Work Permits for Vietnam

If you’re unfamiliar with work permits for Vietnam, you need only speak to a fellow expat working in the country to learn that applying for and obtaining this crucial document can be a complicated affair. The government recently updated regulations with Decree 70/2023, with several changes taking effect in 2024. These frequent updates make the Vietnamese work permit system tricky for newcomers.

Visas and Residence Permits for Vietnam

Types of work permits for Vietnam

Vietnam sorts work permits into three categories based on your qualifications and job role. Under current regulations, these include permits for experts, managers or executives, and technical workers.

• For the expert category, you need professional experience that matches your job position. Recent rules have eased up – your degree no longer needs to match your position directly, just your experience does.
• If you’re after a manager or executive permit, you’ll need proof of management experience in your field.
• Technical workers must show appropriate vocational training and work experience.

A handy change: your old work permits can now prove your eligibility as an expert or technical worker, smoothing the path for those who’ve worked in Vietnam before.

When it comes to visas, you’ll deal with LD visas in two flavours: LD1 for those eligible for work permit exemptions (valid up to two years) and LD2 for those needing a standard work permit (also valid up to two years). Once your paperwork’s sorted, you can apply for a temporary residence card valid for 2 to 10 years, depending on your visa type.

Work permit exemptions

In several situations, you might qualify to work in Vietnam without the standard work permit. Exemptions apply if you’re a manager, executive, expert or technical worker staying less than 30 days (up to three times yearly). You’ll still need a work permit exemption certificate, valid for up to two years and serving the same purpose.

Other exemption paths include intra-company transfers within businesses operating in specific sectors (business, communication, construction, distribution, education, finance, healthcare, tourism, and transport), lawyers with Vietnamese practice certificates, foreigners married to Vietnamese citizens, and managers of educational institutions set up by foreign diplomatic agencies. With an exemption, you’ll get an LD1 visa and can use your certificate to apply for a temporary residence card.

Follow the rules carefully – working without proper paperwork results in hefty fines and possible deportation, and employers hiring foreigners without correct documentation face stiff penalties too.

Applying for a work permit for Vietnam

You can apply for a work permit in Vietnam from within the country or abroad with your employer’s help or through a visa agency. Current rules require a multistep process, with employers first gaining approval to hire foreign labour before submitting the actual permit application. Since 2024, employers must also post your job on the Ministry of Labour’s online portal 15 days before applying.

If applying from inside Vietnam, you’ll typically enter on an e-visa (valid up to 90 days) and then secure your work permit. To qualify, you must be at least 18, in good health, and have a clean criminal record. You’ll gather various documents – health certificate, criminal background check, copies of ID, passport and qualifications. These need translation into Vietnamese and proper notarisation. Whether to notarise in Vietnam or your home country is an open question, but most people get their documents notarised at home and then legalised by Vietnamese authorities upon arrival.

While the government claims processing takes 10 to 15 working days after submission, reality tells a different story. The full process from documents to permit typically takes 1.5 to 2 months, and that’s assuming you’ve submitted everything correctly. Start the application at least 30 days before you want to begin work to avoid delays.

Useful links

• Vietnam Government Portal: Work Permits
• MOLISA: Online Work Permit Portal

Extending your work permit in Vietnam

Extending your work permit in Vietnam is straightforward if you’re staying in the same job. Vietnamese labour laws require your employer to apply for a permit between 5 and 45 days before your current permit expires. Your permit must still be valid when applying. The process mirrors your initial application, but your renewed permit comes through faster, typically within five working days after submitting a complete application.

Work permits last up to two years and can only be extended once for another two years. This applies across all categories – managers, experts and technical workers. After your extension runs out, if you wish to stay working in Vietnam, you’ll need a brand-new application rather than another extension. Worth keeping in mind for your long-term plans.

Working in Vietnam

Useful links

• Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs (MOLISA)

Visa and work permit regulations are subject to change at short notice, and you should contact your nearest Vietnamese embassy or consulate for the latest information.