Vietnam: New documents in the past week (from July 05 to July 10, 2021)

1. The Ministry of Public Security of Vietnam published the form of chip-based ID card 

The Ministry of Public Security of Vietnam issued the Circular No. 73/2021/TT-BCA regulates the forms of passport, travel document and other related forms of immigration. The Circular takes effect from August 14, 2021.

According to the Circular No. 73/2021/TT-BCA, chip-based passport is printed with an electronic chip symbol. This chip is mounted in the back cover of the passport. Passport cover is a synthetic plastic material, with high durability. The passport size remains the same according to ISO 7810. The images on the passport pages are beautiful scenes of the country, Vietnamese cultural heritage combined with bronze drum motifs. Languages used in the passport include Vietnamese and English. Number of pages in the passport, excluding the cover page: 48 pages for diplomatic passports, official passports and ordinary passports with a validity of 5 years or 10 years; 12 pages for an ordinary passport with a validity of no more than 12 months.

All contents and images printed in passports are made by modern technology to meet security requirements, prevent counterfeiting and meet ICAO standards.

Persons wishing to be issued ordinary passports or chip-based passports can go to the Immigration Department of the provincial-level police station where they permanently or temporarily reside to apply.

Note: These two types of passports have the same legal validity. Passports and travel documents issued before January 1, 2022 are still valid until the expiry date stated in this document.

2. New regulations on requirements for applicants of doctoral program admission and doctoral education 

The Circular No. 18/2021/TT-BGDĐT promulgates regulation on doctoral program admission and doctoral education, takes effect from August 15, 2021.

Pursuant to Article 7 of the Circular No. 18/2021/TT-BGDĐT, general requirements for applicants of doctoral program admission and doctoral education are prescribed as following:

- Hold a master's degree or bachelor's degree classified as good or higher in a suitable academic discipline or a qualification equivalent to level 7 of the Vietnamese Qualifications Framework in some special academic disciplines suitable for the field of the target doctoral program.

(The current provision is that having a bachelor's degree classified as good or higher or a master’s degree).

- Meet admission requirements of training program standards promulgated by the Ministry of Education and Training and of the target doctoral program;

- Have research experience evidenced by a master’s thesis of a research-oriented training program; or a published scientific report or article; or working for at least 02 years (24 months) as a lecturer or researcher of a training institution or scientific and technological organization;

(The current provision is that having 01 article or report in the field of research published in scientific magazine or proceedings of specialized scientific conferences and seminars with peer review within 36 months from the date of application).

- Have a draft research outline and draft course-wise study and research plan. (the current Vietnamese law does not have provision on this issue).

3. Salaries and wages for participants in voluntary forces to perform disaster management tasks in commune-level

The Decree No. 66/2021/NĐ-CP guides application of the Law on Natural Disaster Management and Law on amendments to some articles of the Law on Natural Disaster Management and Law on Dikes, takes effect from August 20, 2021.

(1) Persons who do not receive salary from the state budget during the period they are mobilized to perform disaster management tasks or attend training or drill sessions are entitled to receive allowance for their working days as follows:

- Regarding a person who is mobilized to attend a training or drill session: the allowance per day on which he/she is mobilized is not less than VND 59,600;

- Regarding a person who is mobilized to perform disaster management tasks: the allowance per person per day is not less than VND 119,200;

- If he/she attends a training or drill session or performs disaster management tasks at night (from 10 p.m to 6 a.m the following day), the allowance is twice as much as that specified in this Point;

- When attending a training or drill session or performing disaster management tasks in an area far from his/her residence resulting him/her being unable to commute daily, he/she shall be provided with accommodation, means of transport and travelling expenses or get paid for train or coach tickets for arrival and return as a communal official; and provided with meal allowance which is prescribed by the provincial People’s Committee but not less than VND 57,000.

The authority that mobilizes him/her shall assume responsibility for providing allowance.

(2) Persons who receive salary from the state budget during the period they are mobilized to attend training or drill sessions or perform disaster management tasks under the decisions of competent authorities, the authorities for which such persons are working shall pay full salary and provide welfare benefits and commuting allowances and cover the cost of travel expenses.

- If a person under an employee contract is attending a training or drill session or performing disaster management tasks, he/she is entitled to suspend the employment contract and receive salaries and allowances as prescribed;

- The abovementioned expenditures shall be included in the budget for recurrent expenditures of the authority or unit.

(3) Cadres, militia and self-defense soldiers and communal policemen who are mobilized to attend training and drill sessions or perform disaster management tasks under decisions of competent authorities shall receive benefits as prescribed by law.

4. Suspending the handling of vehicles for not installing cameras until the end of 2021

This is a notable content of the Resolution No. 66/NQ-CP dated July 01 2021 Vietnam Government session on formulating law in June 2021.

Particularly, the Resolution No. 66/NQ-CP clearly states that in order to propose to remove difficulties in implementing regulations on installing cameras on business vehicles due to the impact of the Covid-19 epidemic:

The Government of Vietnam decided to suspend the application until the end of December 31, 2021 of regulations on sanctioning of administrative violations against individuals and organizations that commit the acts specified in: point p Clause 5 Article 23; point c Clause 3 Article 24; Point o, p Clause 6 Article 28 of the Decree No. 100/2019/ND-CP on administrative penalties for road traffic offenses and rail transport offenses.

The Resolution No. 66/NQ-CP issued on July 01 2021.

Bao Ngoc

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