Vietnam work permit guide: how to get a work permit in Vietnam
To get a work permit in Vietnam, the employer files one integrated application (Form 03 under Decree 219/2025/NĐ-CP) with the provincial authority — in most provinces now the Department of Home Affairs (Sở Nội vụ) — and the permit is issued within 10 working days of a complete file, valid for up to 2 years. (219/2025/NĐ-CP) Most of the real lead time is preparing the worker's apostilled or legalized degree, experience and criminal-record documents, so start those first.
Who needs a Vietnam work permit?
Most foreign nationals coming to work in Vietnam need a work permit before they can work legally for the sponsoring enterprise. The permit also becomes the foundation for an employment-based temporary residence card, so it is not just an HR formality.
Some foreign workers are exempt under Article 7 of Decree 219/2025/NĐ-CP — for example owners or capital-contributing members with a contribution of VND 3 billion or more (Art. 7(2)–(3)); managers, executive directors, experts or technical workers whose total working time in Vietnam is under 90 days in a calendar year (Art. 7(13)(a)); or the person setting up a commercial presence (Art. 7(10)). There is no general 'under 30 days, no more than 3 times a year' exemption in the decree. Exempt does not mean no filing: for these cases the employer notifies the authority at least 3 working days before work starts (Art. 9(4)); other exempt cases, such as intra-corporate transferees, need a written exemption certificate applied for 60 to 10 days before the start date (Art. 9(1)–(3)).
Eligibility under Decree 219/2025
A foreign worker generally needs to fit one of four categories: manager, executive director, expert, or technical worker. Decree 219/2025 lowered some experience thresholds compared with the previous rules, but the file still has to prove that the person's education, experience and role match the sponsored position.
The employer also needs a genuine need to use foreign labor for the role. Decree 219/2025 merged the former separate demand-reporting step into the work-permit application itself, so the application now has to explain both the worker's qualifications and the employer's need in one file.
- Expert: hold a university degree or higher and at least 2 years of relevant experience (only 1 year for certain priority fields such as finance, science and technology, and innovation)
- Technical worker: trained for at least 1 year with 2 years of relevant experience, or at least 3 years of experience
- A clean criminal record; a health certificate confirming fitness to work
- A sponsoring enterprise in Vietnam that has a genuine need to employ a foreign worker for that position
Form 03 under Decree 219/2025 — one integrated filing
Under Decree 219/2025/NĐ-CP (effective 7 August 2025), the old two-step process — a separate foreign-labor demand report, then a work-permit application — is replaced by a single integrated document: Form 03 in the decree's appendix.
Form 03 combines the employer's explanation of foreign-labor need with the request to issue, re-issue or renew the work permit. The competent authority reviews both the need and the permit dossier in one procedure — within 10 working days once the file is complete.
What to get right on Form 03: employer details, business line, job title, work form, location and term must match the appointment letter, contract, degree and experience evidence. Mismatches are a common reason for supplementary requests or refusal of the labor need.
Form 03 is filed with the provincial authority — usually Sở Nội vụ after the 2025 merger — via the provincial public-service center or the National Public Service Portal.
Vietnam work permit documents checklist
The exact document set depends on the job category, province and whether documents were issued in Vietnam or overseas. The practical checklist below is the starting point for most Vietnam work permit files.
Documents issued abroad have to be authenticated and translated into Vietnamese before filing. Since 11 September 2026 the authentication step is usually a single apostille from the issuing country (293/2026/NĐ-CP) — Vietnam joined the Hague Apostille Convention and Decree 293/2026/NĐ-CP of 23 July 2026 gives an apostilled document the same standing here as a consular-legalized one, with no extra step. Consular legalization is still required for documents from Germany, Austria and Czechia (all three objected to Vietnam's accession), from Thailand until 28 February 2027, and from any country outside the Convention. Either way a notarized Vietnamese translation is still needed. This is the part that most often causes delay, so collect overseas documents before the intended start date rather than waiting until the employee arrives.
- Passport copy and current visa or entry status, where relevant
- Application forms and employer documents for the sponsoring Vietnam entity
- Degree, professional certificate or training evidence for the claimed category
- Experience letters or appointment documents matching the role
- Criminal record certificate issued within 6 months
- Health certificate issued within 12 months
- Portrait photos in the required size and format
- Apostille or consular legalization, plus notarized Vietnamese translation, for foreign-issued documents
Where to file: Sở Nội vụ, not the old DOLISA route
Under Decree 219/2025, the work permit is issued by the provincial People's Committee (Ủy ban nhân dân cấp tỉnh), which delegates intake and processing to its specialized agency. (219/2025/NĐ-CP) In most provinces after the mid-2025 merger, that agency is the Department of Home Affairs, Sở Nội vụ.
This matters because older articles still refer to DOLISA or the Department of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs. For a current work permit in Vietnam, the file is submitted through the provincial Public Administration Service Centre or the National Public Service Portal, with Sở Nội vụ handling the file in most provinces.
Vietnam work permit processing time
When the file is complete and valid, the competent authority issues the permit within 10 working days under Decree 219/2025. (219/2025/NĐ-CP) A work permit is valid for a maximum of 2 years and may be renewed once. (219/2025/NĐ-CP)
That 10-working-day timeline does not include the preparation time for overseas documents. Criminal records, degrees, experience letters and their apostille or legalization can take several weeks depending on the country, so the real project timeline is usually longer than the authority's processing window.
Vietnam work permit cost overview
There is no single national price for a Vietnam work permit because the total is built from several parts: provincial state fee, criminal record, health check, apostille or legalization, translation and service fee if you use an agent.
The official issuance fee varies by province, and the most variable cost is often authenticating overseas documents — an apostille for most countries, consular legalization for the rest. For a detailed breakdown of each component, read the Vietnam work permit cost guide.
- State issuance fee: set by each province
- Criminal record and health-check costs
- Apostille or legalization, plus Vietnamese translation, for foreign documents
- Agent service fee, if you choose assisted preparation and filing
After the permit: TRC next step
Once the work permit is issued, many foreign employees use it to apply for a temporary residence card instead of repeatedly extending short visas. The TRC can make longer employment in Vietnam easier for the employee and, in some cases, family members.
The TRC has its own document set and validity rules. After the work permit is approved, compare the TRC requirements and the TRC vs visa tradeoffs before deciding the next immigration step.
When an agent is useful
A straightforward file can be handled internally if the employer has staff who know the provincial portal, the apostille and legalization rules, and Vietnamese translation requirements. The risk is that one missing authentication step or weak experience letter can delay the file beyond the planned start date.
InTimeVisa is useful when you want eligibility checked before you spend money on overseas documents, a clear checklist for the worker and employer, and one team to prepare, lodge and track the work permit in Vietnam until issuance.
Frequently asked questions
Who needs a Vietnam work permit?
Most foreign nationals working for a Vietnam employer need a work permit unless they fall under an exemption in Article 7 of Decree 219/2025/NĐ-CP or Article 154 of the Labour Code. Exempt does not mean no filing: some cases only need the employer's notice at least 3 working days before work starts (Art. 9(4)); the others need a written exemption certificate.
Where is a work permit in Vietnam filed now?
Under Decree 219/2025, the permit is issued by the provincial People's Committee and handled by its specialized agency. In most provinces after the 2025 merger, that means Sở Nội vụ, not the old DOLISA route.
How long does a Vietnam work permit take?
When the file is complete and valid, the authority issues the permit within 10 working days. Preparation can take longer because overseas degrees, criminal records and experience documents need authentication — an apostille since 11 September 2026 for most countries, consular legalization for Germany, Austria, Czechia, Thailand until 28 February 2027 and non-Convention states — plus Vietnamese translation.
What documents are needed for a Vietnam work permit?
Common documents include passport, employer forms, degree or training evidence, experience proof, criminal record certificate, health certificate, photos, and, for foreign-issued documents, an apostille (or consular legalization where the Apostille Convention does not apply) plus a notarized Vietnamese translation.
What comes after the work permit?
Many foreign employees use the approved work permit to apply for a temporary residence card. The TRC has a separate document set, so plan it as the next immigration step after the permit is issued.
Where do employers in Da Nang file a work permit?
At Da Nang's Public Administration Service Centre, or online through the National Public Service Portal (Decree 219/2025/NĐ-CP, Article 6). (219/2025/NĐ-CP) The Da Nang City People's Committee has authority and decides which agency handles the file (Article 4); since the mid-2025 restructuring that is generally the Department of Home Affairs (Sở Nội vụ).
Need a work permit?
We review your eligibility and documents BEFORE filing to avoid a rejected application, and stay with you until the permit is issued. Your documents (passport, criminal record, etc.) are kept confidential. The quote is free and no-obligation — you only pay when you agree to proceed. InTimeVisa is a private service, not a government agency, and is not affiliated with the Vietnamese government.