From November 20, 2018: New regulations on selecting and calling citizens to join the army

The Circular clearly states the annual recruitment targets and time, implemented according to the Prime Minister's decision on calling citizens to join the army.

Based on the decision of the Prime Minister, the Minister of National Defense decides to assign the quota for recruiting citizens to join the army to units under the Ministry of National Defense in each province and centrally-run city.

Regarding military recruitment standards: Citizens from 18 to 25 years old. Male citizens with college or university degrees who have been temporarily deferred from military service during a training course of a training level will be selected and called up for military service until they are 27 years old.

Health standards: Select citizens with health categories 1, 2, 3 according to the provisions of Joint Circular No. 16/2016/TTLT-BYT-BQP of the Minister of Health - Minister of National Defense regulating health examination for military service.

Citizens with health category 3 or refractive eye defects (myopia 1.5 diopters or more, hyperopia of various degrees); drug addicts, HIV-infected, and AIDS are not called to enlist in the Army.

Cultural standards: Select and call up citizens with an 8th grade education level or higher, from high to low. Localities with difficulties in meeting military recruitment targets will report to competent authorities for consideration and decision to select citizens with a 7th grade education level.

Communes in remote areas, areas with especially difficult socio-economic conditions as prescribed by law; ethnic minorities with less than 10,000 people are allowed to recruit no more than 25% of citizens with primary education level, the rest with secondary education level or higher.

Deferment and exemption from military service

According to the Circular, military service is temporarily postponed for the following citizens: Not healthy enough to serve in the army according to the conclusion of the Health Examination Council; being the only worker who must directly support relatives who are no longer able to work or have not reached working age; in a family that has suffered serious damage to people and property due to accidents, natural disasters, dangerous epidemics confirmed by the People's Committee of the commune, ward, or town; a child of a sick soldier or a person infected with Agent Orange with a reduced working capacity of 61% to 80%...

The following citizens are exempted from military service: Children of martyrs, children of first-class war invalids; one brother or younger brother of a martyr; one child of a second-class war invalid; one child of a sick soldier with a labor capacity reduction of 81% or more; one child of a person infected with Agent Orange with a labor capacity reduction of 81% or more; people doing secret work who are not soldiers or People's Public Security; cadres, civil servants, public employees, and youth volunteers who are mobilized to work in areas with especially difficult socio-economic conditions as prescribed by law for 24 months or more.

This Circular takes effect from November 20, 2018.