Consolidated Document number 05/VBHN-BGDĐT Circular stipulating conditions, procedures, authority for recognizing foreign educational institution certificates for use in Vietnam.

CIRCULAR

Provisions on conditions, procedures, formalities, and authority for recognizing foreign educational institution certificates for use in Vietnam

Circular No. 13/2021/TT-BGDĐT dated April 15, 2021, issued by the Minister of Education and Training, stipulates conditions, procedures, formalities, and authority for recognizing foreign educational institution certificates for use in Vietnam, which took effect from June 1, 2021, has been amended and supplemented by:

Circular No. 07/2024/TT-BGDĐT dated May 2, 2024, issued by the Minister of Education and Training, amending and supplementing Article 7 and replacing Appendix II and Appendix III of Circular No. 13/2021/TT-BGDĐT dated April 15, 2021, issued by the Minister of Education and Training, stipulating conditions, procedures, formalities, and authority for recognizing foreign educational institution certificates for use in Vietnam, which took effect from November 2, 2024.

The Minister of Education and Training promulgates this Circular stipulating conditions, procedures, formalities, and authority for recognizing foreign educational institution certificates for use in Vietnam.

Pursuant to the Education Law dated June 14, 2019;

Pursuant to the Higher Education Law dated June 18, 2012; the Law Amending and Supplementing Certain Provisions of the Higher Education Law dated November 19, 2018;

Pursuant to Decree No. 69/2017/NĐ-CP dated May 25, 2017 of the Government stipulating the functions, tasks, powers, and organizational structure of the Ministry of Education and Training;

At the proposal of the Director of the Quality Management Department;

1. This Circular stipulates conditions, procedures, formalities, and authority for recognizing foreign educational institution certificates for use in Vietnam including: secondary school graduation certificates, high school graduation certificates, certificates of completion of general education programs, bachelor's degrees, master's degrees, doctoral degrees, and equivalent certificates (hereinafter referred to collectively as certificates).[1]

Article 1. Scope of Regulation and Applicability

a) The Quality Management Department under the Ministry of Education and Training;

2. This Circular applies to:

b) The specialized agencies for education under the People's Committees of provinces and centrally governed cities (hereinafter referred to as Departments of Education and Training);

c) Organizations and individuals related to the recognition of foreign educational institution certificates for use in Vietnam.

Article 2. Recognition of Certificates

Recognition of foreign educational institution certificates for use in Vietnam (hereinafter referred to as recognition of certificates) is the process of recognizing the level of study recorded on the certificate according to the education system of the country where the foreign educational institution is headquartered and determining the equivalence with the levels of training specified in the National Qualifications Framework of Vietnam.

Article 3. Principles of Certificate Recognition

1. Certificate recognition shall be carried out based on the needs of the certificate holder, personnel management agencies, or labor management units upon the consent of the certificate holder (hereinafter referred to collectively as the certificate recognition applicant).

Foreign educational institution certificates will be recognized when the student completes the education program ensuring quality as prescribed by the country where the foreign educational institution is headquartered and such completion is recognized by the competent education authority of that country as stipulated in Article 4 of this Circular.

2. 3. Foreign educational institution certificates will be exempted from the certificate recognition procedure if they meet the provisions set forth in Article 5 of this Circular.

4. Higher education institutions base their self-assessment of certificates for use in their training activities on the conditions stipulated in Article 4 of this Circular and bear full responsibility under the law for the results of the certificate assessment. In necessary cases, higher education institutions may require the certificate holder to undergo the certificate recognition procedure as stipulated in Article 7 of this Circular.

4. Higher education institutions base on the conditions stipulated in Article 4 of this Circular shall self-assess the diplomas for use in training activities and bear full responsibility under the law for the results of the diploma assessment. In necessary cases, higher education institutions may request the holders of diplomas to complete the procedures for recognizing diplomas as prescribed in Article 7 of this Circular.

Article 4. Conditions for Recognition of Diplomas

1. Diplomas issued by foreign educational institutions to students shall be recognized when the education program has a study and research duration that aligns with the Vietnamese National Education Framework Structure and meets one of the following conditions:

a) The education program is accredited by the quality assurance organization of the country where the foreign educational institution's headquarters is located, corresponding to the form of training.

b) The foreign educational institution is permitted by the competent authority on education of the country where the institution's headquarters is located to conduct training and issue diplomas, or has been accredited by the quality assurance organization of the country where the foreign educational institution's headquarters is located.

2. Diplomas issued by foreign educational institutions operating in another country different from the location of their headquarters (including Vietnam) shall be recognized when such institutions are allowed by the competent authorities on education of both countries to establish branch offices, conduct training, or approve cooperation and joint training programs; they must also comply with the regulations set forth in Clause 1 of this Article while conducting training activities according to the license.

3. Diplomas issued by foreign educational institutions to students through online training or direct training combined with online training shall be recognized when they meet the requirements specified in point a of Clause 1 of this Article and one of the following conditions:

a) The training program is licensed by the Ministry of Education and Training to conduct training in Vietnam when the student resides and studies in Vietnam;

b) The training program is licensed by the competent authority on education of the country where the training organization is located when the student resides and studies in that country.

4. The recognition of diplomas issued by foreign educational institutions to students affected by war, natural disasters, epidemics, fires, and other force majeure cases shall be decided by the Minister of Education and Training.

Article 5. Exemption from Diploma Recognition Procedures

1. Diplomas issued by foreign educational institutions to students for use in Vietnam without the need to undergo recognition procedures include:

a) Diplomas of foreign educational institutions within the scope of application of agreements, mutual recognition agreements on equivalence of diplomas, or international treaties related to diplomas that the Socialist Republic of Vietnam has signed, as announced by the Ministry of Education and Training;

b) Diplomas of foreign educational institutions issued to students sent abroad for study by the Ministry of Education and Training using state budget funds;

c) Diplomas issued by foreign educational institutions to students under joint training programs with foreign countries in Vietnam approved by the competent authority since the effective date of the Law Amending and Supplementing Certain Provisions of the Higher Education Law (Law No. 34/2018/QH14 dated November 19, 2018).

2. Diplomas specified in Clause 1 of this Article must meet the following requirements:

a) The name of the diploma must conform to the regulations on diplomas of the Vietnamese National Education System;

b) The duration of training and admission criteria must comply with the regulations of the Ministry of Education and Training;

c) Training must be conducted either directly or through a combination of direct and online training, with the total online teaching time not exceeding 30% of the total program duration.

3. Exemption from the diploma recognition procedure does not include verification of the diploma; the relevant authority, organization, or employer shall be responsible for verifying the diploma if necessary.

Article 6. Authority to Recognize Academic Credentials

1. The Director of the Quality Management Department under the Ministry of Education and Training shall recognize bachelor's degrees, master's degrees, doctoral degrees, and equivalent academic credentials.

2. The Director of the Department of Education and Training shall recognize junior high school graduation certificates, senior high school graduation certificates, and certificates confirming completion of the general education program.

Article 7. Documents, Procedures, and Results of Recognizing Academic Credentials[2]

1. The person requesting recognition of academic credentials shall provide information on the academic credentials as specified in Appendix I of this Circular and upload the application documents to the online public service portal of the Ministry of Education and Training or the Department of Education and Training (hereinafter referred to collectively as the competent authority for recognizing academic credentials) and pay the prescribed fee.

2. The documents include:

a) A copy of the academic credential or a copy from the original issuance record of the academic credential being requested for recognition, accompanied by a notarized translation into Vietnamese;

b) A copy of the appendix to the academic credential or a transcript, accompanied by a notarized translation into Vietnamese;

c) A notarized copy of directly related academic credentials or certificates (if applicable);

d) Evidence of study abroad period (if applicable): Decision on sending to study and acceptance by the labor management unit; passport, visa pages, entry-exit stamps corresponding to the study period, or other evidence;

đ) Authorization document for verifying information about the academic credential (if required by the verification unit).

3. The process of uploading documents to the online public service portal is as follows:

a) In cases where the person requesting recognition of academic credentials has information or evidence that can be verified directly from the educational institution issuing the credential or the competent authority for verification, they shall provide such information or evidence directly to the competent authority for recognizing academic credentials while uploading scanned copies of the documents specified in point a and point b of Clause 2 of this Article (no need for certification of electronic copies from originals); certify electronic copies from originals of the documents specified in point c and point d of Clause 2 of this Article;

b) In cases where the person requesting recognition of academic credentials does not have information or evidence that can be verified directly, they shall certify electronic copies from originals of the documents specified in points a, b, c, and d of Clause 2 of this Article, accompanied by an authorization document for verifying information about the academic credential (if required by the verification unit), and upload them to the online public service portal;

c) In cases where documents are not uploaded to the online public service portal, the person requesting recognition of academic credentials shall submit the documents specified in Clause 2 of this Article directly or through postal services to the competent authority for recognizing academic credentials.

4. Within twenty working days, the competent authority for recognizing academic credentials shall be responsible for returning the results of recognizing academic credentials to the person requesting recognition of academic credentials. In cases requiring verification of information about academic credentials from foreign educational institutions or foreign verification units, the deadline for returning the results of recognizing academic credentials shall not exceed forty-five working days from the date of receiving the application for recognizing academic credentials.

5. The results of recognizing academic credentials shall be recorded on a recognition certificate according to the model at Appendix II and Appendix III of this Circular. In cases where the academic credentials do not meet the conditions for recognition or exceed the time limit specified in Clause 4 of this Article without sufficient grounds to verify information about the academic credentials, the competent authority for recognizing academic credentials must respond in writing or via email to the person requesting recognition of academic credentials. In cases where the equivalence level of the academic credentials with the national qualification framework of Vietnam cannot be determined, the competent authority for recognizing academic credentials shall provide information and recognize the value of the academic credentials according to the education system of the country where the foreign educational institution is headquartered.

6. The competent authority for recognizing degrees shall maintain a register of issued recognition certificates, recording information including: name, date of birth of the recognized credential holder; name of the educational institution issuing the degree; form of training; equivalent level to the national qualification framework of Vietnam or the level according to the education system of the country where the foreign educational institution is headquartered; registration number of the issued recognition certificate.

7. Higher education institutions shall self-assess academic credentials for use in their training activities, prepare assessment documents, and store them according to regulations.

Article 8. Revocation of Recognition Results for Diplomas

1. In cases where it is verified that the diploma is illegal or the application dossier for recognition of the diploma is not truthful, the recognition result of the diploma shall be revoked.

2. The head of the competent authority recognizing the diploma shall issue a decision to revoke the recognition result of the diploma and recover the recognition certificate, clearly stating the reasons for revocation and recovery.

3. The decision to revoke the recognition result of the diploma and recover the recognition certificate shall be published on the electronic portal of the competent authority recognizing the diploma, sent to the person whose recognition result of the diploma has been revoked, the inspection agency that discovered the violation (if any), the agency where the person whose recognition result of the diploma has been revoked is working (if any), and other relevant agencies and organizations.

Article 9. Responsibilities of the Competent Authority Recognizing Diplomas

1. Quality Management Department

a) Shall be responsible for the results of recognizing diplomas and handling complaints and denunciations (if any);

b) Announce and update on the Ministry of Education and Training's online public service portal information about cases exempted from the procedures for recognizing diplomas as stipulated in Clause 1, Article 5 of this Circular.

2. Departments of Education and Training

a) Shall be responsible for the results of recognizing diplomas and handling complaints and denunciations (if any);

b) Report to the Ministry of Education and Training the number of types of recognized diplomas before December 25 each year.

Article 10. Effective Date[3]

1. This Circular takes effect from June 1, 2021. This Circular replaces Decision No. 77/2007/QD-BGDĐT dated December 20, 2007 issued by the Minister of Education and Training on regulations regarding the procedures and formalities for recognizing diplomas issued by foreign educational institutions to Vietnamese citizens; Circular No. 26/2013/TT-BGDĐT dated July 15, 2013 issued by the Minister of Education and Training amending and supplementing certain provisions of the regulations on procedures and formalities for recognizing diplomas issued by foreign educational institutions to Vietnamese citizens promulgated by Decision No. 77/2007/QD-BGDĐT dated December 20, 2007 of the Minister of Education and Training; and Circular No. 17/2017/TT-BGDĐT dated July 13, 2017 issued by the Minister of Education and Training on the amendment of the phrase "International Cooperation Department" and "Overseas Training Department" to "International Cooperation Department"; and the phrase "Examination and Quality Assurance Department" to "Quality Management Department" at Decision No. 77/2007/QD-BGDĐT dated December 20, 2007 issued by the Minister of Education and Training on regulations regarding procedures and formalities for recognizing diplomas issued by foreign educational institutions to Vietnamese citizens which have been amended and supplemented by Circular No. 26/2013/TT-BGDĐT dated July 15, 2013 issued by the Minister of Education and Training.

2. The Director of the Office, the Director of the Quality Management Department, the heads of relevant units under the Ministry of Education and Training; the directors of Departments of Education and Training; the directors of universities and academies; the principals of university schools; and related organizations and individuals are responsible for implementing this Circular./.

Seal Registration Certificate

SAMPLE CERTIFICATE OF RECOGNITION[4]

Appendix III

GUIDELINES FOR FILLING OUT THE CERTIFICATE OF RECOGNITION[5]

(Attached to the Circular stipulating conditions, procedures, formalities, and authority for recognizing diplomas issued by foreign educational institutions for use in Vietnam)

(1) Enter the name of the direct management agency of the competent authority recognizing the diploma.

(2) Enter the name of the competent authority recognizing the diploma.

(3) Enter the full name of the applicant for recognition of the diploma/certificate.

(4) Enter the name of the foreign educational institution issuing the diploma/certificate and the country where its headquarters is located.

(5) Enter the year the diploma/certificate was issued.

(6) Enter the full name of the person receiving the diploma/certificate if there is direct evidence verifying from the issuing educational institution or the authority verifying the diploma/certificate.

(7) Enter the name of the educational institution conducting training and the country where its headquarters is located (if any).

(8) Enter the name of the diploma/certificate according to the education system of the country where the foreign educational institution's headquarters is located.

(9) Enter the number of years of training or credits (not applicable to junior high school graduation certificates, senior high school graduation certificates, and certificates of completion of general education programs).

(10) Enter the form of training if sufficient evidence is available (not applicable to junior high school graduation certificates, senior high school graduation certificates, and certificates of completion of general education programs).

(11) Record the following information: level of education, equivalent educational attainment according to the national education system of Vietnam or the Vietnamese National Qualifications Framework or the education system of the country where the foreign educational institution's main office is located; the next level of education that the holder of the degree/certificate can access (if determinable); field of study (if determinable) and other remarks (if any).

(12) Record the electronic portal address for accessing to verify the authenticity of the recognition certificate.

(13) Record the name of the centrally governed province/city where the competent authority recognizing the degree has its headquarters.

(14) Record the title of the person authorized to recognize the degree.

(15) Record the number in the register of recognition certificates issued in accordance with the regulations of the competent authority recognizing the degree.

[1] Circular No. 07/2024/TT-BGDĐT amends and supplements Article 7 and replaces Appendix II and Appendix III of Circular No. 13/2021/TT-BGDĐT dated April 15, 2021, issued by the Minister of Education and Training, concerning the conditions, procedures, formalities, and authority for recognizing foreign educational institution degrees for use in Vietnam, based on the following grounds:

“Pursuant to the Education Law dated June 14, 2019;

Pursuant to the Higher Education Law dated June 18, 2012; the Law Amending and Supplementing Certain Provisions of the Higher Education Law dated November 19, 2018;

Pursuant to Decree No. 86/2022/NĐ-CP dated October 24, 2022, of the Government, stipulating the functions, tasks, and organizational structure of the Ministry of Education and Training;

At the proposal of the Director of the Quality Management Department;

The Minister of Education and Training issues this Circular amending and supplementing Article 7 and replacing Appendix II and Appendix III of Circular No. 13/2021/TT-BGDĐT dated April 15, 2021, issued by the Minister of Education and Training, concerning the conditions, procedures, formalities, and authority for recognizing foreign educational institution degrees for use in Vietnam.”

[2] This provision is amended in accordance with Clause 1 of Article 1 of Circular No. 07/2024/TT-BGDĐT amending and supplementing Article 7 and replacing Appendix II and Appendix III of Circular No. 13/2021/TT-BGDĐT dated April 15, 2021, issued by the Minister of Education and Training, concerning the conditions, procedures, formalities, and authority for recognizing foreign educational institution degrees for use in Vietnam, which takes effect from November 2, 2024.

[3] Articles 2 and 3 of Circular No. 07/2024/TT-BGDĐT amending and supplementing Article 7 and replacing Appendix II and Appendix III of Circular No. 13/2021/TT-BGDĐT dated April 15, 2021, issued by the Minister of Education and Training, concerning the conditions, procedures, formalities, and authority for recognizing foreign educational institution degrees for use in Vietnam, which take effect from November 2, 2024, are stipulated as follows:

“Article 2. Transitional Provisions

For applications for recognition of degrees submitted before the effective date of this Circular, the provisions of Circular No. 13/2021/TT-BGDĐT dated April 15, 2021, issued by the Minister of Education and Training, concerning the conditions, procedures, formalities, and authority for recognizing foreign educational institution degrees for use in Vietnam shall apply.

Article 3. Effectiveness

1. This Circular takes effect from November 2, 2024.

 Deputy Director of the Office, Director of the Quality Management Department, heads of relevant units under the Ministry of Education and Training; directors of provincial Departments of Education and Training; directors of universities and academies; principals of university schools; related organizations and individuals are responsible for implementing this Circular.”

[4] This Appendix is amended in accordance with Clause 2 of Article 1 of Circular No. 07/2024/TT-BGDĐT amending and supplementing Article 7 and replacing Appendix II and Appendix III of Circular No. 13/2021/TT-BGDĐT dated April 15, 2021, issued by the Minister of Education and Training, concerning the conditions, procedures, formalities, and authority for recognizing foreign educational institution degrees for use in Vietnam, which takes effect from November 2, 2024.

[5] This Appendix is amended in accordance with Clause 2 of Article 1 of Circular No. 07/2024/TT-BGDĐT amending and supplementing Article 7 and replacing Appendix II and Appendix III of Circular No. 13/2021/TT-BGDĐT dated April 15, 2021, issued by the Minister of Education and Training, concerning the conditions, procedures, formalities, and authority for recognizing foreign educational institution degrees for use in Vietnam, which takes effect from November 2, 2024.