Brian Jeffrey
Vietnam’s 2025 Military Service Recruitment Begins
From February 13 to 15, young men in Vietnam will commence their compulsory military service for the year 2025. This year’s recruitment process features enhanced health checks to ensure that only eligible candidates are enlisted and to reduce administrative errors.
In accordance with the Military Service Law and the Prime Minister’s guidance, the conscription process will occur in a single phase over these three days.
The enlistment events are scheduled to kick off on February 13, when 52 provinces and cities, including those under the Hanoi Command, will conduct their handover events. The next day will see six provinces under Military Region 4 holding their ceremonies.
The concluding enlistment phase will occur on February 15, which will include five provinces belonging to Military Region 2.
The Ministry of National Defense has tasked local authorities with improving the processes of registration, selection, and recruitment to ensure a fair and transparent experience.
Measures are in place to avoid misclassifications that could lead to incorrect exemptions or the oversight of eligible recruits. Rigorous health screenings are implemented to confirm that only appropriate candidates are inducted.
In an interview with VietNamNet, Major General Luong Van Thang, Deputy Director of the Military Personnel Department, discussed important changes for the 2025 recruitment cycle.
Previously, medical screenings mainly consisted of clinical examinations, with further testing done only when necessary. However, upon joining their designated units, additional screenings often revealed undiagnosed medical issues, resulting in costly replacements.
To mitigate this problem, the recruitment process for 2025 entails both initial clinical assessments and advanced medical evaluations.
On December 6, 2023, the Minister of Defense released Circular 105, which outlines updated health criteria for military recruits.
It is noteworthy that vision standards will remain in accordance with the rules set forth in Circular 148, issued on October 4, 2018.
With these stricter and more consistent health assessments, the military aims to minimize last-minute recruit changes and enhance the efficiency of the recruitment process.
This year, there is a focus on candidates possessing university and college degrees. This strategy supports the military’s long-term objectives of improving combat effectiveness and modernizing its personnel structure.
The goal is to strengthen overall military capabilities, build a strong reserve force, and cultivate future leadership for both the military and civilian domains.
