Verification of Foreign Educational Credentials Subject to a Fee from 250,000 VND

Circular 164/2016/TT-BTC applies to organizations and individuals who perform the procedures for verifying documents and materials to recognize diplomas issued by foreign educational institutions; state agencies with competent authority to verify and recognize diplomas; and organizations and individuals related to the verification and recognition of educational diplomas for Vietnamese individuals issued by foreign educational institutions.

The Circular stipulates that the verification fee to recognize diplomas issued by foreign educational institutions legally operating in Vietnam (including joint programs between Vietnamese and foreign educational institutions where the foreign institution issues the diploma) is 250,000 VND per diploma.

The verification fee to recognize diplomas issued to Vietnamese individuals by foreign educational institutions after completing training programs abroad is 500,000 VND per diploma.

No later than the 5th of every month, the fee-collecting organization must transfer the collected fees from the previous month to the fee account awaiting submission to the state budget opened at the State Treasury.

The fee-collecting organization is allowed to retain 60% of the total collected fees to cover costs as prescribed in Clause 2, Article 5 of Decree No. 120/2016/ND-CP dated August 23, 2016, of the Government of Vietnam detailing and guiding the implementation of certain provisions of the Law on Fees and Charges, and must submit 40% of the collected fees to the state budget according to the corresponding chapters, items, and sub-items of the State Budget Index.

This Circular comes into effect from January 1, 2017, and replaces Circular 95/2013/TT-BTC dated July 17, 2013, of the Ministry of Finance.

Source: Vietnam Financial Times Online

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