Healthcare practitioners

The NMLE, run by Hội đồng Y khoa Quốc gia, becomes the mandatory licensing path for new doctors from 2027. Established by Law 15/2023/QH15 (Medical Examination & Treatment Law, in force 2024-01-01) and detailed in subsequent decrees.

• Already-licensed doctors keep their CCHN KCB and renew on the normal 5-year cycle.
• New graduates from 2027 onwards must pass the NMLE before being issued a CCHN KCB.
• Foreign-trained doctors face the same exam path plus a Vietnamese-language assessment (language requirement hardens fully 2032-01-01).
• The exam covers medical knowledge, clinical reasoning, professional ethics, and Vietnamese health-system specifics.

Under Law 15/2023/QH15 (in force 2024-01-01), CCHN KCB has a 5-year validity instead of being indefinite. Renewal requires:

• Documented Continuing Medical Education (CME) credits — typically 48 hours per cycle across approved providers.
• Health assessment confirming fitness to practise.
• Updated background verification (no professional misconduct outstanding).
• From 2026-07-01, renewal applications go to the provincial People's Committee chair rather than the central Ministry of Health.
• File the renewal at least 3 months before expiry; late renewals cause a practice gap.

Continuing Medical Education (CME) under Law 15/2023/QH15 is structured around the 5-year CCHN KCB cycle rather than a strict annual quota:

• Typical requirement: ~48 hours total across the 5-year cycle (~10 hours/year average) for doctors. Higher for specialists in certain fields.
• Approved providers include teaching hospitals, accredited professional societies, and the Vietnam Medical Council pipeline.
• Both in-person and online courses qualify, with online capped at a portion of total.
• Records must be in the practitioner's electronic portfolio and available at renewal.

High-risk specialties (anaesthesia, surgery, OB-GYN, emergency medicine) often require specialty-specific CME on top of the general quota.

Yes, with the same CCHN KCB requirement as Vietnamese practitioners under Law 15/2023/QH15:

• Recognition of foreign medical degree by Vietnamese authorities.
• Practice period at a Vietnam-licensed facility under supervision.
• Passing the NMLE (mandatory for new applicants from 2027) and a Vietnamese-language assessment.
• Until 2032-01-01, foreign practitioners may continue with interpreter support under transitional rules. After that date, the language requirement applies in full to maintain CCHN KCB.
• Some specialty consultations, particularly in private international hospitals, can still occur under short-term visiting-doctor permits.

From 2026-07-01, CCHN KCB issuance moves from the central Ministry of Health to the provincial People's Committee Chair under Resolution 21/2026/NQ-CP. The decentralisation applies to:

• First-time issuance of CCHN KCB.
• Renewal of CCHN KCB.
• Variations to scope of practice.
• Suspension and revocation actions.

In practice, the provincial Sở Y tế handles the dossier review and recommends to the Chair. The Hội đồng Y khoa Quốc gia (National Medical Council) retains the NMLE and central professional-standards functions.

Decree 96/2023/NĐ-CP (effective 2025-01-01) replaced the legacy four-tier referral system with three tiers:

• Cấp ban đầu (primary) — commune health stations, family-medicine clinics. Handle first contact, primary care, simple acute conditions.
• Cấp cơ bản (basic) — district hospitals and basic specialty units. Handle most inpatient acute care and stable chronic management.
• Cấp chuyên sâu (advanced) — provincial general hospitals and central specialty institutes. Handle complex cases, tertiary referrals, research.

BHYT entitlement and cross-tier payment percentages are reshaped around the three tiers. From 2026-07-01, BHYT also pays a partial share for select cross-tier outpatient services.