain new fees and charges, such as:

- Fee for issuance of an APEC Business Travel Card: 1,200,000 VND/issue for first-time issuance and 1,000,000 VND/issue for re-issuance.

- Fees on issuance of Vietnamese visas:

+ Visa valid for more than 01 year to 02 years: 145 USD/visa;

+ Visa valid for more than 02 year to 05 years: 155 USD/visa;

+ Visa issued to a person under 14 (regardless of the duration of validity): 25 USD/visa;

+ Visa with a validity of 01 year issued according to the Bilateral Agreement on issuance of multiple-entry visas: 100 USD/visa.

Fee of 2,000,000 VND/room for increasing karaoke rooms in urban areas

The Ministry of Finance of Vietnam issued Circular No. 212/2016/TT-BTC on the rate, collection, submission, administration and use of the fee for assessment and licensing of karaoke business and discotheque, which replaces Circular No. 156/2012/TT-BTC. According to Circular No. 212/2016/TT-BTC, the fee for assessment and licensing of karaoke business for the first time remains unchanged in comparison with current regulations. However, in central-affiliated cities, provincial cities and towns, licensed karaoke businesses shall be charged VND 2,000,000 per additional room upon its application for expansion.

In other regions (except those specified above), a licensed karaoke business shall be charged VND 1,000,000 per additional room upon its application for expansion. Individuals and organizations shall incur the fee defined in this Circular upon applying to competent government authorities for licensing of karaoke business or discotheque.

Starting from January 01, 2017, a fee will be imposed for the conversion of the Identification Card (ID) to the Citizen Identity Card (CIC)

This is a new featured content of Circular No. 256/2016/TT-BTC of the Ministry of Finance of Vietnam on the fees for processing of applications for Citizen Identity Card, and the collection, transfer and management thereof, which replaces Circular No. 170/2015/TT-BTC. According to Circular No. 256/2016/TT-BTC, instead of being exempted from fees as currently practiced, citizens will be required to pay a fee when consversing from the 9-digit or 12-digit ID card to the CIC.

Moreover, the entities who are currently eligible for exemption from the fees for processing of applications for Citizen Identity Card must also pay these fees, including: citizens under the age of 16 applying for issuance of Citizen Identity Card; citizens changing their CIC when they reach the ages of 25, 40, and 60. Fees for all of the above-mentioned cases is VND 30,000/Citizen Identity Card.

Citizens under the age of 16 applying for issuance of Citizen Identity Card shall be eligible for exemption from the fees for processing of applications for Citizen Identity Card.

Reducing the charge for certification of law practice

This is a featured content of Circular No. 220/2016/TT-BTC of the Ministry of Finance of Vietnam on the rate, collection, submission, administration and use of the charges and fees for the practice of law, which takes effect from January 01, 2017 and replaces Circular No. 02/2012/TT-BTC and Circular No. 118/2015/TT-BTC.

According to Circular No. 220/2016/TT-BTC, the charge for certification of law practice is reduced from 400,000 VND/application to 100,000 VND/application. Concurrently, supplementing several charges and fees for the practice of law, such as:

- Fee for verification of eligibility for practicing law is 800,000 VND/application;

- Fee for verification of eligibility of a foreign lawyer for practicing law in Vietnam is 5,000,000 VND/application;

- Fee for verification of operational conditions of a foreign organization practicing law in Vietnam is 2,000,000 VND/application;

- Fee for verification of eligibility of a foreign lawyer for extending his or her practice of law in Vietnam is 3,000,000 VND/application;

- Fee for verification of conditions to revise the operations of a foreign organization practicing law in Vietnam is 1,000,000 VND/application.

Fees and charges for foreign flights to Vietnamese airports

Circular No. 194/2016/TT-BTC of the Ministry of Finance of Vietnam on the rate, collection and submission of the customs fee and the charge on the arrival and departure of foreign flights at and from Vietnamese airports also takes effect from January 01, 2017 and replaces Decision No. 179/2000/QD-BTC.

According to Circular No. 194/2016/TT-BTC, foreign organizations and individuals flying to Vietnamese airports (except for certain cases specified in Article 3 of this Circular) must pay:

- Customs fee: USD 50/arriving flight;

- Charge on airport entry and exit: USD 50/arriving flight.

If an international flight on foreign aircraft makes multiple stops in Vietnam during one voyage, the customs fee and airport entry and exit charge shall be collected only once at the first airport of arrival.

Payers shall pay the fee and charge before the aircraft takes off. If the flight adheres to a schedule, the payer shall pay the fee and charge before the aircraft takes off or on a monthly basis; in other words, by no later than the 20th of the following month.

Fee for handling complaints against competition restriction actions is VND 100.000.000/case

According to Circular No. 251/2016/TT-BTC of the Ministry of Finance of Vietnam prescribing the fees for handling of competition cases, and the collection, transfer, management and use thereof, fees for handling complaints against unfair competition actions shall be VND 10.000.000/case and fees for handling complaints against competition restriction actions shall be VND 100.000.000/case.

Fees for handling of independent claims of persons having related rights and obligations shall be VND 10.000.000/case. Fees for processing of applications for exemption in competition cases shall be VND 50.000.000/application.

Not later than the 05th day of each month, each collector must transfer or deposit the total amount of the fees collected in the previous month to the designated state budget account opened at the State Treasury.

The certification and attestation fees in 2017

Circular No. 226/2016/TT-BTC of the Ministry of Finance of Vietnam on the rate, collection, submission, administration and use of the certification and attestation fees increases the fee for attestation of contract or transaction. Specifically, the fee for attestation of contract or transaction is VND 50,000/contract or transaction (increased by VND 20,000). The fee for attestation of amendment, supplement or cancellation of a contract or transaction is VND 30,000/contract or transaction (increased by VND 10,000). The fee for correction of errors in an attested contract or transaction is VND 25,000/contract or transaction (increased by VND 15,000).

The rate of fee for certification of a copy of an original and fee for certification of signature remains unchanged compared with current regulations (only differs in name, currently referred to as a charge).

The collectors shall submit the entire fee amount collected to the state budget. If the operating expenditure of a collector is sourced from the fees collected, it shall be allowed to retain 50% of the fee amount collected to cover for the spending defined in Article 5 of Decree No. 120/2016/ND-CP of Vietnam’s Government.

Source: Phap Luat Newspapers

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