HOW TO RENEW VIETNAM WORK PERMIT

With the issuance of Decree No. 219/2025/NĐ-CP, effective from August 7, 2025, the process for renewing work permits for foreign employees in Vietnam has undergone significant changes. This regulation replaces key provisions from Decree 152/2020/NĐ-CP and Decree 70/2023/NĐ-CP, introducing stricter documentation requirements, clearer eligibility conditions, and more limited circumstances under which a work permit can be renewed. Renewing a Vietnam work permit is no longer a simple administrative task; it now requires full compliance with legal requirements such as continuity of the job position, a valid labor contract, and the timely submission of renewal applications. Failure to meet these conditions may result in application rejection, employment disruption, or the need to start the process over as a new application. In this article, Visa5s.com provides a comprehensive, step-by-step guide to the updated Vietnam work permit renewal process under Decree 219/2025/ND-CP.

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RENEWING WORK PERMIT IN VIETNAM – WHO IS ELIGIBLE FOR WORK PERMIT RENEWAL ACCORDING TO THE NEW DECREE NO. 219/2025/ND-CP

There are common cases of work permit reissuance, such as when the permit is damaged, lost, or requires updates to the employee’s full name, nationality, or passport number. In addition, there are several special cases eligible for reissuance as follows:

If a foreign employee currently holds a valid work permit and falls under the special cases listed below, they may be eligible to renew their Work Permit (instead of a Fresh application), which can reduce certain documentation requirements compared to applying for a new work permit.

According to Clause 1, Article 20: A foreign employee who already holds a valid work permit and wish to work for another employer, provided the job position and job title remain the same as stated in the existing work permit.
According to Clause 2, Article 20: A foreign employee holding a valid work permit and wishes to change their job position or working form stated in the current permit without changing the employer.
According to Clause 3, Article 20: A foreign employee whose work permit has been extended once wishes to continue working for the same employer in the same position and field.

REQUIRED DOCUMENTS FOR WORK PERMIT RENEWAL ACCORDING TO THE NEW DECREE NO. 219/2025/ND-CP

SECTIONS	REQUIRED DOCUMENTS FOR SPECIFIC CASES
	According to Clause 1, Article 20	According to Clause 2, Article 20	According to Clause 2, Article 20
General Documents for All Applicants	Application Form No. 03 (per Decree 219/2025/ND-CP) 02 color photos (4cm x 6cm, JPG, white background, straight face, bare head, no glasses), taken within 6 months Scanned copy of original valid passport (full pages, including blank and non-blank pages) Original copy of the issued work permit
Documents Applied for Each Case	Documents proving working form of the foreign worker Confirmation from the foreign employer stating that the foreign worker is currently employed; Documents proving the foreign worker’s status as a Manager or Executive Director;	Documents proving the working form for the case of changing the working form. Documents proving the job position for the case of changing job positions	A valid health check certificate (issued within the last 12 months); Document proving the working form of the foreign worker; Documents proving the foreign worker’s status as a Manager or Executive Director;
Processing Time	Within 10 working days from the date of receiving a complete and valid application.
The Term of Work Permit Renewal	The maximum term of the Work Permit Renewal is 02 years
Address to do Work Permit Renewal	Department of Home Affairs (DOHA) of the province/city where the enterprise where the foreigner works is located

STEP BY STEP PROCESS TO RENEW VIETNAM WORK PERMIT

Steps	Description of Vietnam Work Permit Renewal Procedure	Processing time
Step 1: Post the Job Recruitment Notice	This step applies only if the foreign employee works under the following forms: 1) Performing labor contracts; 2) Participating in contracts or projects in Vietnam; 3) Working under labor contracts with foreign diplomatic agencies or foreign organizations in Vietnam. Before applying for a work permit, the employer must post a recruitment notice for at least five (05) working days before the expected commencement date of the foreign employee. This step aims to seek and screen qualified Vietnamese candidates for the position.	At least 5 working days
Step 2: Submit the Vietnam Work Permit Reissuance	After the recruitment announcement period, if no suitable Vietnamese candidates apply, the company may proceed to apply for a work permit for the foreign employee.	10 working days

WHAT WILL HAPPEN IF FOREIGN WORKER WITHOUT HAVING WORK PERMIT IN VIETNAM?

Under Decree 12/2022/NĐ-CP on administrative sanctions for both employers and foreign workers working in Vietnam without a work permit or without a work permit exemption certificate, as follows:

Penalties for employers

Foreign employers working in Vietnam must obtain a work permit or provide confirmation that they are exempt from applying for one. Therefore, when an enterprise does not comply with the provisions of this Decree on applying for work permits for foreigners, the employer of foreign workers will be subject to administrative sanctions as follows:

Violation: Employing foreign workers without a valid Work Permit or Exemption Certificate, or using expired permits/certificates

Number of Violating Employees	Penalty (VND)
01 – 10 workers	30,000,000 – 45,000,000
11 – 20 workers	45,000,000 – 60,000,000
21 or more workers	60,000,000 – 75,000,000

Penalties for foreign workers: Foreigners working in Vietnam without a valid Work Permit or a Work Permit Exemption Certificate shall be fined from 15,000,000 to 25,000,000 VND, and may be subject to expulsion from Vietnam.

📌 Note: Fines for organizations are doubled compared to those for individuals, as per Clause 1, Article 6 of the same Decree.

OTHER INFORMATION RELATED TO VIETNAM'S WORK PERMIT, VISAS AND TEMPORARY RESIDENCE CARD