VietNamNet Bridge – Shortening the time limit for visa exemption certification, giving medical treatment support to 2 more subjects, and lowering import duties are among the new regulations that have either just been implemented, or will come into force this month.

Below are the briefs of several of those new regulations.

Five days for visa exemption certification

Under Decision 10 of February 10, 2012 by the Government, the time limit for granting a certificate of visa exemption for overseas Vietnamese to return to Vietnam will be shortened to 5 days from the current 7 days.

People who enter Vietnam using a visa exemption certificate are allowed to stay in Vietnam for no more than 90 days. In case they want to stay longer, they will be considered for an extension of no more than 90 days if they have legitimate reasons and obtain a guarantee from an agency, organization or individual.

Those who want to extend their stay in Vietnam are required to carry out procedures for extension five days before the period expires. The extended period of stay must not exceed 90 days for each extension.

This decision will be effective from April 15.

Lower import duty for many commodities

The Ministry of Finance has issued two new circulars on preferential import tariffs under the ASEAN-Japan Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (AJCEF) and the Vietnam-Japan Economic Partnership Agreement (VJEPA) in the 2012-2015 period.

Accordingly, a number of goods in almost all fields will enjoy regular tax reductions for the next two to three years.

Taxes on electronic goods will be axed from 5 to 2.5 percent in 2014, and several types of digital cameras will even be free from the import tax.

For a number of garment items, taxes will be lowered from 13 percent in 2012 to 11 percent and 9 percent in 2013 and 2014, respectively.

Household items such as bathtubs, basins and kitchen utensils will also enjoy tax cuts from 19 percent in 2012 to 14 percent in 2014.

The two circulars took effect on April 1.

Fines for violations of tourism regulations

Government Decree 16, which will come into effect on April 30, stipulates the following fine rates for administrative violations in the field of tourism:

A fine of VND500,000-VND1 million (US$48) for tourist guides who are operating without bearing their cards or bringing a certificate of qualification along with them.

A heavier fine of between VND5 million and 10 million will be applied for one of the following acts: guiding tourists without having obtained a certificate of qualification; using fake cards of tour guides; or providing tourists with wrong or incorrect information about Vietnam’s history, culture, land and people and thereby causing harm to the Vietnamese nation’s image, tradition, morality, or habits and customs and so on.

The heaviest fine, VND30-40 million ($1,920), will be given to unlicensed operators of international travel services or those who give their license to others for the latter to conduct international travel services

Marriage certification: 3 days

According to Decree 06/2012 by the Government, the time limit for granting a certificate of marriage registration will be shortened from the current 5 days to 3 days.

An application for a certificate of marriage registration can be sent to the authorities by post and any copies of documents attached to the application must be certified.

In case applicants personally submit their applications, they are required to bring the originals along for comparison.

The decree has taken effect from April 1.

Medical treatment support for 2 more groups

As of April 15, two more groups will be added to the list of beneficiaries of support in medical examination and treatment, according to Governmental Decision 14/2012 on medical examination and treatment for poor people.

One of the two newly supported groups is those who have cancer, are on dialysis, or need to have heart surgery but cannot afford the high cost of treatment. The other is those who are enjoying monthly social allowance.

Currently, only two groups enjoy this kind of support, including those who belong to poor households or are living at State-funded social centers, and those who are members of an ethnic minority living in disadvantaged areas.

VietNamNet/Tuoi Tre