Most foreigners working in Vietnam must obtain a Vietnam work permit before employment begins. This guide explains who needs a work permit (and who is exempt), the requirements, and how to apply under the latest Decree 219/2025/ND-CP (“Decree 219“), which took effect on August 7, 2025.

What is a Vietnam Work Permit?

A Vietnam work permit is a legal document issued by the Vietnamese government that allows a foreigner to work in Vietnam. The work permit is typically valid for up to 2 years and is required in most cases of foreign employment, with a few exemptions.

Foreigners working in Vietnam without a work permit or a certificate of exemption may face the following penalties:

• Foreigners may be fined from VND 15 million to VND 25 million and deported from Vietnam.
• Employers hiring them may be fined from VND 30 million to VND 75 million.

Work permit exemptions cases

Foreigners will be exempted from requiring a work permit in certain following cases:

• Being Chairman or member of the Board of Directors of a joint-stock company, or owner or member of a limited liability company with a capital contribution of VND 3 billion or more;
• Serving as the Chief of a representative office or project, or being primarily responsible for the operations of an international organization or foreign NGO in Vietnam;
• Foreign experts, managers, executives, and technical workers enter Vietnam to work for a total period of less than 90 days in 01 calendar year;
• Foreigners married to Vietnamese citizens and living in Vietnam;
• Being a foreign lawyer who has been granted a license to practice law in Vietnam;
• Foreign workers who are invited or officially confirmed by a competent Vietnamese authority to work in critical sectors, including: finance, science, technology, innovation, national digital transformation, sectors prioritized for socio-economic development;
• Other cases as prescribed by law.

Who needs a Vietnam work permit?

Foreigners working in Vietnam under any of the following arrangements, and who do not fall under work permit exemption cases, are required to obtain a work permit: Working under a labor contract; Intra-company transfer; Performing economic or social contracts or agreements; Providing services under a contract; Offering services; Being responsible for establishing a commercial presence; Chairman or member of the Board of Directors of a joint-stock company, or owner or member of a limited liability company with a capital contribution of less than VND 3 billion; Being assigned to work in Vietnam by an overseas agency, organization, or enterprise (excluding intra-company transferees); Volunteering; Participating in the execution of projects or bidding packages in Vietnam; Dependents of members of foreign diplomatic missions in Vietnam who are permitted to work under international treaties to which the Socialist Republic of Vietnam is a party; Working under a labor contract with foreign diplomatic missions or foreign organizations in Vietnam.

Please note that having a work permit only allows a foreigner to work legally in Vietnam. The foreigner needs to have a Work Visa or a Temporary Resident Card (TRC) in order to legally stay in Vietnam.

Requirements to get a work permit

According to Article 151 of the Vietnamese Labor Code 2020, a foreign worker in Vietnam is a foreign national who must satisfy the following conditions:

• Be at least 18 years of age and have full civil act capacity;
• Possess professional qualifications, technical expertise, skills, and work experience;
• Have adequate health as prescribed by the VietnamMinister of Health;
• Not be serving a criminal sentence, have an unexpunged criminal record, or be under criminal prosecution under the laws of either Vietnam or a foreign country.

Eligible job assignments for foreigners

In general, Vietnam has only opened its job market to foreign business owners or highly-skilled foreign workers to fill specific job positions that the employers cannot find qualified local candidates for, according to Article 152 of the Vietnamese Labor Code 2020.

Here are 4 eligible job assignments for foreigner under Articles 3 and 19 of Decree 219:

List of required documents

Your work permit application needs to be supported by the following documents:

• Document from the employer reporting and explaining the demand for foreign workers and requesting the issuance of a work permit
• A valid Heath Check Certificate
• A Criminal Record Certificate being issued within 06 months in Vietnam or overseas
• Passport with remaining validity
• 2 color photos (size 4 cm x 6 cm, white background, front-facing, bareheaded, without glasses)
• Documents proving the form of employment of the foreign worker
• Documents proving that the foreign worker is a manager, executive director, expert, or technical worker

Please note that documents issued overseas and in a foreign language other than Vietnamese must be consular legalized and translated into the Vietnamese language.

How to apply for a Vietnam Work Permit

Here are the 3 steps to apply for a Vietnam Work Permit:

Step 1. Post Job Vacancies

Before hiring foreign workers, employers must publish job postings at least 5 days in advance on major recruitment platforms in Vietnam or labor authority’s official portal:

• Hanoi Employment Service Center; or
• Ho Chi Minh City Employment Service Center

Employers may only recruit foreign workers if no qualified local candidates are available to fill the position.

Step 2. Apply for a work permit

• Within 60 days but no later than 10 days before the expected start date, the employer must submit the work permit application to the licensing authority in the locality where the foreign worker is expected to work.
• Processing time: 10 working days.
• Result: a Work Permit or a Reject Notification.

Step 3. Sign a labor contract

Once the Work Permit is issued, the employer and the foreign worker must sign a written labor contract in compliance with Vietnamese labor law before the commencement date. Upon request, a copy must be submitted to the issuing authority.

The total processing time to obtain a work permit in Vietnam is from 15 working days. In practice, it could be longer depending on which city you apply for the work permit.

How long is a work permit valid?

The validity period of a work permit is equal to the term of the labor contract but no more than 2 years and can only be renewed once for a further 2-year term (so a maximum of 4 years in total duration). After that, a new work permit application is required for the foreign worker to keep working in Vietnam.

Reasons for denial

In practice, the Vietnamese labor authority may not approve all work permit applications. The reasons for rejection can vary, such as:

• The applicant does not meet the requirements for qualifications and/or work experience;
• The job position is not required to hire highly-skilled foreign workers (this criterion is the most difficult to prove and depends on the assessment of the authority on a case-by-case basis);
• The application form was filled in incorrectly or does not have a proper explanation;
• Different policies of each city in Vietnam that is welcoming or strict on using foreign workers and subject to change from time to time.

Conclusion

Getting a Vietnam Work Permit can be more complex than it seems. At Nova Law, we simplify the process. Our team reviews your qualifications, evaluates the chances of approval, helps identify the right job position, prepares the required documents, and submits the application to the Labor Authority on your behalf.

If you have questions about how to get a Vietnam Work Permit, or labor disputes, contact Nova Law today for expert support.