Conditions for issuance of licenses to practice medicine for certain positions in Vietnam

Conditions for issuance of licenses to practice medicine for certain positions in Vietnam (Internet image)

1. The latest regulations on licenses to practice medicine in Vietnam

Article 27 of the Law on Medical Examination and Treatment 2023 stipulates the issuance of license to practice medicine as follows:

- Each medical practitioner may be awarded only one license to practice medicine that is valid for use nationwide.

- The validity period of each license to practice medicine shall be 05 years.

- Each license to practice medicine shall include but not limited to the following information:

+ Full name; date of birth; personal identification number for Vietnamese practitioners; Passport number and nationality for foreign practitioners;

+ Professional title;

+ Scope of practice;

+ Validity period or expiry date of the practicing license.

- Applicants for issuance, re-issuance, renewal, revision or modification of licenses to practice medicine shall pay fees defined in law on fees and charges, except as it is the fault of an agency having jurisdiction to issue licenses to practice medicine that a license to practice medicine needs to be issued, re-issued, renewed, revised or modified .

2. Latest regulations on cases of issuance of license to practice medicine for certain positions in Vietnam

According to Clause 1, Article 30 of the Law on Medical Examination and Treatment 2023, a license to practice medicine may be issued to:

- a person who first applies for the license to practice medicine;

- a medical practitioner whose professional title specified in his/her license to practice medicine is changed;

- a person whose license to practice medicine is revoked as prescribed in regulations on issuance of licenses to practice medicine of the Government;

- Other persons as decided by the Government.

3. Conditions for issuance of licenses to practice medicine for certain positions in Vietnam

According to Clause 2,3, Article 30 of the Law on Medical Examination and Treatment 2023, the conditions for issuance of licenses to practice medicine for certain positions in Vietnam are as follows:

* Conditions for issuance of licenses to practice medicine applied to those holding the professional titles as doctors, physician assistants, nurses, midwives, medical technicians, clinical nutritionists, out-of-hospital paramedics or clinical psychologists shall be as follows:

- Applicants are accredited for the practice of medicine by passing qualification tests specified in Article 24 of the Law on Medical Examination and Treatment 2023, or hold licenses to practice medicine recognized pursuant to Article 29 of the Law on Medical Examination and Treatment 2023;

- Applicants have good health to practice medicine;

- Foreign applicants satisfy Vietnamese proficiency requirements under the Government's regulations;

- Applicants do not get into the situations specified in Article 20 of the Law on Medical Examination and Treatment 2023, or are punished for administrative offences involving the unlicensed practice of medicine within the time limit assigned for deeming that they have not yet been punished for administrative offences.

* Conditions for issuance of licenses to practice medicine applied to those holding the professional titles as herbalists, holders of folk remedies or therapies shall be as follows:

- Applicants hold herbalist certificates or certificates of holders of folk remedies or therapies;

- Applicants satisfy the conditions laid down in point b, c and d of clause 2 of Article 30 of the Law on Medical Examination and Treatment 2023.

4. Procedures for issuance of licenses to practice medicine in Vietnam

* An application package for issuance of a license to practice medicine shall be composed of:

- Application form;

- Documentary evidence of conformance to the conditions specified in clause 2 or 3 of Article 30 of the Law on Medical Examination and Treatment 2023 with respect to corresponding professional titles.

* Procedures for issuance of a license to practice medicine shall be regulated hereunder:

- The applicant submits the set of documents specified in clause 4 of Article 30 of the Law on Medical Examination and Treatment 2023 to the competent licensing agency;

- The competent licensing agency is required to issue the requested license to practice medicine within 30 days of receipt of all required documents; in case of rejection, a written response, clearly stating reasons for such rejection, shall be sent to the applicant;

- Where it is necessary to verify documents of foreign origin enclosed in the application package, the duration of decision to issue a license to practice medicine shall be 30 days from the day on which verification results are available.

To Quoc Trinh

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