Foreign nationals who plan to work and reside long-term in Vietnam must go through specific legal procedures related to long-term work visas, work permits, and temporary residence cards (TRCs). Understanding these requirements is essential for both employees and employers to stay compliant with Vietnam’s labor and immigration laws. Under the new regulations, health certificates issued abroad must meet the requirement of mutual recognition between countries. However, this recognition is still limited and lacks clear official guidance. Therefore, in most cases, foreign employees are strongly advised to undergo a medical check-up in Vietnam to ensure their documents are accepted for work permit applications. This article provides a step-by-step guide based on the most recent updates under Decree 219/2025/NĐ-CP (effective from 07 August 2025), helping both employers and expatriates stay informed and prepared throughout the application process.
Under Decree No. 219/2025/ND-CP (effective August 7, 2025), foreign employees who wish to continue working in Vietnam must ensure their sponsoring company completes the work permit extension procedures in line with legal requirements. Applications must be submitted to the local Public Administrative Service Center no earlier than 45 days and no later than 10 days before the current permit expires. This means careful planning and strict compliance are essential. Regulations have become more stringent, and employers must prove that they have publicly posted job vacancies for at least 5 days to prioritize Vietnamese candidates, before hiring foreign workers. This obligation is set out in Clause 1, Article 11 of the Labor Code and applies to specific employment forms under Points a, i, and m, Clause 1, Article 2 of the Decree.
By understanding these updated conditions, both employers and foreign employees can avoid legal risks, ensure a smooth extension process, and maintain compliance with Vietnam’s labor laws.
Starting August 7, 2025, the new Decree No. 219/2025/NĐ-CP comes into effect, streamlining the Vietnam work permit application into only two key steps: job posting and permit application. This updated regulation replaces all previous procedures, providing clearer and faster guidelines for businesses that hire foreign employees. For HR teams and employers, the decree brings significant clarity and reduces compliance risks when recruiting expatriates. For foreign professionals, obtaining a valid Vietnam Work Permit or Work Permit Exemption Certificate issued by the Department of Home Affairs remains the only legal foundation to live and work in Vietnam with full compliance.
With these simplified steps, both employers and foreign workers can expect a more transpaddrent, predictable, and efficient process when applying for a Vietnam work permit in 2025 and beyond.
Under the latest regulation named Decree No. 70/2023/ND-CP issued and took into effect on the same day 18 September 2023 detailing the implementation regulation for foreign laborers working in Viet Nam. There are 03 cases in which the Work Permit needs to go through the replacement procedure: a valid work permit is lost, damaged, and changing information of the foreign employees and the employer. The application for replacement of a work permit should be made as soon as possible when the information on the work permit changes or as soon as the work permit is lost or damaged. Under the latest regulation named Decree No. 70/2023/ND-CP issued and took into effect on the same day 18 September 2023 detailing on the implementation regulation for foreign labors working in Viet Nam, if the current work permit within valid period is lost, damaged or the content of the work permit is changed, foreign workers must apply for a replacement one.
Normally, all foreigners looking to perform work in Vietnam are required to obtain a work permit. Due the Decree 152/2020/ND-CP and changing in Decree 70/2023/ND-CP, there are 20 cases that which foreign labor workers do not need apply for Work Permit. However, it does not mean that both employers the foreign employees do not take any action. Full procedure 03 steps must be followed like work permit case, except special ones that not need to prove the demand of using foreign labor workers. The exemption application will be submitted to the local Department of Labor, Invalid and Social Affairs as usual. In this article, Visa5s.com will help in sharing how to obtain Work permit exemption certificate, from information about legal basis, provisional of documents and document preparation guidance.
Throughout the pandemic, Vietnam's economy has been on a path to recovery. As a nation in Southeast Asia, Vietnam stands out for its ability to draw foreign investment, and it has been proactive in opening its doors to foreign workers with commendable expertise and work ethic. In line with global standards, the Vietnamese government has established precise legal frameworks to safeguard stakeholder rights and regulate the employment of foreign labor. Non-compliance by businesses and foreign workers complicates the management efforts of government, potentially leading to fines and legal blacklisting of offenders. To keep pace with the evolving practices of businesses and foreign workers, Vietnamese laws are regularly updated and refined. The most recent legislative development is the issuance of Government Decree No.: 152/2020/ND-CP, and accompanied by Decree No. 70/2023/ND-CP amending and supplementing a number of articles of this decree. Let Visa5s.com to update the application procedures to Work Permit Renewal in Vietnam for foreign workers.
In accordance with Decree No. 70/2023/ND-CP of the Government and Decree No. 152/2020/ND-CP, foreigners who work, invest, or have spouses who are Vietnamese are currently required to follow new processes and submit comprehensive documentation in order to apply for a work permit or work permit exemption certificate in Vietnam. Starting January 1, 2024, companies are required to post recruitment news for Vietnamese workers in positions intended to recruit foreign workers via the public service portal of the Department of Employment of the Ministry of Labor, War Invalids, and Social Affairs, or the Electronic Information Portal of the Employment Service Center. This posting will be posted at least 15 days before the expected date of the explanation report with the Department of Labor, War Invalids, and Social Affairs of the province or city where the foreigner is expected to work. In this article, we will provide an overview of specific cases and subjects exempted from Vietnam Work Permits, as well as the application conditions and documentation required for compliance with regulations. All of the above-mentioned concerns will be shared in detail in this article on Visa5s.com.
Under Vietnam labor law, any foreigner must obtain a Work Permit to work legally in Vietnam. There are various types of Work Permit including Work Permit for teachers, workers, legal representatives, directors,… In this article, we will provide the A to Z procedure to help foreign teachers (teaching English, French, Japanese, Chinese,…) apply for and obtain their Work Permit in Vietnam. While other kinds of Work Permit just require University degree as a proof for education background, a professional certificate in teaching is also a must for teaching cases. The government of Vietnam will deport any foreigner who is working in Vietnam without a work permit, or on an expired one. As for employers, an administrative penalty ranging from VND5 million to VND10 million will apply if they fail to, or insufficiently report, any employment of foreigners to the authorized agencies.
