New regulations on military service obligations

The 2026 conscription cycle encompasses numerous updated legal regulations on standards and procedures, as well as preferential policies for individuals who complete their military service, featuring several notable changes.

The Military Service Council of Tam Hiep Ward organizes preliminary health examinations for citizens preparing for enlistment in 2026. Photo: Kim Lieu

These necessary adjustments help ensure the rights of those performing military service, allowing them to serve with peace of mind and providing a solid foundation for their return to civilian life after discharge.

New regulations on registration and deferment of enlistment

The law amending and supplementing several articles of 11 laws in the military and national defense sector (Law No. 98/2025/QH15) introduces several key new provisions applicable to the 2026 conscription cycle. One notable change is that first-time military service registration and supplementary registration in 2026 may be conducted online.

Accordingly, male citizens aged 17 or older, or those within the conscription age range who have not yet registered, may complete their initial registration either online or in person. Cases requiring “supplementary registration” may also be processed through either method.

According to lawyer Phan Thi Hong Van of the Dong Nai Provincial Bar Association, an important update is stipulated in Article 1 of Circular No. 68/2025/TT-BQP, which amends and supplements several provisions of Circular No. 148/2018/TT-BQP dated October 4, 2018, issued by the Minister of National Defense regarding the selection and conscription of citizens for military service. This regulation takes effect from July 1, 2025, and applies to subsequent conscription cycles.

The regulation states: “Citizens with myopia greater than 1.5 diopters or with hyperopia at any level shall not be called for enlistment into the military.” Thus, under the general regulation, the maximum permissible refractive error for enlistment deferment is 1.5 diopters in either one eye or both eyes. However, the final decision rests with the Military Service Health Examination or Assessment Council.

Lawyer Van added that cases eligible for deferment of enlistment include young people currently studying at general education institutions, as well as those undergoing full-time university-level training at higher education institutions or full-time college-level training at vocational education institutions during the duration of one training program at a given educational level. This provision applies to both domestic and overseas study. Under Clause 17, Article 4 of Law No. 98/2025/QH15, the chairperson of the provincial-level People’s Committee decides on temporary deferment and exemption from enlistment for citizens specified in Article 41 of the 2015 Law on Military Service.

Lawyer Van emphasized that cases eligible for temporary deferment are citizens “undergoing full-time university-level training during the duration of one training program”, meaning the standard duration of the program as originally designed, such as four or five years, depending on the major. If students have exceeded the training duration as stipulated by the institution, including extensions due to outstanding courses, retakes, or prolonged study resulting from a change of major, they are no longer eligible for deferment.

Accordingly, beginning in 2026, even if a young person has not yet graduated but has officially exceeded the “standard program duration,” they may still be called up for military service, provided they remain within the enlistment age limit of 27 and meet all other eligibility criteria. In such cases, the issuance of a local order for a military service health examination is entirely consistent with legal regulations.

Multiple benefits upon discharge

To help safeguard the rights of those performing military service, enabling them to serve with peace of mind and establish a stable foundation upon returning to civilian life, the law provides discharged service members with a range of entitlements. These include a one-time discharge allowance based on the length of service, employment support, vocational training, and educational assistance, such as tuition exemptions or reductions, and access to student loans, eligibility for social insurance benefits, reimbursement of travel expenses, and allowances for returning to their place of residence, along with other preferential policies in employment and education.

Nguyen Van Canh, Director of the Dong Nai Employment Service Center, stated that every year, the center collaborates with the Provincial Military Command to offer career counseling, vocational training guidance, and job placement support to discharged service members. “The 2025 Employment Law stipulates that from January 1, 2026, young people who complete military service or service in the People’s Public Security Force are entitled to employment support policies, including vocational training; loans to support job creation and the maintenance or expansion of employment; loans to support overseas employment under contract; and support for start-up and entrepreneurship,” Canh said.

In addition, under Decree No. 27/2016/ND-CP, which outlines several regimes and policies for non-commissioned officers and enlisted soldiers during active service, upon discharge, and for their relatives, as well as in related legal documents, discharged service members are entitled to a one-time discharge allowance and job creation assistance equivalent to six months of the base salary. Decree No. 61/2015/ND-CP on employment support policies and the National Employment Fund also states that individuals who have completed military service and wish to pursue vocational training within 12 months of discharge, and who have not previously received vocational training support from other state budget sources, are eligible for such support.

Under Appendix II issued together with Circular No. 08/2022/TT-BGDDT on regulations for university admission and college admission in early childhood education, individuals classified as military personnel, officers, non-commissioned officers, and conscripts in the People’s Public Security Force who have been discharged and officially recognized as having completed active-duty service are considered priority policy beneficiaries under “Priority Group 1”. Accordingly, pursuant to Clause 2, Article 7 of Circular 08/2022/TT-BGDDT, these individuals are awarded an additional two points in university and college admission consideration. This regulation remains applicable to new admission cycles, including those for 2025 and 2026. The two-point bonus is calculated based on the total score of three subjects in the admission combination, using a 10-point scale for each subject (without weighting).

For institutions under the military and public security sectors, priority policies remain in effect. However, admission to these institutions is typically subject to separate and specific criteria (related to physical fitness, health standards, and political background). Therefore, receiving priority points does not guarantee admission, but it constitutes an essential form of support in terms of examination and admission scores.

By Kim Lieu – Translated by Quynh Nhu, Minho