Joint Circular No. 71/TTLB stipulates the collection of fees for issuing passports and various certification documents in Vietnam for foreigners and Vietnamese citizens entering, exiting, and residing in the country.

CIRCULAR

JOINT DECREE NO. 71/TT-LB OF THE MINISTRIES OF FINANCE, HOME AFFAIRS AND FOREIGN AFFAIRS DATED DECEMBER 5, 1991 ON THE COLLECTION OF FEES FOR ISSUING PASSPORTS AND OTHER DOCUMENTS FOR FOREIGNERS AND VIETNAMESE CITIZENS ENTERING AND EXITING THE COUNTRY AND RESIDING IN VIETNAM

Pursuant to Article 9 of Decree No. 389-TTg and Article 4 of Decree No. 390/TTg dated October 27, 1959 of the Prime Minister on the collection of fees for issuing passports to Vietnamese citizens and visas to foreigners;

To unify the organization of collection and management of these sources of revenue, the Joint Ministries of Finance, Foreign Affairs, and Home Affairs stipulate the collection of fees in Vietnam as follows: fees for issuing and extending passports and visas for Vietnamese citizens, and fees for issuing and extending visas and residence permits for foreigners and overseas Vietnamese.:

I. SCOPE OF APPLICATION AND TYPES OF FEES COLLECTED

Article 1. Scope of Application:

- This Circular applies to the collection of fees for issuing or extending various types of passports, other documents with equivalent value such as travel documents, exit permits; visas for Vietnamese citizens traveling abroad for official or personal purposes; issuing or extending visas and residence permits for foreigners and overseas Vietnamese within the territory of Vietnam.

- The collection of fees for issuing or extending passports, other documents with equivalent value; issuing or extending visas for Vietnamese citizens; issuing or extending visas for foreigners outside the territory of Vietnam shall be regulated separately by the Joint Ministries of Finance and Foreign Affairs in accordance with the Consular Law dated November 31, 1990 (Article 31) regarding consular fees outside the country.

2. Types of Fees Collected

- Issuing or extending passports, other documents with equivalent value; issuing or extending various types of visas for Vietnamese citizens traveling abroad for official or personal purposes.

- Issuing or extending exit documents, various types of visas, residence permits for foreigners and overseas Vietnamese.

- Reissuing recovered passports.

- Supplementing or amending the aforementioned documents.

- Other related fees (if applicable).

II. OBJECTS OF COLLECTION AND EXEMPTIONS

1. Objects of Collection

All Vietnamese citizens traveling abroad and foreigners and overseas Vietnamese must pay a fee according to this Circular when they obtain the documents specified in Point 2, Section I above, except for those exempted from payment as stated in Point 2 below.

2. Exempted Objects

- Foreigners, including their spouses and minor children, entering Vietnam as guests of the Party, Government, National Assembly, or invited personally by high-ranking state leaders.

- Staff and employees of foreign diplomatic and consular missions, international organizations' representative offices in Vietnam, including their spouses and minor children.

- Foreigners entering Vietnam who do not fall under the above categories but hold diplomatic or service passports issued by their countries or the United Nations.

- Foreigners who are citizens of countries that have signed agreements or accords with Vietnam providing for the exemption of visa fees for citizens holding diplomatic, service, or ordinary passports.

- Foreigners who are citizens of countries that have not signed agreements or accords with Vietnam providing for the exemption of visa fees for citizens holding diplomatic, service, or ordinary passports, but unilaterally waive visa fees for Vietnamese citizens holding such passports.

To ensure the correct collection from the objects specified, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will inform the Ministry of Home Affairs about the Agreements or Accords between Vietnam and other countries, cases exempted from visa fees, and countries that do not charge visa fees for Vietnamese citizens entering their territories.

For cases exempted from fees, the issuing or extending authority must stamp "Exempted from Fee" (GRATIS) on the issued documents.

III. AMOUNT OF FEES AND TYPE OF MONEY COLLECTED

1. Collection levels

Based on the principle of covering all necessary costs for producing and preserving passports, essential services, and common practices for collecting visa issuance and residence permit fees, the Joint Ministries of Finance, Foreign Affairs, and Home Affairs have established a fee schedule attached to this Circular.

The amount of fees collected in Vietnamese dong is calculated based on the US dollar exchange rate published by the State Bank of Vietnam. The fee schedule must be reviewed every three months if prices fluctuate by more than 20%. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Home Affairs will coordinate to adjust the fees and notify the Ministry of Finance.

2. Type of money collected

- For Vietnamese citizens and foreigners permanently residing in Vietnam, fees are collected in Vietnamese dong according to the prescribed schedule.

- For foreigners temporarily residing in Vietnam and overseas Vietnamese, fees are collected in US dollars according to the prescribed schedule or in Vietnamese dong converted at the US dollar selling rate published by the State Bank of Vietnam at the time of fee collection.

IV. MANAGEMENT AND USE OF REVENUE

1. For passport production: The unit responsible for producing passports must organize and operate in accordance with Decision No. 268-CT dated July 30, 1990 of the Council of Ministers on registration and operation of economic organizations established by administrative agencies and mass organizations. Adhere to financial management regulations and fulfill tax obligations as required by law. The price of passports produced must be reasonable and approved by the Ministry of Finance periodically.

Fee collection must be documented with valid invoices issued by the financial agency (State Tax General Administration). The fee collection agency must maintain detailed records for management and accounting, regularly reporting and settling accounts to the supervising agency and the Ministry of Finance.

The collected fees will be distributed as follows:

a) The unit organizing the collection of fees shall retain 10% of the total amount collected in Vietnamese dong (including foreign currency converted into Vietnamese dong) after deducting the cost of purchasing passports from the production unit and necessary expenses of the fee collection unit, but the total amount retained shall not exceed six months' basic salary and allowances and subsidies according to the current regulations. Any excess amount retained (if any) shall be left to supplement the operating funds of the unit.

The remaining amount after deducting the aforementioned retained amount must be fully deposited into the central budget. Foreign currency shall be deposited into Account No. 229-110-370.001 at the Vietnam Bank for Foreign Trade; Vietnamese dong shall be deposited into Account No. 741 at the State Treasury under Chapter 14, Clause 01, Category 1, Section 47 of the current Budget Classification.

V. IMPLEMENTATION PROVISIONS

This Circular takes effect from the date of signature and replaces Circular Joint No. 34-TT/LB dated June 22, 1987, of the Joint Ministry of Finance - Home Affairs - Foreign Affairs.

The Administrative and Cultural Financial Department and the Overseas Financial Department of the Ministry of Finance, the Consular Affairs Department and the Financial Management Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Immigration Management Department and the Financial Affairs Department of the Ministry of Home Affairs shall be responsible for providing detailed guidance on the implementation of this Circular.