Vietnam work permit documents: getting the degree, experience letters and criminal record right

The parts of a work permit file the employer drafts are rarely the problem. What takes time, and goes wrong, are the employee's documents, especially those obtained abroad and then certified, translated and notarised. This guide goes through each one under Decree 219/2025/ND-CP, with the points the issuing authority usually checks.

Documents must prove the job category

The file must show the employee is a manager, executive director, expert or technical worker. Each category needs different evidence:

• Expert: a bachelor's degree or higher and proof of at least 2 years of relevant experience (1 year in some fields such as finance, science, technology and innovation).
• Technical worker: diplomas or certificates showing at least 1 year of training plus at least 2 years of experience, or at least 3 years of relevant experience.
• Executive director: proof of at least 3 years of experience relevant to the position.
• Manager: proof of the management role, such as the company charter or an appointment decision.

Degrees must relate to the job

The authority compares the field of study on the degree with the position. A mechanical engineer applying as a finance expert will struggle, even with a master's degree. If the field is not an exact match, add certificates, transcripts or job descriptions that show the link.

• Use the original degree or a certified copy, not a self-printed scan.
• The name on the degree must match the passport. If you changed your name, include proof of the change.
• Foreign degrees need an Apostille or consular legalisation depending on the issuing country, then a certified Vietnamese translation.

Experience letters: the details decide the outcome

The experience letter is the document most often sent back for more information. A general reference letter is not enough. The letter should include:

• The confirming company's name, address and contact details, on company letterhead.
• The employee's full name and date of birth or passport number.
• Job title, position held and a short description of duties that match the job in Vietnam.
• Exact dates of employment, from day, month and year to day, month and year, covering the required number of years.
• Signature, name and title of the signatory, and the company seal where that country uses one.

Someone who has worked in Vietnam before can, in some cases, use a previously issued work permit or exemption confirmation as proof of experience if the position is relevant. Check with the receiving authority first, because practice may differ between provinces.

Criminal record certificate: watch the 6-month limit

The file needs a criminal record certificate or written confirmation of no criminal record, from the foreign country or from Vietnam, issued no more than 6 months before filing. Employees already living in Vietnam usually obtain it in Vietnam, and it can be applied for together with the work permit on the public service portal. Those not yet in Vietnam obtain it in the country where they live.

A foreign certificate still has to be certified, translated and notarised, so the 6 months go quickly. Do not request it too early, but do not wait until everything else is done. If it expires, the whole certification chain has to be repeated.

Health certificate

The health certificate must come from an authorised medical facility. One issued abroad is accepted only where Vietnam and that country have a treaty or agreement, and within 12 months of issue. The simplest route is usually a check-up at a hospital in Vietnam licensed to examine foreigners.

Order of certification and translation

• Obtain the original documents in the issuing country: degrees, experience letters, criminal record.
• Get an Apostille (for Apostille Convention member states, from 11 September 2026) or consular authentication followed by legalisation at a Vietnamese mission.
• Have them translated into Vietnamese and the translations certified in Vietnam.
• Check the name, date of birth and passport number on every translation.

Common mistakes

• An experience letter that gives the number of years but no start and end dates.
• Experience added up across several employers with one letter missing.
• A criminal record certificate older than 6 months on the filing date.
• The name transliterated differently across translations.
• Photocopies or scans without certification.

Frequently asked questions

Can I get a permit without a university degree? Possibly, as a technical worker, with a training certificate and enough years of experience. The expert category requires a bachelor's degree or higher.

My former employer has closed. How do I prove that experience? It depends. Substitutes such as the employment contract, an old work permit or confirmation from a competent authority may be used. Send us your documents and we will assess them.

Gateway reviews your degree and experience letters before you send them for certification and points out what needs fixing, so you do not have to repeat the whole chain.