The reader, Duc Manh, is currently considering eye surgery to permanently correct his myopia. He is uncertain if, after successful surgery and restored vision, he would then be eligible to fulfill his military service obligation.
According to point a, clause one, article 41 of the 2015 Military Service Law, citizens who do not meet the health requirements for active duty, as concluded by the Health Examination Council, are granted a temporary deferment from enlistment.
Clause three, article 41 of the 2015 Military Service Law states that if a citizen, previously deferred from enlistment, no longer has the reason for deferment, they will be called for enlistment.
Based on these regulations, if a citizen was granted a temporary deferment from enlistment due to insufficient health (myopia), and then undergoes eye surgery that results in normal vision (myopia is corrected), they will no longer be eligible for military service deferment and would be subject to enlistment.
It is important to note: According to clause one, article 4 of Circular 105/2023/TT-BQP, the health standards for military service are specified as follows:
- General standards: Achieving health category one, category two, or category three as regulated in article 5 and article 6 of Circular 105/2023/TT-BQP. Citizens addicted to narcotics or precursor substances, as defined in Decree 57/2022/ND-CP (currently regulated by Decree 28/2026/ND-CP), are not called for enlistment.
- Specific standards: Certain specific health standards for selecting individuals for military service are determined by the Minister of National Defense.
Clause one, section II of Appendix I of Circular 105/2023/TT-BQP outlines the scoring for post-surgery myopia cases:
- Visual acuity of the right eye 10/10, total visual acuity of both eyes 19/10: two points.
- Visual acuity of the right eye 10/10, total visual acuity of both eyes 18/10: three points.
- Visual acuity of the right eye 9/10, total visual acuity of both eyes 17/10: 4 points.
- Visual acuity of the right eye 8/10, total visual acuity of both eyes 16/10: 5 points.
- Visual acuity of the right eye below 8/10, total visual acuity of both eyes below 16/10: 6 points.
This advice is provided by Lawyer Pham Thanh Huu from the Ho Chi Minh City Bar Association.
