Working in Vietnam as a foreigner runs on two tracks. The work permit belongs to labour law and is filed by your employer, while the visa and any temporary residence card belong to immigration law and follow the permit. A business e-visa gets you into the country for meetings, but the official e-visa portal is explicit that a foreigner entering Vietnam to work must hold a work permit or a certificate confirming they do not need one.
Do you need a work permit to work in Vietnam?
Yes, unless you fall inside a listed exemption. The Labour Code (Law 45/2019/QH14) requires a foreign worker to be at least 18 years old, to have the skills and the health the job needs, to have no criminal record and no pending prosecution, and to hold a work permit issued by a competent Vietnamese authority, except in the cases listed in Article 154.
Two further limits come from Article 152. An employer may recruit foreigners only into positions of manager, executive director, expert or technical worker, and only where Vietnamese workers cannot yet meet the need. Article 152(2) adds a step before the hire: the employer must explain that need and obtain written approval from the competent authority. Decree 219/2025/ND-CP defines the categories:
- Expert: a university degree plus at least 2 years of relevant experience, or a degree plus 1 year in finance, science, technology, innovation, digital transformation or other priority fields.
- Technical worker: at least 1 year of training plus 2 years of experience, or at least 3 years of experience.
- Executive director: head of a branch or office, or head of a division with at least 3 years of relevant experience.
Decree 219 also covers many ways of working, not only a local employment contract: intra-company transfer, performing a service contract, selling services, volunteering, being responsible for setting up a commercial presence, and being a company owner or board member whose contributed capital is under VND 3 billion. The route you use decides which proof document goes into the file, so settle it with the employer before anything is legalised.
The permit is not a formality you keep in a drawer. Article 153 says the worker must produce it when the authorities ask, and that a foreign worker without one will be forced to leave the country or be expelled.
What changed in 2025 and 2026?
Five texts reshaped this area.
Since 1 March 2025 the Ministry of Home Affairs runs labour and employment. Decree 25/2025/ND-CP gave it that mandate and replaced Decree 62/2022 and Decree 63/2022, so the former labour ministry no longer exists as such. Decree 219 confirms that the Ministry of Home Affairs exercises unified state management over the recruitment and management of foreign workers.
Decree 219/2025/ND-CP took effect on 7 August 2025. Besides replacing Decrees 152/2020 and 70/2023 on foreign workers, it repealed Article 8 and Section 2 of Annex II of Decree 128/2025/ND-CP of 11 June 2025. Permits and exemption certificates issued under the old decrees stay valid until they expire. The old separate step of explaining the hiring need is now merged into the permit application itself, on form Mẫu số 03.
Immigration law was amended by Law 118/2025/QH15 of 10 December 2025, in force since 1 July 2026. It created UD1 for high-quality digital technology personnel, with UD2 for their spouse and children under 18. In parallel, Law 71/2025/QH15 on the digital technology industry added a work permit exemption for high-quality digital technology personnel to Article 154 of the Labour Code, effective 1 January 2026. The detailed criteria sit in digital industry law, so ask the employer's legal counsel rather than assuming you qualify.
Penalties also changed: Decree 283/2026/ND-CP took effect on 10 September 2026 and replaced Decree 12/2022/ND-CP. One caution: as of 23 September 2026 the Official Gazette document map for Decree 219 listed zero amending texts. Re-check before you file.
Can you work on a business e-visa?
No. The e-visa form offers five purposes, tourist, visiting relatives, business, working and other, but the portal states that foreigners entering Vietnam to work must have a work permit or a certificate confirming they are not required to have one. Investors need investment papers, foreign lawyers need a practice licence, and students need written consent from the Vietnamese school.
The e-visa itself is straightforward: open to all nationalities since 15 August 2023, valid up to 90 days, single or multiple entry, US$25 single and US$50 multiple through the portal's payment gateway, non-refundable if the application is denied, with processing of about 3 working days. It is issued to foreigners who are currently abroad, not to foreigners already residing temporarily in Vietnam. For meetings or trade fairs, the e-visa with the business purpose is enough: see our page on the Vietnam business visa and the step by step on how to apply for the e-visa. If you are still deciding whether you need any visa at all, start with do I need a visa for Vietnam, because citizens of some countries hold a 45 day exemption while Indian, Australian, US and Canadian passport holders do not.
One useful rule from the immigration law: a visa's purpose normally cannot be changed inside Vietnam, but there are exceptions, and two of them matter here. Someone invited to work who holds a work permit or an exemption certificate can change, and so can someone who entered on an e-visa and holds a work permit or an exemption certificate. A new visa is then issued with the symbol and term matching the new purpose.
Who is exempt from a work permit, and how is the exemption proved?
Exemptions come from Article 154 of the Labour Code and Article 7 of Decree 219. Most are confirmed by a certificate of exemption issued by the provincial People's Committee on form Mẫu số 02, but a group of cases needs only a notice from the employer, sent at least 3 working days before work starts.
| Situation | What confirms it |
|---|---|
| Owner or capital contributor of an LLC, or chair or board member of a joint-stock company, with capital of VND 3 billion or more | Employer notice, at least 3 working days before starting |
| Work of under 3 months to sell services | Employer notice |
| Work of under 3 months to fix urgent technical problems local experts cannot fix | Employer notice |
| Foreign lawyer licensed to practise in Vietnam | Employer notice |
| Foreigner married to a Vietnamese citizen and living in Vietnam | Employer notice |
| Person responsible for setting up a commercial presence | Employer notice |
| Manager, executive, expert or technical worker working under 90 days in total in a calendar year | Employer notice |
| Intra-company transfer in one of the 11 WTO service sectors, after at least 12 continuous months with the foreign company | Exemption certificate |
| Foreign student interning in Vietnam | Exemption certificate |
| Teaching or international programmes confirmed by the Ministry of Education | Exemption certificate |
| Finance, science, technology, innovation, digital transformation or priority fields confirmed by a ministry or a province | Exemption certificate |
| ODA consultant, accredited journalist, unpaid treaty volunteer | Exemption certificate |
| Head of a representative office or project of an international organisation or NGO | Exemption certificate |
The 90 day rule is counted from 1 January to the last day of the year, so three separate 30 day assignments in the same calendar year use it up. Note also that a company owner or board member whose contributed capital is under VND 3 billion is treated as a worker by Decree 219, not as an exempt investor.
For the certificate route, the employer files between 60 and 10 days before the start date and the authority decides within 5 working days, with a written refusal within 3 working days. An exemption certificate is valid for up to 2 years and can be extended once, for up to 2 more years.
How does the employer apply, and to which authority?
The employer files, and the competent authority is the provincial People's Committee where the employer has its head office, branch, representative office or business location, and where the worker will actually work. The committee may delegate the task. If one employer uses the same worker in several provinces, the province of the head office decides.
The file can go to the local Public Administration Service Centre in person, by post, through a service provider or by proxy, or online through the National Public Service Portal at dichvucong.gov.vn. The employer can also request the Vietnamese criminal record certificate inside the same online application, if the worker authorises it.
The timeline is fixed by Decree 219:
- The employer files within 60 days but no fewer than 10 days before the planned start date.
- The authority approves the hiring need and issues the permit within 10 working days of a complete file. A refusal comes with written reasons within 3 working days.
- Where there is an employment contract, the written contract is signed after the permit is issued and before work starts.
- Then comes the matching LD1 or LD2 visa and, if eligible, a temporary residence card, which the employer applies for.
The contract of a foreign worker cannot run longer than the work permit, and the permit comes first.
Which documents are needed, and what must be legalised?
Decree 219 lists the file in Articles 18 and 19. Anything issued abroad must be consularly legalised unless a treaty or reciprocity exempts it, then translated into Vietnamese with the translation certified. Copies must first be certified against the original.
| Document | Detail to watch |
|---|---|
| Employer's written request | Form Mẫu số 03, explaining the need for a foreign worker |
| Health certificate | A foreign one is accepted only if Vietnam and the issuing country have a mutual recognition agreement, and only within 12 months of issue |
| Passport | Valid, certified copy |
| Criminal record certificate | From Vietnam or abroad, issued no more than 6 months before filing |
| Photos | Two colour photos, 4x6 cm, white background, facing forward, bare head, no glasses |
| Proof of how you will work | For example a secondment letter |
| Proof of category | Degree plus a letter from a previous employer confirming the years of experience |
If you have already worked in Vietnam, a previous work permit or exemption certificate can replace the experience letters. A change of employer later means a new application, even for the same job, although the file is lighter.
How long is a work permit valid, and how is it extended?
Article 155 of the Labour Code caps a work permit at 2 years, extendable only once for at most 2 more years. Decree 219 adds that the actual term follows the contract, secondment letter or agreement, within that ceiling.
- Extension: the employer files at least 10 days and no more than 45 days before expiry, and the decision comes within 10 working days.
- After the single extension, staying in the same job requires a completely new work permit application.
- Reissue, for a lost or damaged permit or a change of name, nationality, passport number or employer name, is decided within 3 working days and runs for the remaining term.
- A permit ends when it expires, when the employment contract ends, when the actual work does not match the permit, or when it is revoked, among the cases listed in Article 156 of the Labour Code.
- When a permit ends, the employer must return it to the authority within 15 days.
Plan the passport around it too: every Vietnamese visa must expire at least 30 days before the passport does.
Which visa matches work and business: LD1, LD2, DN1, DN2 or DT?
The consolidated immigration law sets the symbols and the maximum validity. To get a visa for work you need the work permit required by the Labour Code; investors need proof of their investment.
| Symbol | For whom | Maximum validity |
|---|---|---|
| LD1 | Working in Vietnam with a certificate of exemption from the work permit | 2 years |
| LD2 | Working in Vietnam and required to hold a work permit | 2 years |
| DN1 | Working with Vietnamese companies or organisations with legal personality | 1 year |
| DN2 | Selling services, setting up a commercial presence, or treaty activities | 1 year |
| DT1 | Investors with VND 100 billion or more | 5 years |
| DT2 | Investors with VND 50 to 100 billion | 5 years |
| DT3 | Investors with VND 3 to 50 billion | 3 years |
| DT4 | Investors with under VND 3 billion | 1 year |
| UD1 | High-quality digital technology personnel and other preferential cases | 5 years |
| UD2 | Spouse and children under 18 of UD1 holders | 5 years |
| EV | E-visa, any eligible purpose | 90 days |
In the law the labour and investor symbols carry Vietnamese diacritics, written LĐ1, LĐ2 and ĐT, and they appear as LD1, LD2 and DT in English documents.
Can you get a temporary residence card and bring your family?
Yes, if your visa is on the eligible list. LD1 and LD2 holders can be issued a temporary residence card, as can DT1, DT2, DT3, NN1, NN2, UD1, UD2 and others. DN1, DN2 and DT4 are not on that list.
The card carries the same symbol as the visa. An LD1 or LD2 card is valid for at most 2 years. For comparison, DT1, UD1 and UD2 cards run up to 10 years, DT2 up to 5 years, and NN1, NN2, DT3 and TT up to 3 years. Every card must expire at least 30 days before the passport.
The inviting employer applies for the card at the immigration office where it has its head office, and that office decides within 5 working days. Family follows through the TT visa and card, which cover the spouse and children under 18 of LD1 and LD2 holders, as well as the parents, spouse and children of Vietnamese citizens. Whatever your status, remember the temporary residence declaration: the person managing your accommodation, hotel or host, declares you to the commune or ward police where the accommodation is.
What are the penalties for working without a permit?
Decree 283/2026/ND-CP, applicable since 10 September 2026, sets the amounts. The figures below are the rates for individuals; a company pays twice as much for the same breach.
| Breach | Fine (individual rate) |
|---|---|
| Foreign worker with no permit or exemption certificate, or an expired one | VND 15 to 25 million, plus possible expulsion |
| Employer using foreigners without permit or exemption, 1 to 10 workers | VND 30 to 45 million |
| Employer, 11 to 20 workers | VND 45 to 60 million |
| Employer, 21 workers or more | VND 60 to 75 million |
| Falsified or forged documents in the permit file | VND 40 to 60 million, plus confiscation |
| Using a worker outside what the permit says | VND 5 to 10 million per worker, capped at VND 75 million |
Expulsion is an additional penalty that can be imposed on the worker, and Article 153 of the Labour Code already provides that a foreign worker without a permit will be forced to leave or be expelled. The UK government's Vietnam entry page warns that if you overstay your visa or work illegally, the authorities can prevent you from leaving until you pay a fine, and that you could be deported and prevented from visiting Vietnam in the future. Past violations of Vietnamese law on a previous entry may also lead to a later e-visa application being denied, and the e-visa form has a section asking you to declare them.
What should Indian, Australian, US and Canadian readers do first?
None of these four nationalities holds a general visa exemption, so every trip starts with a visa decision, and the work question decides which one.
| Your situation | Sensible first step |
|---|---|
| Indian engineer transferred by a group company to its Vietnamese subsidiary for 18 months | Compare the intra-company transfer exemption (11 WTO service sectors, 12 continuous months with the foreign company) with a full LD2 permit file, then plan the LD visa and 2 year card |
| Australian consultant coming for three weeks to sell services to a Vietnamese client | Likely exempt as service selling under 3 months, confirmed by an employer notice at least 3 working days before starting; travel on a business e-visa or DN2 |
| US professional hired by a Vietnamese company on a 2 year contract | The employer files 60 to 10 days before the start date, the contract is signed after the permit, then LD2 visa and temporary residence card |
| Canadian founder putting VND 4 billion into a Vietnamese company | Capital of VND 3 billion or more means no work permit, only an employer notice; the investor visa band is DT3, up to 3 years |
| Anyone doing several short assignments in one year | Track the 90 day total from 1 January; crossing it turns an exemption into a permit application |
The Government of Canada's travel advice says plainly that a work visa is required and that you should make sure your visa matches the activities you will perform. The same page also warns that business disputes in Vietnam can lead to a travel ban. The UK government tells travellers to check which type of visa or work permit they need with the Vietnam Immigration Department.
If your trip is the meetings and negotiations stage rather than employment, the e-visa covers it, and the cost comparison page shows what the government fee covers. We file e-visas on the official portal within 24 working hours, at US$74 all inclusive for single entry and US$99 for multiple entry, government fee included; you can start at apply. For the work permit itself, the application belongs to your Vietnamese employer and its legal counsel, not to us.
Sources
- Official e-visa application form for foreigners: the e-visa purposes, the requirement that foreigners entering to work hold a work permit or a certificate of exemption, and the temporary residence declaration through the person managing the accommodation. Checked in September 2026.
- Official e-visa portal, instructions: fees of US$25 single and US$50 multiple entry and processing of about 3 working days. Checked in September 2026.
- Decree 219/2025/ND-CP, Official Gazette text: categories, exemptions, competent authority, filing windows, documents and legalisation. Checked in September 2026.
- Labour Code 45/2019/QH14, signed text: Articles 151 to 156 on conditions, recruitment limits, exemptions, validity and termination. Checked in September 2026.
- Law on Entry, Exit, Transit and Residence of Foreigners, consolidated text 62/VBHN-VPQH: LD1, LD2, DN1, DN2, DT and UD visas, validity and temporary residence cards. Checked in September 2026.
- Decree 25/2025/ND-CP on the Ministry of Home Affairs: the transfer of labour and employment to the Ministry of Home Affairs from 1 March 2025. Checked in September 2026.
- Law 71/2025/QH15 on the digital technology industry: the work permit exemption for high-quality digital technology personnel added to Article 154 of the Labour Code. Checked in September 2026.
- Decree 283/2026/ND-CP, Official Gazette: penalties applicable since 10 September 2026. Checked in September 2026.
- UK government, Vietnam entry requirements and Government of Canada, Vietnam travel advice: consequences of working illegally, the need for a work visa and travel bans linked to business disputes. Checked in September 2026.
Questions
Can I work in Vietnam on a business e-visa?
No. The official e-visa portal states that foreigners entering Vietnam to work must hold a work permit or a certificate confirming they are not required to have one. The e-visa lasts up to 90 days and costs US$25 single or US$50 multiple entry, and its business purpose covers meetings and trade fairs, not employment. If you already entered on an e-visa and then obtain a work permit or exemption, immigration law allows the visa purpose to be changed.
How long does a Vietnam work permit take and who applies for it?
Your employer applies, not you, to the provincial People's Committee where it has its office and where you will work. Under Decree 219/2025/ND-CP the employer files within 60 days but no fewer than 10 days before your planned start date, and the authority must decide within 10 working days of a complete file, with a written refusal within 3 working days. Legalisation and translation of foreign documents should be started well before that window.
Who does not need a work permit in Vietnam?
Exempt cases include company owners or board members with contributed capital of VND 3 billion or more, stays of under 3 months to sell services or fix urgent technical problems, foreign lawyers licensed in Vietnam, foreigners married to a Vietnamese citizen and living in Vietnam, and managers, experts or technical workers working under 90 days in total in a calendar year. Some cases need an exemption certificate from the provincial People's Committee, valid up to 2 years; others need only a notice from the employer at least 3 working days before work starts.
How long is a Vietnam work permit valid and can it be renewed?
A work permit lasts at most 2 years, and it can be extended only once for at most 2 more years. The employer files the extension at least 10 days and no more than 45 days before expiry, and the decision comes within 10 working days. After that single extension, continuing in the same job requires a completely new work permit application.
What is the difference between LD1, LD2, DN1 and DN2 visas?
LD1 is for foreigners working in Vietnam who hold a certificate of exemption from the work permit, and LD2 for those who must hold a work permit; both run up to 2 years and allow a temporary residence card of up to 2 years. DN1 is for foreigners working with Vietnamese companies or organisations with legal personality, and DN2 for selling services, setting up a commercial presence or treaty activities; both run up to 1 year and do not allow a temporary residence card.
What happens if you work in Vietnam without a work permit?
Under Decree 283/2026/ND-CP, in force since 10 September 2026, a foreign worker without a valid permit or exemption certificate can be fined VND 15 to 25 million and expelled from Vietnam. Employers face VND 30 to 45 million for 1 to 10 workers, rising to VND 60 to 75 million for 21 or more, and a company pays twice the individual rate. The UK government also warns that working illegally can lead to deportation and a future entry ban.