How to get a Vietnam work permit in 2026: step by step under Decree 219

Foreigners working in Vietnam need a work permit unless they fall into an exempt category. Since 7 August 2025 the procedure follows Decree 219/2025/ND-CP, which replaced Decree 152/2020/ND-CP and Decree 70/2023/ND-CP. The biggest change for employers: there is no longer a separate approval of the demand for foreign workers. The explanation of demand is now part of the work permit application itself.

Permits are issued by the provincial People's Committee where the employee will work, which usually delegates this to the Department of Home Affairs. Files can be submitted in person at the Public Administrative Service Centre, by public postal service, or online on the National Public Service Portal.

Step 1: Check whether the employee is exempt

Before preparing a file, check whether the employee needs a permit at all. Examples of exempt groups: investors contributing VND 3 billion or more (owners or capital-contributing members of a limited liability company; chair or members of the board of a joint stock company), foreigners married to Vietnamese citizens and living in Vietnam, people working in Vietnam for less than 90 days in total in a year, and intra-company transferees. Depending on the group, the employer either just notifies the authority at least 3 working days in advance or must obtain a work permit exemption confirmation.

Step 2: Choose the job category and check the conditions

Work permits are issued in four job categories. Each has its own education and experience requirements, so pick the right one from the start.

• Manager: a manager of an enterprise under the Law on Enterprises, or the head or deputy head of an agency or organisation.
• Executive director: heads and directly runs a subordinate unit, with at least 3 years of relevant experience.
• Expert: a bachelor's degree or higher and at least 2 years of relevant experience. In some fields, such as finance, science, technology and innovation, 1 year of experience is enough.
• Technical worker: at least 1 year of training plus at least 2 years of relevant experience, or at least 3 years of relevant experience.

Step 3: Advertise the position to Vietnamese workers

The Labour Code requires employers to give priority to Vietnamese workers. Before filing, the employer announces the vacancy to Vietnamese candidates for the position intended for a foreigner. The form and timing of the announcement follow the guidance of the Department of Home Affairs where you file; check it first to avoid having to refile.

Step 4: Prepare the employee's documents

• A valid passport.
• A health certificate from an authorised medical facility. One issued abroad is only accepted where a treaty or agreement exists, and within 12 months of issue.
• A criminal record certificate or written confirmation of no criminal record, from the foreign country or from Vietnam, issued no more than 6 months earlier. If the employee is already in Vietnam, the file can be linked with the criminal record application on the public service portal.
• Two 4 x 6 cm colour photos, white background, facing forward, bareheaded, no glasses.
• Proof of being a manager, executive director, expert or technical worker: degrees, certificates, letters confirming experience.

Foreign-issued documents must be consularly legalised unless exempt. From 11 September 2026, documents from most Apostille Convention member states only need an Apostille. They are then translated into Vietnamese and certified; copies must be certified against the original before translation.

Step 5: Prepare the employer's documents

• The work permit request on Form No. 03 of Decree 219, which includes the explanation of the need for a foreign worker.
• Proof of the form of work: the employment contract to be signed, a secondment letter from the foreign company, a service contract or a contract with a partner, depending on the case.

Step 6: File within the time window

The file is submitted within 60 days and no later than 10 days before the employee's expected start date. File too early and documents may expire while you wait; file too late and the permit will not be ready. Under Decree 219 the authority decides within 10 working days of receiving a complete file; an incomplete or incorrect file will be returned for correction and the clock restarts.

Step 7: After the permit is issued

• Employer and employee sign the employment contract in line with the permit, and the employer sends a copy to the issuing authority as local guidance requires.
• If the employee is still abroad, apply for an LĐ2 visa, then a temporary residence card for a long-term stay.
• Foreign employees on contracts of 12 months or more are generally covered by compulsory social insurance, with some exceptions such as intra-company transferees or people who have reached retirement age.
• Track the expiry date. A permit lasts up to 2 years and can be extended only once, for up to 2 years. The extension is filed when the permit has between 10 and 45 days left.

When a new permit is required

• Moving to a different employer, even in the same position.
• Changing job position or form of work with the same employer.
• Continuing to work after the permit has already been extended once.

A lost or damaged permit, or a change of name, nationality, passport number, place of work or company name (with the same identification number), calls for a reissue instead. When a permit lapses, the employer collects it and returns it to the issuing authority within 15 days.

Frequently asked questions

Can the employee start work while the file is being processed? No. Working without a permit (when not exempt) is a violation, and both employer and employee can be penalised.

Can a permit issued in Hanoi be used at a branch in Ho Chi Minh City? With the same employer, no additional permit is needed in another province, but the employer must notify the authority where the employee goes to work, as the rules require.

How long does it take overall? The decision period is 10 working days once the file is complete, but the total time depends on the case, mostly on preparing and certifying documents abroad.

Decree 219 may be amended again, and each province has its own filing guidance. Gateway reviews the file against the rules applied where you file before any documents are prepared.