The Presidential Office held a press conference in Hanoi on December 16 to announce the President’s order on the laws adopted at the recent eighth session of the 14th-tenure National Assembly.

The newly approved laws consist of the Labour Code; the Law on Exit and Entry of Vietnamese Citizens; the law amending and supplementing some articles of the Law on Cadres and Civil Servants and the Law on Public Employees; the Law on Military Reserve Force; the Law on Militia and Self-Defence Forces; the law amending and supplementing some articles of the Law on Organisation of the Government and the Law on Organisation of the Local Government; the Law on Library; the law amending and supplementing some articles of the Law on Management and Use of Weapons, Explosives and Supporting Tools; the law amending and supplementing some articles of the Law on State Audit; the Law on Securities; and the law amending and supplementing some articles of the Law on Entry, Exit, Transit and Residence of Foreigners in Vietnam.

Notably, the Labour Code, comprising 17 chapters with 220 articles, raises the general retirement age in normal working conditions to 62 for men in 2028 and 60 for women in 2035. From 2021, the retirement age will be increased by three months for men and four months for women each year.

Labourers can retire no more than five years earlier or later than the regulated retirement age.

Besides, the Labour Code also extends the overtime from 30 hours to 40 hours per month.

It will take effect on January 1, 2021.

Comprised of eight chapters with 52 articles, the Law on Exit and Entry of Vietnamese Citizens stipulates that passports for people aged over 14 have a validity of 10 years, and they can opt to use passports with or without chips. Meanwhile, passports for those under 14 have a validity of no more than five years and do not have chips attached.

This law will be enforced on July 2020.

Meanwhile, the law amending and supplementing some articles of the Law on Entry, Exit, Transit and Residence of Foreigners in Vietnam introduces revisions to 17 articles and supplements to three others. 

It aims to enshrine the policy of granting e-visa for foreigners entering Vietnam, regulate issues recently emerging and ensure the law’s consistency with other legal regulations, thereby facilitating foreigners’ exit from and entry into the country, helping promote socio-economic development, and ensuring national security.

This law will become effective on July 1, 2020.