Work Visas in Vietnam

How to get a work permit and which routes actually exist

Working legally in Vietnam normally requires three separate things in sequence: an employer approved to use a foreign worker in a named position, a work permit issued to you for that position, and a temporary residence card granted on the basis of the permit. The permit is capped at two years and renewable, and a defined list of exemptions removes the permit requirement for particular categories.

The three-step chain

The first step belongs to the employer, not to you. Before a permit can be issued the employer must obtain approval of its need to employ a foreign worker in a specific position, explaining why the role cannot be filled from the domestic labour market. Approval is sought in advance of recruitment and names the position, so a change of job title later commonly reopens the whole process.

The second step is the work permit itself, issued to the individual for that employer and that position, for a term of up to two years and renewable. It is the document that makes the employment lawful.

The third step is immigration status. On the strength of the permit the employer sponsors a temporary residence card, commonly issued for a period aligned to the permit, which replaces the need to keep extending a visa. Because each step rests on the one before it, ending the employment generally unwinds all three.

What the applicant has to show

• A university degree or an equivalent recognised qualification in a field matching the position.
• Work experience in the same field, commonly around three years, evidenced by employer letters.
• A criminal record certificate, generally issued within roughly six months and covering recent residence.
• A medical certificate from an approved facility confirming fitness for the work.
• Legalised and translated documents throughout, which is usually the slowest part of the file.

Who does not need a work permit

The law sets out a list of exempt categories, and falling into one changes the timeline considerably. Even where a permit is not required, a confirmation of exemption is normally obtained rather than nothing being filed at all.

• Capital-contributing members or owners of a limited liability company, and members of the board of a joint stock company, above the capital threshold set by regulation.
• Heads of representative offices and projects of international organisations and non-governmental organisations in Vietnam.
• People entering for short periods, commonly under three months, to handle a commercial offer, or to resolve a technical or complex problem that Vietnamese specialists cannot resolve.
• Intra-company transferees within the eleven service sectors covered by Vietnam's commitments to the World Trade Organization.
• Spouses of Vietnamese citizens who reside in Vietnam, and certain lawyers, journalists and government-programme staff.

Business and investor entry

The DN business visa is the ordinary category for a foreigner sponsored by a Vietnamese enterprise for meetings, negotiation and short assignments. It is a business entry rather than a licence to be employed, and it is commonly the first status held while a work permit file is prepared.

Investor categories are tied to the size of the capital contribution rather than to a job. The regulations grade investors into bands, and the duration granted rises with the amount invested, with the largest band attracting the longest term and the smallest attracting a short one. Investors above the relevant threshold are also within the work permit exemption, which is often the practical reason a foreign manager is registered as a contributing member of the company.

Official sources

• Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs
• Vietnam Immigration Department

Checked against these pages in September 2026. Fees and processing times change without notice — confirm before you act.

More on Vietnam