Vietnam Work Permit Guide — Job Categories, Required Documents, and Application Process under Decree 219/2025
Hiring foreign workers in Vietnam requires a work permit — and the rules changed significantly when Decree 219/2025/ND-CP took effect on August 7, 2025. The new decree replaces both Decree 152/2020 and Decree 70/2023, introducing a streamlined single-application process, shorter timelines, and revised qualification requirements for each job category.
For Japanese companies assigning employees to Vietnam, understanding these changes is critical. Submitting under the wrong job category, using expired documents, or missing the legalization requirements are among the most common reasons for rejection — and an unlawful foreign worker can expose the employer to fines of up to VND 150 million plus deportation of the worker.
This article provides a comprehensive, practical guide to Vietnam’s work permit system under the current legal framework: Labor Code No. 45/2019/QH14 (Articles 151-157) and Decree 219/2025/ND-CP.
Four Job Categories (Decree 219, Article 3)
Every work permit application must classify the foreign worker into one of four categories. The category determines which supporting documents are required and what qualifications the worker must demonstrate. Getting this classification wrong is a frequent cause of application rejection.
| Category | Vietnamese Term | Requirements | Key Documents |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manager | Nha quan ly | Holds a management position as defined by Enterprise Law Art. 4(24) | Company charter + appointment decision/letter |
| Executive Director | Giam doc dieu hanh | Directly manages a department, division, or branch; 3+ years of related work experience | Organizational chart + appointment letter + experience certificates |
| Expert | Chuyen gia | Bachelor’s degree or higher + 2+ years of related experience (1+ year for priority sectors) | Degree certificate + experience certificates |
| Technical Worker | Lao dong ky thuat | 1+ year vocational training + 2+ years experience; OR 3+ years experience without formal training | Training certificate + experience certificates; or experience certificates only (3+ years) |
Expert category — reduced experience requirement. Under the previous decrees, the Expert category required 3 years of related experience. Decree 219 reduces this to 2 years (and just 1 year for designated priority sectors). However, the experience must be directly related to the position in Vietnam. Generic employment certificates that do not describe the nature of work performed are routinely rejected.
Key Changes under Decree 219/2025
Decree 219 represents the most significant overhaul of Vietnam’s work permit process in years. The following table summarizes the major changes compared to the previous system under Decree 152/2020 and Decree 70/2023.
| Item | Old System (Decree 152/70) | New System (Decree 219/2025) |
|---|---|---|
| Application process | Two-stage (labor demand approval + permit application) | Single integrated application |
| Job posting requirement | 15+ days before submission | 5+ days before submission |
| Processing time | 20 working days | 10 working days |
| Submission authority | MOLISA involved in process | Provincial People’s Committee (PPC) only |
| Submission method | Paper or electronic | Electronic submission mandatory |
| Expert experience requirement | 3 years | 2 years (1 year for priority sectors) |
| Work permit exemption for short stays | Less than 30 days | Less than 90 days per calendar year |
Practical impact: The consolidation into a single application and the reduction of processing time from 20 to 10 working days means the administrative burden has been cut roughly in half. For Japanese companies, this is a welcome change — but it also means that document preparation becomes even more critical, since there is no longer a preliminary approval stage to catch errors early.
Application Process — Step by Step
Step 1: Job Posting (If Applicable)
Before hiring a foreign worker, the employer must post the position on the employment service portal for at least 5 days to demonstrate that no suitable Vietnamese candidate is available. This requirement is waived for positions that are exempt from the work permit requirement (see Exemptions section below) and for certain intra-company transfers.
Step 2: Submit Integrated Application
The employer submits the complete application package to the provincial People’s Committee (specifically, the Department of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs — DOLISA). Key timing requirements:
- Submit at least 10 working days and no more than 60 days before the intended work start date
- Electronic submission is mandatory under Decree 219
- All documents must be complete at the time of submission — incomplete dossiers will be returned
Step 3: Review and Issuance
The authority reviews the application within 10 working days. If the application is rejected, the authority must issue a written rejection with reasons within 3 working days. Upon approval, the work permit is issued with a maximum validity of 2 years.
Step 4: Renewal (If Needed)
A work permit may be renewed once for an additional maximum of 2 years. The renewal application must be submitted before the current permit expires. If a second renewal is needed, the employer must apply for an entirely new work permit.
Timeline summary: Job posting (5+ days) -> Integrated application (10-60 days before work start) -> Authority review (10 working days) -> Permit issued. Total minimum timeline from job posting to issuance: approximately 3-4 weeks. However, document preparation (especially obtaining and legalizing foreign documents) typically requires an additional 2-3 months.
Required Documents (Article 18)
The following documents are required for all work permit applications. Every foreign-issued document must undergo consular legalization and Vietnamese certified translation.
| Document | Requirements | Validity |
|---|---|---|
| Integrated application form | Form No. 03 under Decree 219 | — |
| Criminal record certificate | Issued by home country or country of residence | Within 6 months |
| Health certificate | Issued by a competent medical institution | Within 12 months |
| Passport copy | Notarized copy of valid passport | Must be valid beyond permit period |
| Photographs | 2 photos, 4×6 cm, white background | Taken within 6 months |
| Employment/assignment documents | Labor contract, secondment letter, or service contract | — |
| Qualification documents | Degree, training certificate, and/or experience certificates (varies by job category) | — |
Document legalization is non-negotiable. All foreign-issued documents must be: (1) notarized in the issuing country, (2) authenticated by the Vietnamese embassy/consulate in that country (consular legalization), and (3) translated into Vietnamese by a certified translator in Vietnam, with the translation notarized. Documents that skip any of these steps will be rejected. For Japan-issued documents, the typical process is: notarization by a notary public -> authentication by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Gaimusho) -> legalization by the Vietnamese Embassy in Tokyo or Consulate in Osaka/Fukuoka.
Work Permit Exemptions (Article 7)
Decree 219 specifies 15 categories of foreign workers who are exempt from the work permit requirement. Key exemptions relevant to Japanese companies include:
- Short-term stays: Working less than 90 days per calendar year (expanded from 30 days under the old system)
- Investors/owners: Capital contribution of VND 3 billion or more
- Board chairperson or members: With capital contribution of VND 3 billion or more
- Spouses of Vietnamese nationals: Foreigners married to Vietnamese citizens and residing in Vietnam
- Priority sectors: Workers in government-designated priority industries (new under Decree 219)
Exemption does not mean no obligation. Even when a foreign worker is exempt from the work permit, the employer must notify the provincial DOLISA at least 3 working days before the worker starts. Failure to notify is itself a violation subject to penalties. Many companies mistakenly assume that exempted workers require no paperwork at all — this is incorrect.
Penalties for Non-Compliance
Decree 12/2022/ND-CP (Article 32) establishes severe penalties for work permit violations. These apply to organizations; individual employers face half these amounts.
| Violation | Fine — Foreign Worker | Fine — Employer (Organization) |
|---|---|---|
| Working without a valid work permit | VND 15,000,000 — 25,000,000 | — |
| Employing 1-10 workers without permits | — | VND 60,000,000 — 90,000,000 |
| Employing 11-20 workers without permits | — | VND 90,000,000 — 120,000,000 |
| Employing 21+ workers without permits | — | VND 120,000,000 — 150,000,000 |
In addition to fines, the foreign worker faces deportation, and the employer may be subject to a suspension of foreign worker recruitment for a specified period. These penalties apply regardless of whether the violation was intentional or due to administrative oversight.
Practical Tips for Japanese Companies
Tip 1: Start 4-5 months before the planned assignment date. While the official processing time is now 10 working days, the real bottleneck is document preparation. Obtaining a criminal record certificate in Japan takes 2-4 weeks. Consular legalization at the Vietnamese Embassy adds another 1-2 weeks. Factor in translation, notarization, and potential back-and-forth, and a realistic timeline from initiation to permit issuance is 4-5 months.
Tip 2: Get the health certificate in Vietnam. While health certificates from Japan are accepted, they must be legalized — adding time and cost. A more practical approach is to have the assignee undergo a health check at a designated hospital in Vietnam (such as those in Ho Chi Minh City or Hanoi with experience in work permit health checks). This is faster, less expensive, and avoids legalization issues.
Tip 3: Prepare experience certificates carefully. The most common rejection reason for the Expert category is inadequate experience documentation. The certificate must: (1) be issued by the parent company on official letterhead, (2) state the specific job title and nature of work performed, (3) specify the exact employment period, and (4) be issued in English or Japanese (with subsequent legalization and translation). A generic “confirmation of employment” without job description details is insufficient.
Tip 4: Watch document validity periods. Criminal record certificates expire after 6 months, health certificates after 12 months. If document preparation takes too long, the criminal record certificate obtained early in the process may expire before submission. Coordinate the timing of each document carefully.
Tip 5: Verify the correct job category before preparing documents. Each category requires different supporting documents. Applying as an Expert but submitting only a company charter (which is a Manager-category document) will result in rejection. Confirm the category first, then prepare the corresponding documentation.
Conclusion
Decree 219/2025 has significantly streamlined Vietnam’s work permit process — halving both the job posting period and the official processing time, and consolidating the previously two-stage procedure into a single application. For Japanese companies, this means faster turnaround once documents are ready, but it also places greater emphasis on submitting a complete, error-free application from the start.
The key to a successful work permit application lies in three areas: correct job category classification, thorough document preparation with proper legalization, and strict adherence to validity periods and submission timelines. Companies that invest time in these preparatory steps will find the new system considerably more efficient than its predecessor.
If your company is planning to assign employees to Vietnam or needs to renew existing work permits under the new decree, begin the document preparation process well in advance and consult with a qualified labor advisor to ensure compliance with the current requirements.
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