ESSENTIAL GUIDE TO WORK PERMIT PROCESS FOR FOREIGNERS LIVING IN VIETNAM 2025

Tuesday, 16/09/25

As Vietnam strengthens its role as a hub for foreign investment and international business, the demand for skilled foreign professionals remains significant. Currently, the regulations on work permits for foreigners are governed by Decree 219/2025/NĐ-CP, which officially took effect on August 7, 2025. The key highlight of Decree 219/2025/NĐ-CP is that it introduces more unified and transparent regulations on foreign work permits in Vietnam, replacing and updating previous decrees to ensure stricter compliance and simpler procedures for both employers and expatriates.

Whether you are an organization hiring skilled expatriates or an individual preparing to work in Vietnam, understanding the latest requirements is essential to avoid delays, minimize risks, and optimize costs. This guide provides clear insights, practical strategies, and step-by-step instructions to navigate the Vietnam work permit process in 2025. By preparing and organizing documents carefully in line with the new decree, businesses and foreign workers can ensure a smooth and compliant application process.

KEY DOCUMENTS FOR LEGALIZATION BEFORE ARRIVAL VIETNAM

Expatriates planning to work in Vietnam need to ensure that certain essential documents are legalized prior to entry. These documents will help ensure a smooth and efficient work permit application process. Key documents include:

Academic Qualifications (Bachelor’s Degree or Higher): to prove their academic qualification background.
Working Experience Certificates: These certificates confirm the foreign national's professional experience, including their previous employment and positions in foreign companies.

Having these documents ready and legalized before arrival in Vietnam helps avoid delays and complications during the work permit application process. There are documents expatriates can either complete before or after arriving in Vietnam:

Criminal Record (Police Clearance Certificate)
- If completed in Vietnam: The expatriate must provide the original copy of the criminal record.
- If done overseas: A notarized or legalized original copy must be provided.
Health Check for Work Permit
- If done in Vietnam: If done in Vietnam: Expatriates can complete the medical checkup at authorized hospitals or clinics, making the process more convenient.
- If done overseas: A legalized original health check certificate must be submitted, and it is only valid if Vietnam and the issuing country have a mutual recognition agreement.

👉 Tip: It is highly recommended to prepare your academic qualifications, work experience certificates, and criminal record before arriving in Vietnam, while the health check should be done after entry.

By organizing these documents in advance, expatriates can ensure a more seamless and timely work permit application. Each rank of job assignment/ job position will need specific type of documents in order to prove their skill and experience for the job they will handle in Vietnam. You can take a look at our article A Comprehensive Guide To Implementation Work Permit Vietnam to see more on the required personal documents from expatriates and documents from the company sponsorship.

WORK PERMIT APPLICATION PROCESS & ESSENTIAL CONSIDERATIONS

Order of Steps	Description & Timeline for Work Permit Application Process in Vietnam
Step 1: Job Posting	Doing the Job posting and public in the company, other website for recruitment. Details to finalize: job title, position, work type, duration. Begin immediately after finalizing job details but the posting must occur at least 5 days before the expected date of submitting application for Work permit to the Department of Home Affairs (DOHA).
Step 2: Work Permit Issuance	Apply for the work permit after job posting is done. Ensure all necessary documents from the expatriate are completed. Must be submitted at least 10 days but no more than 60 days before the expected starting working date in Vietnam.
General Note	For a smooth process and to align with internal planning, begin the entire process at least 2-3 months in advance of the expected start date.

EFFICIENT PROCESS FOR WORK PERMIT AND RESIDENCE IN VIETNAM

Process Step	What Happens in This Step	Why This Step is Important
Step 1: Obtain a Short-Term Business/ Commercial Visa	Acquire a Visa Approval letter for entering Vietnam to initiate the work permit process.	Entry into Vietnam for work permit processing.
Step 2: Apply for the Work Permit	Follow the standard process for work permit application once the expatriate is in Vietnam.	To obtain the document allowing foreign expatriates to work legally in Vietnam.
Step 3: Apply for the Temporary Residence Card (TRC)	Submit the TRC application after receiving the work permit to secure long-term residency and work authorization.	Ensure long-term residency and compliance.
General Note	This combined approach streamlines the process and ensures efficient fulfillment of all regulatory requirements.	Optimize the timeline and compliance for the expatriates to working and living long time in Vietnam.

📞 Navigating Vietnam’s 2025 Work Permit Process? Let Visa5s.com Guide You Every Step of the Way

Applying for a Vietnam work permit in 2025 requires careful preparation, attention to detail, and a clear understanding of the latest procedures. If you need:

Guidance on which documents to legalize before arriving in Vietnam
Clarification on job posting and timelines
Support with preparing both company and expatriate documents
Step-by-step assistance through work permit and residence procedures
Updates on health check clinics and valid police check requirements

👉 Contact Visa5s.com – our experienced team ensures a streamlined, compliant, and stress-free work permit application process tailored to your case in 2025.

RELATED ARTICLES TO VIETNAM'S WORK PERMIT & TEMPORARY RESIDENCE CARD

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ESSENTIAL GUIDE TO WORK PERMIT PROCESS FOR FOREIGNERS LIVING IN VIETNAM 2025

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