Vietnam: In which cases are officials and public employees not eligible for the payment of work-trip allowances?

According to Clause 3 Article 3 of Circular No. 40/2017/TT-BTC of the Ministry of Finance of Vietnam, eligibility requirements for work-trip allowances include:

- They must fulfill their assigned tasks;

- They are sent on work trips by heads of their agencies or units, or they are invited to join the work trips;

- They sufficiently present required documents for payment as regulated herein, specifically as follows:

“1. Travel warrant of person on work trip, certified by the receiving agency (or by hotel or guesthouse).

2. A document or work plan approved by the head of an agency or unit; official letters or letters of invitation; official letters requisitioning officials, public employees and contractual employees to join the work-trip destination.

3. Ticketing invoices or receipts as regulated by law when going on work trip by means of transport, or receipts of vehicle owners. Particularly for documents for payment of airfares, boarding cards are required in addition to ticket counterfoils (or electronic tickets) under effective regulations of law. In case of loss of boarding cards, certification by sending agency or unit is required (in case payment is made based on actual travel expenses).

4. Table listing travel distances, which shall be submitted to heads of agencies or units for payment approval (in case payment is made based on actual travel expenses).

5. Lawful invoices or receipts of lodging rents (in case payment is made based on actual lodging rents).

6. Particularly for payment of fixed travel allowance for work trips as regulated in Point a Clause 2 Article 5 herein, documents mentioned in Clauses 2 and 4 of this Article are required.”

Concurrently, according to Clause 4 Article 3 of Circular No. 40/2017/TT-BTC, the following cases are ineligible for work-trip allowances:

- Treatment or convalescence period spent at health care facilities or sanatoria;

- Period of participation in long-term or short-term training courses during which trainees have enjoyed entitlements as regulated;

- Period for doing private business during the work trip;

- Time on resident or dispatched assignment in another locality or agency under a decision of a competent authority.

Thus, officials and public employees shall not be eligible for the payment of work-trip allowances if they do not meet the conditions stated in Clause 3, Article 3, or if they fall under any of the cases mentioned in Clause 4, Article 3 of Circular No. 40/2017/TT-BTC of the Ministry of Finance of Vietnam.

- Nguyen Trinh -

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