Joint Circular No. 07/2026/TTLT-BCA-TANDTC-VKSNDTC detailing Article 25 of the Law on Transfer of Persons Serving Sentences of Imprisonment to Convert Prison Sentences

JOINT CIRCULAR

Detailed regulations on Article 25 of the Law on Transfer of Persons Serving Sentences of Imprisonment concerning Conversion of Imprisonment Sentences

đang thi hành án phạt tù về chuyển đổi hình phạt tù

Pursuant to the Law on Transfer of Persons Serving Sentences of Imprisonment No. 101/2025/QH15;

Pursuant to the Criminal Code No. 100/2015/QH13 amended and supplemented by Law No. 12/2017/QH14, Law No. 59/2024/QH15, and Law No. 86/2025/QH15;

Pursuant to the Law on Juvenile Justice No. 59/2024/QH15 amended and supplemented by Law No. 85/2025/QH15;

The Minister of Public Security, the President of the Supreme People's Court, and the Procurator General of the Supreme People's Procuracy jointly issue this Joint Circular detailing Article 25 of the Law on Transfer of Persons Serving Sentences of Imprisonment concerning Conversion of Imprisonment Sentences.

Article 1. Scope of Regulation

This Joint Circular details Article 25 of the Law on Transfer of Persons Serving Sentences of Imprisonment.

Article 2. Applicability

These joint circulars apply to:

1. People's Courts at all levels, People's Procuracy at all levels;

2. Ministry of Public Security;

3. Persons serving sentences of imprisonment abroad who are received back to Vietnam;

4. Other agencies, organizations, and individuals related to receiving persons serving sentences of imprisonment from abroad back to Vietnam.

Article 3. Principles for Conversion of Imprisonment Sentences

The conversion of imprisonment sentences must comply with the following principles:

1. If the imprisonment sentence in the judgment or decision issued by the court of the transferring country against the person serving the sentence of imprisonment does not conform to the provisions of the Criminal Code, the Law on Juvenile Justice, and other relevant laws of Vietnam, it must be converted accordingly; và các quy định khác của pháp luật Việt Nam phải được chuyển đổi cho phù hợp;

2. Compliance with the provisions of Clauses 2, 3, and 4 of Article 25 of the Law on Transfer of Persons Serving Sentences of Imprisonment;

3. Not converting the imprisonment sentence into another form of punishment.

Article 4. Determination of Offense, Applicable Statute, Offense Name, and Punishment

1. When reviewing the file requesting the transfer of a person serving a sentence of imprisonment from the transferring country back to Vietnam as stipulated in Article 21 of the Law on Transfer of Persons Serving Sentences of Imprisonment, based on the circumstances of the case stated in the judgment or decision already issued by the court of the transferring country, the Ministry of Public Security shall initially assess the offense, applicable statute, offense name, and punishment applied to the act committed by the person proposed to be transferred back to Vietnam according to the provisions of the Criminal Code, the Law on Juvenile Justice, and other relevant laws of Vietnam. In necessary cases, the Ministry of Public Security may seek opinions from the Supreme People's Court and the Supreme People's Procuracy. Within ten days from the date of receipt of the request from the Ministry of Public Security, the Supreme People's Court and the Supreme People's Procuracy shall provide a written response.

2. The competent People's Court shall consider the request for the transfer of a person serving a sentence of imprisonment from abroad back to Vietnam based on the circumstances of the case stated in the judgment or decision already issued by the court of the transferring country, the opinion of the Ministry of Public Security as stipulated in Clause 1 of this Article, and the opinion of the Prosecutor participating in the meeting to consider and decide on the conversion of the imprisonment sentence. The content of the conversion of the imprisonment sentence includes information about the applicable statute, offense name, punishment, and must be reflected in the decision to receive a person serving a sentence of imprisonment from abroad back to Vietnam.

Article 5. Conversion of imprisonment sentences for adults

The conversion of imprisonment sentences for adults when committing crimes shall be carried out as follows:

1. In cases where an adult who is serving a prison sentence is sentenced to a term of imprisonment exceeding thirty years for multiple offenses, the People's Court with jurisdiction shall examine and decide that the maximum term of imprisonment to be served by the person receiving the sentence shall not exceed thirty years.

22. In cases where an adult who is serving a prison sentence is sentenced to a term of imprisonment exceeding twenty years for a single offense, the People's Court with jurisdiction shall examine and decide that the maximum term of imprisonment to be served by the person receiving the sentence shall not exceed twenty years.

3. In cases where an adult who is serving a prison sentence is sentenced to life imprisonment and the act committed in the transferring country would have been punishable by a term of imprisonment under Vietnamese law, the People's Court with jurisdiction shall examine and decide that the maximum term of imprisonment to be served by the person receiving the sentence shall be consistent with the provisions of Clause 1 or Clause 2 of this Article.

Article 6. Conversion of imprisonment sentences for juveniles aged sixteen years old to under eighteen years old

The conversion of imprisonment sentences for juveniles aged aged sixteen years old to under eighteen years old when committing crimes shall be carried out as follows:

1. In cases where a juvenile who is serving a prison sentence is sentenced to life imprisonment, the People's Court with jurisdiction shall examine and decide that the maximum term of imprisonment to be served by the person receiving the sentence shall not exceed fifteen years.trường hợp là tù chung thân thì Tòa án nhân dân có thẩm quyền xem xét, quyết định để thời hạn phải thi hành phần hình phạt của người được tiếp nhận cao nhất đến and in cases where a juvenile who is serving a prison sentence is sentenced to a term of imprisonment, the People's Court with jurisdiction shall examine and decide that the maximum term of imprisonment to be served by the person receiving the sentence shall not exceed three-fifths of the term of imprisonment prescribed by the Criminal Code, except in the case provided for in Clause 2 of this Article.trường hợp người đang thi hành án phạt tù bị xử phạttrường hợp là tù có thời hạn thì Tòa án nhân dân có thẩm quyền xem xét, quyết định để thời hạn phải thi hành phần hình phạt của người được tiếp nhận cao nhất không quá ba phần năm mức phạt tù mà điều luật của Bộ luật Hình sự quy định, trừ trường hợp quy định tại khoản 2 Điều này;

2. In cases where a juvenile who is serving a prison sentence is sentenced to eighteen years of imprisonment,trường hợp là tù chung thân thì Tòa án nhân dân có thẩm quyền xem xét, quyết định để thời hạn phải thi hành phần hình phạt của người được tiếp nhận cao nhất đến 18 năm tù vàtrường hợp người đang thi hành án phạt tù bị xử phạttrường hợp là tù có thời hạn thì Tòa án nhân dân có thẩm quyền xem xét, quyết định để thời hạn phải thi hành phần hình phạt của người được tiếp nhận cao nhất and in cases where a juvenile who is serving a prison sentence is sentenced to a term of imprisonment, the maximum term of imprisonment to be served by the person receiving the sentence shall not exceed three-quarters of the term of imprisonment prescribed by the Criminal Code when the person proposed for transfer commits one of the following offenses:

a) Murder;

b) Rape;

c) Rape of a person under sixteen years old;

d) Forced sexual intercourse with a person from thirteen to under sixteen years old;

e) Illegally producing narcotics.

Article 7. Conversion of imprisonment sentences for juveniles aged aged fourteen years old to under sixteen years old

The conversion of imprisonment sentences for juveniles aged aged fourteen years old to under sixteen years old when committing crimes shall be carried out as follows:

1. In cases where a juvenile who is serving a prison sentence is sentenced to life imprisonment, the People's Court with jurisdiction shall examine and decide that the maximum term of imprisonment to be served by the person receiving the sentence shall not exceed fifteen years.trường hợp là tù chung thân thì The People's Court with jurisdiction shall examine and decide that the maximum term of imprisonment to be served by the person receiving the sentence shall not exceed nine years. 5 năm tù vàtrường hợp người đang thi hành án phạt tù bị xử phạttrường hợp là tù có thời hạn thì Tòa án nhân dân có thẩm quyền xem xét, quyết định để thời hạn phải thi hành phần hình phạt của người được tiếp nhận cao nhất and in cases where a juvenile who is serving a prison sentence is sentenced to a term of imprisonment, the maximum term of imprisonment to be served by the person receiving the sentence shall not exceed two-fifths of the term of imprisonment prescribed by the Criminal Code, except in the case provided for in Clause 2 of this Article.

||| Water-based fire extinguishing solutions.trường hợp người đang thi hành án phạt tù bị xử phạttrường hợp là tù chung thân thì Tòa án nhân dân có thẩm quyền xem xét, quyết định để thời hạn phải thi hành phần hình phạt của người được tiếp nhận cao nhất đến 12 năm tù vàtrường hợp người đang thi hành án phạt tù bị xử phạttrường hợp là tù có thời hạn thì Tòa án nhân dân có thẩm quyền xem xét, quyết định để thời hạn phải thi hành phần hình phạt của người được tiếp nhận cao nhất and in cases where a juvenile who is serving a prison sentence is sentenced to a term of imprisonment, the maximum term of imprisonment to be served by the person receiving the sentence shall not exceed one-half of the term of imprisonment prescribed by the Criminal Code when the person proposed for transfer commits one of the following offenses:

a) Murder;

b) Rape;

c) Rape of a person under sixteen years old;

d) Forced sexual intercourse with a person from thirteen to under sixteen years old;

e) Illegally producing narcotics.

Article 8. Release of persons serving prison sentences

1. In cases where the Court decides to accept a person proposed for transfer back to Vietnam, after converting the imprisonment sentence, if the term of imprisonment applied to that person is equal to or less than the time they have already served in prison abroad, the Judge shall convene a hearing to review the transfer request and declare the release of the person accepted back to Vietnam. Thẩm phán tiến hành pphiên họp xem xét yêu cầu chuyển giao to seize, tuyên bố trả tự do cho người được tiếp nhận về Việt Nam.

2. The release of the person accepted back to Vietnam shall be carried out after the Ministry of Public Security has completed the reception procedures for that person from abroad and completed all necessary procedures in accordance with the law.

Article 9. Effective Date

This Circular takes effect from July 1, 2026, replacing Article 19 of the Joint Circular No. 01/2013/TTLT-BCA-BTP-BNG-VKSNDTC-TANDTC dated February 22, 2013 between the Ministry of Public Security, the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Supreme People's Procuracy, and the Supreme People's Court guiding the reception, transfer, and continued enforcement of sentences for persons serving prison sentences, except for the cases provided for in Article 48 of the Law on Transfer of Persons Serving Prison Sentences No. 101/2025/QH15.

Article 10. Implementation Organization

1. The Ministry of Public Security, the Supreme People's Court, and the Supreme People's Procuracy are responsible for implementing and organizing the implementation of this Joint Circular.

2. During the implementation of this Joint Circular, if there are difficulties or issues requiring guidance or supplementation, they should be promptly reported to the Ministry of Public Security, the Supreme People's Court, and the Supreme People's Procuracy for timely guidance and resolution.

Place of Receipt:
- Standing Committee of the National Assembly;
- Prime Minister; Deputy Prime Ministers;

- Central Party Office;
- President's Office;
- Government Office;
- National Assembly's Office;
- Central Commission for Party Affairs;
- Committee for Law and Justice of the National Assembly;

- Committee for Petitions and Oversight of the National Assembly;

- Ministry of Public Security;
- Supreme People's Court;

- Supreme People's Procuracy;

- Official Gazette;
- National Legal Database;
- Electronic portal of the Ministry of Public Security, the Supreme People's Court, and the Supreme People's Procuracy;

Tòa án nhân dân tối cao, Viện kiểm sát nhân dân tối cao;

- File: VT, Department of Legal Aid.

- To be filed: VT (Ministry of Public Security, Supreme People's Court, Supreme People's Procuracy), V03 (P5).