REQUIREMENT & DETAILED GUIDANCE ON VIETNAM WORK PERMIT FOR FOREIGN EXPATRIATES

Full Procedure of Obtaining a Vietnam Work Permit

 Detailed Breakdown of Every Step in Vietnam Work Permit issuance

Step 1:
Posting Recruitment

📌 Required for:

• Positions under labor contracts;
• Foreigners joining projects or contracts in Vietnam;
• Those working for foreign diplomatic missions or organizations in Vietnam. 

⌛ Processing time: at least 5 days before submitting the work permit application

🏢 Job Posting Location: Ho Chi Minh City Employment Service Center or recognized job websites

Step 2:
 Applying for Vietnam Work Permit for foreign expatriates  

📌 Key Requirement:

• Required Checklist as table below
• Permitted submission time for Step 2: 10–60 days before the intended start date.

⌛ Processing time: 10 working days (excluding the date of submission)

🏢 Responsible authority: Department of Home Affairs

No.

Name of Required Documents Checklist for Work Permit Issuance

Detailed Guidance for Work Permit Document Preparation

Personal Requirement from Foreign Expatriate

1

Photographs

Recent 4x6 cm color photograph with a white background, facing forward, no headwear, taken within the last 6 months.

2

Health Check Certificate or Medical Report

• Issued in Vietnam: Submit the original Health Check Certificate confirming the applicant is Fit to Work.
• Issued overseas: Accepted only if covered by a mutual recognition treaty with Vietnam. As no such treaty currently exists, a health check must be completed in Vietnam.

3

Criminal record or Police Check

• Issued overseas: Obtain consular legalization at the Vietnamese Embassy/Consulate overseas;
• Issued in Vietnam: No consular legalization required.

4

Certificate of Bachelor Degree/ Master Degree

Consular legalization required at Vietnamese Embassy overseas is required.

5

Certificate of Working Experience

• Proving at least 2 years of relevant work experience for the intended position in Vietnam;
• Consular legalization is required;
• Alternative: If the employee previously worked in Vietnam, a prior Work Permit or Work Permit Exemption Certificate may replace the working experience certificate.

6

Appointment letter issued by the overseas parent company

If applying for a work permit as an Expert under one of the following working form:

• Point b: Internal transfer
• Point h: Being transferred from an overseas agency, organization, or enterprise to work in Vietnam, except in cases of internal transfer

7

Current and Valid Passport of the Manager/Expert/Technical Worker

According to the latest 2026 update, a notarized copy is no longer required; only a valid scanned version is needed.

Document Requirement from Vietnam Sponsoring Company

1

Work Permit Application Form

Form No. 3/PLI and Authorized letter as issued in Decree 219/2025/ND-CP.

2

Business License

To be submitted in the following cases:

• Job assignment expert with Working form internal transfer; Being transferred from an overseas agency, organization, or enterprise to work in Vietnam, except in cases of internal transfer.   
• Job assignment: Manager

3

Company Charter

If applying for a work permit for Manager