Decision No. 767/TTg On Certain Policies for Overseas Vietnamese Communities

Pursuant to …;

On certain main policies towards overseas Vietnamese communities

PRIME MINISTER

Pursuant to the Government Organization Law dated September 30, 1992;
To create favorable conditions and encourage overseas Vietnamese to strengthen their ties with their homeland and contribute to the country's construction efforts, meeting the legitimate aspirations of the majority of overseas Vietnamese communities;
At the request of the Minister of Foreign Affairs and relevant ministries and sectors at the meeting on September 8, 1997,

Pursuant to …;

Article 1. Supplementing some provisions on entry, exit, and residence for overseas Vietnamese:

1. Vietnamese citizens holding Vietnamese passports and Vietnamese citizens holding foreign passports but not renouncing Vietnamese citizenship shall be granted single or multiple-entry visas (including separate visas) valid for six months. The period of stay in the country is the duration of the visa from the date of entry and may be extended each time for three to six months. Visa issuance and extension procedures shall be processed quickly and smoothly.

2. Reducing visa and residence fees for: Vietnamese citizens holding Vietnamese passports; Vietnamese citizens residing in Laos, Thailand, Cambodia, and China (regardless of travel documents); Vietnamese citizens holding foreign passports who have rendered meritorious service to the country and intellectuals invited by state agencies at provincial level or higher to visit and work in the country. The Ministry of Finance shall determine the amount (or reduction rate) of fees after consulting with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Public Security.

Article 2.

1. Vietnamese citizens holding Vietnamese passports and Vietnamese citizens residing in Laos, Thailand, Cambodia, and China when returning to the country shall enjoy domestic transport fares and service charges for accommodation, hotels, electricity, water, telephone, fax, etc., as applied to Vietnamese citizens within the country.

2. Applying a uniform fee for overseas Vietnamese (regardless of travel documents) and their relatives (foreign nationals accompanying them to Vietnam) visiting museums, exhibitions, historical sites, scenic spots, and artistic performances in the country as applied to Vietnamese citizens within the country.

3. Vietnamese citizens holding foreign passports who have rendered meritorious service to the country, patriotic movement activists, intellectuals, etc., invited by competent authorities to visit and work in the country, shall be entitled to reduced transport fares (including domestic airfares) and service charges as specified in Point 1 of this Article (lower than those applied to foreigners). The Committee on Overseas Vietnamese shall specifically work with responsible agencies regarding the beneficiaries, the amount (or reduction rate) as stipulated in Point 3 of this Article, and publicly announce it to the people.

Article 3. Overseas Vietnamese returning to the country with valid Vietnamese passports shall continue to use such passports; they shall be allowed to purchase or rent housing as Vietnamese citizens within the country; they shall be exempted from import duties on personal and family items listed in the current legal regulations.

Article 4.

1. The Ministry of Science, Technology, and Environment shall take the lead, in coordination with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Education and Training, to draft policies and specific measures for utilizing and encouraging overseas Vietnamese intellectuals to work in the country, to be submitted to the Government for consideration and promulgation in the first quarter of 1998.

2. The General Department of Sports shall draft and submit to the Government for promulgation a separate document on policies and measures to encourage overseas Vietnamese athletes and sports experts to participate in domestic and international sports activities.

Article 5. The Ministry of Planning and Investment shall take the lead, in coordination with relevant ministries and sectors, to issue detailed guidelines on areas encouraging overseas Vietnamese to invest in the country under the Law on Foreign Investment in Vietnam and the Law on Domestic Investment; to handle illegal investment activities under the guise of Vietnamese citizens within the country, aiming to legalize such activities for proper management according to current laws.

Article 6. The Ministry of Finance shall allocate and provide annual and emergency funds for information, cultural, Vietnamese language teaching, and cultural education programs in Vietnamese, foreign propaganda, and cultural exchanges for overseas Vietnamese communities; while ensuring regular funding for the machinery handling overseas Vietnamese affairs according to the budgets of ministries, sectors, and localities.

Article 7. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Institute of Awards and Honors shall implement a policy of commendations (mainly spiritual rewards) for overseas Vietnamese who have rendered meritorious service to the country during anti-war resistance and national construction.

Article 8. The Government Organizational and Cadre Management Office shall take the lead, in coordination with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, to study proposals and guide the implementation of organizational models and specialized machinery for overseas Vietnamese affairs in the direction of:

- Central ministries and sectors shall assign leaders and machinery responsible for international relations and cooperation of their ministries and sectors to also manage overseas Vietnamese affairs.

- Provinces and centrally-administered cities shall review the functions of provincial and city departments related to overseas Vietnamese to entrust to a suitable entity without establishing additional machinery.

Article 9. This Decision shall take effect from October 15, 1997. Previous regulations contrary to this Decision shall be abolished. Ministers, heads of ministerial-level agencies, heads of agencies under the Government, and Chairmen of People's Committees of centrally-administered provinces and cities shall be responsible for implementing this Decision.