What are regulations on declaration and transfer of diplomatic fees and charges collected by the overseas representative missions of Vietnam?

Pursuant to Article 6 of the Circular 264/2016/TT-BTC stipulating regulations on declaration and transfer of diplomatic fees and charges collected by the overseas representative missions of Vietnam as follows:

1. Heads of overseas representative missions of Vietnam shall decide reputable banks to open accounts of overseas representative missions of Vietnam to serve their activities, ensuring security of deposits of state budget funds at such overseas representative missions.

2. Charges:

Ministry of Foreign Affairs shall instruct overseas representative missions of Vietnam to enter collected charges into accounts; transfer 100% (one hundred percent) of collected charges and interests accrued from bank deposits into state budget funds at overseas representative missions of Vietnam.

Expenditure for carrying out the collection of charges shall be covered by funding from state budget included in each collector’s estimate under policies and levels of state budget expenditures as regulated by laws.

3. Fees:

Ministry of Foreign Affairs shall instruct overseas representative missions of Vietnam to enter collected fees in diplomatic sector into accounts; transfer 70% (seventy percent) of collected fees and interests accured from bank deposits into state budget funds at overseas representative missions of Vietnam.

4. Diplomatic service fees and charges shall be paid in US dollar (USD) according to the Schedules of diplomatic service fees and charges enclosed herein. When charges and fees are collected in the currency of the host country, the conversion between the US dollar (USD) and the currency of the host country shall be based on the selling rate of the US dollar (USD) announced by the bank at which the concerned overseas representative mission of Vietnam opens its account.

When the exchange rate for converting the US dollar (USD) to the currency of the host country fluctuates (either increase or decrease) by more than 10% (ten percent) compared with the currently applied exchange rate, the head of the overseas representative mission of Vietnam may reset the consular fees and charges collected in the currency of the host country according to the new exchange rate and, at the same time, send a written report thereon to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Finance before applying the new fees and charges.

In case there are two (02) or more representative missions of Vietnam permitted to collect diplomatic service fees and charge in one country or territory, the head of the representative mission of Vietnam with the highest competence shall base on the selling rate of its selected bank to decide the fees and charges for consistent application by other overseas representative missions of Vietnam.

5. Cases where Vietnamese organizations and individuals and foreign organizations and individuals have paid fees and charges in the field of diplomacy as prescribed in this Circular but are not eligible to be granted consular documents or from refuse to receive the result of processing dossiers, the fee-collecting organization shall not refund the collected fees and charges.

Above are regulations on declaration and transfer of diplomatic fees and charges collected by the overseas representative missions of Vietnam.

Best regards!