Vietnam Work Permit: Requirements, Process, Costs & Compliance
- Vinex Official
- Jul 1
- 12 min read
A Vietnam work permit is the main legal document allowing most foreign nationals to work in Vietnam for a Vietnamese employer, foreign-invested company, contractor, representative office or other eligible organization.
For employers, the issue is not only whether a foreign employee can enter Vietnam. The real compliance question is whether the company can legally assign that person to work, pay salary, register labour arrangements, sponsor immigration documents and survive an inspection by the labour authority.
Vietnam changed the work permit framework significantly under Decree 219/2025/ND-CP, effective from 7 August 2025. The decree replaces the foreign worker provisions previously applied under Decree 152/2020/ND-CP and Decree 70/2023/ND-CP, and integrates the employer’s labour demand explanation into the work permit application dossier. This shortens the formal procedure, but it does not remove the need for careful preparation.
In practice, most delays still happen before submission: overseas criminal records, legalized qualifications, proof of experience, job title consistency, Vietnamese translations and company documents. A complete application can move quickly. A weak application can be returned even when the candidate is highly qualified.
What Is a Vietnam Work Permit?
A Vietnam work permit is an official approval issued by the competent Vietnamese labour authority confirming that a named foreign national may work in Vietnam for a specific employer, job position, working form and validity period.
Featured snippet definition:
A Vietnam work permit is a legal document issued by a competent Vietnamese authority that allows a foreign employee to work legally in Vietnam for the employer, position and period stated on the permit.
The permit is employer-specific. It is not a general right to work anywhere in Vietnam. If the foreign worker changes employer, job position, working form or work location in a way not covered by the permit, the employer must assess whether a new permit, reissuance, extension or notification is required.
The Labour Code 2019 sets the core legal conditions for foreign employees. A foreign worker must generally be at least 18 years old, have full civil capacity, have suitable qualifications and experience, meet health requirements, not be under criminal prosecution or serving a sentence, and hold a valid work permit unless exempt.
For companies, this matters because immigration status alone is not enough. A business visa, temporary residence card or investor status may support residence, but it does not automatically legalize employment unless the person also satisfies the work permit or work permit exemption rules.
Compliance Note:
A foreign employee working outside the scope of the permit may create exposure for both the employee and the employer, even if the employee entered Vietnam legally.
Who Needs a Work Permit in Vietnam?
Most foreign nationals working in Vietnam need either a Vietnam work permit or a valid confirmation that they are exempt from the work permit requirement. Under Decree 219/2025/ND-CP, foreign workers may fall under several working forms, including labour contracts, intra-corporate transfers, service contracts, service offering, volunteering, establishing commercial presence, assignment from an overseas entity, participation in bidding packages or projects, and certain roles in companies or foreign organizations. The key employer question is not simply
“Is this person foreign?” It is:
Common exemption categories include certain owners or capital contributors, board members meeting statutory conditions, intra-corporate transferees in permitted sectors, short-term cases, spouses of Vietnamese citizens, and foreign workers confirmed by competent authorities in prioritized sectors such as finance, science, technology, innovation and national digital transformation. The exact exemption route must be checked against Article 154 of the Labour Code and Article 7 of Decree 219/2025/ND-CP.
In practice, employers often confuse “exempt from work permit” with “no procedure required.” That is risky. Some exempt cases still require a work permit exemption certificate or notification to the authority.
Practical Tip:
Before hiring, classify the foreign worker into one of three groups: work permit required, work permit exemption certificate required, or notification-only. This prevents the HR team from preparing the wrong dossier.
Vietnam Work Permit Requirements
Vietnam work permit requirements focus on two sides: the foreign worker’s eligibility and the employer’s legitimate need to hire a foreign worker.
The foreign worker must generally satisfy the conditions under the Labour Code and Decree 219. The employer must show that the role is appropriate, the candidate fits the registered job position, and the company has proper legal status in Vietnam.
Requirements for the Foreign Employee
The foreign worker should be able to prove:
Requirement | Practical Meaning |
Age and legal capacity | Usually at least 18 years old with full civil act capacity. |
Valid passport | Passport details must match the application documents. |
Health fitness | A valid health certificate from an eligible medical establishment. |
Criminal record status | Criminal record or equivalent confirmation issued within the required validity period. |
Qualification or experience | Evidence matching the registered job category. |
Correct job category | Manager, executive, expert or technical worker. |
Under Decree 219, experts may qualify through a university degree or equivalent qualification with relevant experience. In certain priority sectors such as finance, science, technology, innovation and national digital transformation, the experience threshold may be more flexible where the legal conditions are met. Technical workers may qualify through training and experience, or through sufficient relevant experience.
Authorities commonly reject or question applications when the degree, experience letter and job title do not tell the same story. For example, a candidate may have strong commercial experience, but the application describes a technical engineering position. The issue is not the candidate’s quality. The issue is documentary alignment.
Requirements for the Employer
The Vietnamese employer should prepare company documents and a clear explanation of the need to employ the foreign worker. Depending on the company type, this may involve the Enterprise Registration Certificate, Investment Registration Certificate, establishment license, charter, appointment decision, organizational chart or other internal documents.
The Law on Enterprises matters when proving managerial status. A manager should fit the legal or corporate governance definition, not only an informal business title. The Law on Investment may also matter for foreign-invested companies because the Investment Registration Certificate helps show the registered project scope and business context.
In practice, a company hiring a foreign “Business Development Director” for a business line not yet registered or not yet operational may face more questions than a company hiring a foreign specialist directly linked to its licensed activity.
Compliance Note:
The job title in the work permit application should be consistent with the labour contract, appointment letter, company charter, organizational chart and internal HR records.
Required Documents for a Vietnam Work Permit
The required documents for a Vietnam work permit are set mainly by Decree 219/2025/ND-CP. The employer’s explanation of foreign labour demand is now integrated into the work permit application dossier, using the prescribed form.
A typical dossier includes:
Document | Business Purpose | Common Issue |
Employer’s application and labour demand explanation | Shows why the company needs the foreign worker | Generic job descriptions are often weak |
Health certificate | Confirms fitness to work | Issued by a non-accepted medical facility |
Valid passport | Confirms identity and nationality | Passport validity too short |
Criminal record certificate | Confirms no relevant criminal issue | Expired, not legalized or not translated |
Photos | Used for official records | Wrong size, background or age of photo |
Proof of job position | Shows manager, executive, expert or technical worker status | Job title not aligned with evidence |
Proof of working form | Shows legal basis for assignment to Vietnam | Missing overseas assignment letter or contract |
Company documents | Shows employer’s legal status | ERC, IRC or charter not updated |
Legalized and translated foreign documents | Makes foreign documents usable in Vietnam | Late legalization causes timeline problems |
Based on Vinex’s 2026 work permit checklist, employers should expect practical preparation for health certificate, criminal record, photos, passport copies, appointment documents for managers, company charter and company registration documents. Vinex’s internal processing estimate for a complete work permit preparation track is commonly around 2.5 to 3 months, mainly because overseas documents and legalization can take time.
Criminal Record
A criminal record certificate or equivalent document is usually one of the most time-sensitive documents. Under Decree 219, the criminal record document must generally be issued no more than 6 months before dossier submission, unless connected administrative procedures apply.
Many employers underestimate this step. If the foreign worker is outside Vietnam, the document may need to be obtained from the home country, legalized at the Vietnamese embassy or consulate, sent to Vietnam, translated and notarized. If the person has lived in Vietnam long enough, a Vietnamese criminal record may be possible depending on the case.
Practical Tip:
Start the criminal record process before the planned start date is fixed. Waiting until the employment contract is ready often causes avoidable delay.
Health Certificate
A health certificate must be issued by a qualified medical examination and treatment establishment. Vinex’s checklist correctly flags a practical issue: not every hospital or clinic is accepted for work permit purposes.
If the health certificate is issued abroad, it may only be accepted where Vietnam and the issuing country or territory have a treaty or agreement on mutual recognition, and the document must satisfy validity requirements. Many employers use a Vietnamese health check to reduce uncertainty.
Proof of Qualification and Experience
For experts and technical workers, authorities look closely at the link between education, experience and the proposed role. A degree alone may not be enough. An experience confirmation alone may not be enough. The documents should support the exact category being claimed.
For managers and executives, the focus is different. The company must show that the person genuinely holds a management or executive role under the company’s governance structure, not merely a senior-sounding title.
Vietnam Work Permit Application Process
The Vietnam work permit application process under Decree 219 is more streamlined than the previous two-step approach. The application is submitted between 10 and 60 days before the expected working date. The competent authority then considers both the foreign labour demand and the work permit issuance within the same procedure.
Step 1: Confirm the Correct Legal Route
The employer should first decide whether the foreign worker needs a work permit, work permit exemption certificate, or notification. This should be done before signing a final start date.
A frequent compliance issue is assuming that a shareholder, director or spouse of a Vietnamese citizen can work automatically. Some cases are exempt from a work permit but still require confirmation or reporting.
Step 2: Map the Job Position
The employer should classify the role as manager, executive, expert or technical worker. This classification determines the documents required.
In practice, job mapping should be done before requesting overseas documents. If HR asks for a generic “experience letter” and later discovers the role must be supported as an expert position, the foreign employee may need to obtain a revised letter.
Step 3: Prepare and Legalize Documents
Foreign-issued documents normally need consular legalization, Vietnamese translation and notarization unless an exemption applies. This is where many timelines fail.
Companies often experience delays when the foreign employee’s name format, passport number, job title or employer name differs across documents. Even small inconsistencies can trigger questions.
Step 4: Submit the Dossier
The employer submits the work permit application to the Public Administration Service Center in the locality where the foreign worker is expected to work. Submission may be made directly, by post, through an authorized representative or through public service channels, depending on local implementation.
For Ho Chi Minh City, electronic issuance of work permit and work permit exemption certificate results has been implemented from June 2026, allowing companies to download digitally signed results from the National Public Service Portal.
Step 5: Receive the Result and Sign the Labour Contract
For foreign workers working under a labour contract, the employer and employee must sign a written labour contract after the work permit is issued and before the expected working date. The labour contract term must not exceed the work permit term.
When requested, the employer must send a copy of the signed labour contract to the authority that issued the permit.
Compliance Note:
Do not let the foreign employee start work before the work permit or valid exemption route is in place. “Probation,” “training” or “consulting” labels do not remove the risk if the person is actually working in Vietnam.
Processing Time and Government Fees
Under Decree 219, the competent authority has 10 working days from receipt of a complete dossier to consider the foreign labour demand and issue the work permit. If the authority refuses, it must issue a written response stating the reason within the prescribed timeline.
That statutory timeline is not the same as the full business timeline.
Stage | Typical Planning Issue |
Role classification | 1-3 days if documents are clear |
Overseas criminal record | Often several weeks, depending on country |
Legalization and translation | Can be slow if documents are issued abroad |
Health check in Vietnam | Usually faster, but hospital eligibility must be checked |
Dossier preparation | Depends on company document readiness |
Authority processing | 10 working days after complete submission |
Labour contract and immigration follow-up | Needed for TRC or visa planning |
Government fees vary by province or city because work permit issuance fees fall under provincial-level fee authority. Current practical ranges are often around VND 400,000 to VND 1,000,000 for new issuance, with lower fees for reissuance or extension in many localities. For example, published references indicate Ho Chi Minh City fees of VND 600,000 for new issuance and VND 450,000 for reissuance or renewal, while Hanoi has historically applied VND 400,000 for new issuance and lower fees for reissuance or renewal.
Employers should also budget for non-government costs: health check, consular legalization, notarized translation, courier fees, document reissuance, professional service fees and immigration follow-up for visas or temporary residence cards.
Work Permit Validity, Renewal and Reissuance
A Vietnam work permit is valid for the period approved by the authority, but generally cannot exceed 2 years. The exact validity depends on the employment contract, assignment document, service contract, project period or other legal basis for the foreign worker’s presence.
Issue | Rule of Thumb | Employer Action |
Maximum validity | Usually up to 2 years | Align labour contract and assignment term |
Renewal/extension | Generally available once if conditions are met | Track expiry early |
Continued employment after renewal | A new work permit may be required after the permitted extension cycle | Plan before expiry |
Change of employer | New work permit route usually required | Do not treat permit as transferable |
Change of job position or working form | New work permit or adjustment procedure may be required | Review before internal transfer |
Multiple provinces | Notification may be required before work starts in another locality | Track work locations |
In practice, HR teams should begin renewal planning at least 60-90 days before expiry. The formal filing window is shorter, but the preparation window should be longer. Criminal records, health checks and updated company documents can still cause delays.
Reissuance is different from renewal. Reissuance may apply where a permit is lost, damaged, contains changed information, or falls under another reissuance case. Renewal applies when the company wants the foreign worker to continue working under the approved arrangement before the permit expires.
Compliance Note:
Employers remain responsible for monitoring work permit validity. Allowing an expired permit to remain in use may expose both the company and the foreign employee to administrative penalties.
Employer Compliance After Issuance
Getting the Vietnam work permit is not the end of compliance. It is the start of an ongoing employer obligation.
After issuance, the employer should ensure that the foreign worker’s actual work matches the permit. The job title, work location, employer name, working form and validity period should be checked against HR records, payroll, visa/TRC sponsorship and internal assignments.
The employer should also maintain a complete file for inspection. This file should include the work permit, labour contract, passport copy, visa or TRC records, application documents, company documents, proof of submission, authority result and any notifications for multi-province work.
Compliance Area | What Employers Should Do |
Labour contract | Sign after permit issuance and before work starts, where applicable |
Payroll and tax | Align salary payment with employment structure and PIT obligations |
Social insurance | Assess compulsory insurance obligations where applicable |
Immigration | Ensure visa/TRC purpose matches work arrangement |
Work location | Notify or update where required |
Expiry tracking | Create alerts 90, 60 and 30 days before expiry |
Role changes | Review permit impact before promotion or transfer |
Termination | Assess permit revocation, immigration and reporting steps |
Penalties can be significant. Under Decree 12/2022/ND-CP, a foreign worker working without a valid work permit or exemption may be fined VND 15 million to VND 25 million and may be expelled. Employers may face fines depending on the number of affected workers; for organizations, fines may be doubled under general penalty rules.
The business impact is larger than the fine. Work permit violations can disrupt immigration sponsorship, delay project deployment, affect customer commitments, and create issues during labour, tax or investment compliance reviews.
Common Mistakes Employers Should Avoid
Treating a Business Visa or TRC as a Work Permit
A visa or temporary residence card allows stay under immigration rules. It does not automatically authorize employment. Employers should check work authorization separately.
Preparing Documents Before Classifying the Role
Many applications become weak because HR collects generic documents first and tries to fit them into the legal category later. The better approach is to classify the position first, then request exact documents.
Using Inconsistent Job Titles
A candidate may be called “Country Manager” in one document, “Sales Director” in another and “Business Consultant” in the labour contract. Authorities may ask which role is real.
Ignoring Consular Legalization
Foreign-issued documents often need legalization, translation and notarization. Missing this step can cause immediate rejection or delay.
Filing Too Close to the Start Date
Although Decree 219 provides a 10-working-day processing timeline for complete dossiers, employers should not build onboarding plans around the statutory minimum. Overseas documents can easily consume several weeks.
Forgetting Post-Issuance Obligations
Companies often focus on issuance and forget expiry tracking, labour contract submission, role changes, work location changes or termination reporting.
Assuming an Exemption Means No Compliance
Work permit exemption is still a legal status. Employers should confirm whether an exemption certificate or notification is required and keep evidence in the personnel file.
How Vinex Can Help
Vinex supports companies, investors and HR teams with Vietnam work permit planning, dossier preparation and compliance management. The practical value is not only filling forms. Vinex helps employers assess the correct legal route, classify the job position, identify document gaps, coordinate legalized and translated documents, prepare company-side records, manage submission strategy and reduce avoidable rejection risk.
For foreign-invested companies, Vinex can also review whether the proposed foreign worker role aligns with the company’s Enterprise Registration Certificate, Investment Registration Certificate, charter, internal appointment documents and actual business operations.
A well-prepared Vietnam work permit application protects more than one employee. It protects the company’s hiring plan, immigration timeline, labour compliance position and ability to operate without disruption.
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