How To Get Vietnam Work Visa And Permit

Foreigners who want to work lawfully in Vietnam must get both a Vietnam Work Visa and a Work Permit. When applying for a work permit in Vietnam, you must prepare numerous documents, which your employer must submit on your behalf.

Who is Eligible for a Vietnam Work Visa?

You are eligible for a Vietnam Work Visa if you comply with the following conditions:

• You are at least 18 years old
• You will be working in Vietnam in a managerial or executive position or as an expert who has the necessary technical skills and knowledge for the job
• You are in good health
• You do not have any previous or current criminal charges
• You have the necessary academic and work qualifications to fill the position
• You have at least 3 years of working experience as an executive-level or higher
• You have a work contract with a company in Vietnam
• The company hiring you can prove they advertised the position to Vietnamese nationals, but were unable to fill it locally (ie. they put up the job advertisement notice in a newspaper or online site)

How Can I get a Vietnam Work Visa?

To obtain a Vietnam Work Visa, apply at the local Vietnam Embassy or Consulate; however, you may be able to receive the visa upon arrival.

However, before you can apply for a visa and travel to Vietnam, you must first obtain or be in the process of obtaining a work permit.

• Applying for the Vietnam Work Permit

The Vietnam Work Permit permits you to lawfully work in Vietnam for more than three months. However, not everyone who will be employed in Vietnam is required to obtain one.

Who needs a Vietnam Work Permit?

You need a Vietnam Work Permit unless:

• You will work in Vietnam for a period shorter than three months within one year. In this case, you can work under a Vietnam Business Visa.
• You are a member of a limited company that hires more than one member
• You are the owner of a limited company in Vietnam with one member
• You are a board member in a joint-stock company
• You are a lawyer and have received a professional permit in Vietnam by the Ministry of Justice
• You are an internal transferee
• You are a volunteer certified by a foreign diplomatic mission or an international organization in Vietnam
• You will work in service sales for a foreign company in Vietnam
  Other activities as designated by the Vietnam Ministry of Labor, Invalid and Society.

Where to submit the application for a Vietnam Work Permit?

Your employer must submit an application for your Work Permit at the Vietnam Ministry of Labor, Invalids, and Society. They must do so at least thirteen business days before you begin working for them.

However, before filing the Vietnam Work Permit application, your employer must obtain approval to hire foreign workers from the Ministry of Labor, Invalids, and Social Affairs or the People’s Committee where they live or operate. They must ask for approval at least 20 days before filing their Work Permit application.

• What is the duration of a Vietnam Work Permit

A Vietnam work permit is valid for up to 12 months and is renewed. You may apply to renew it before it expires.

• What documents are required for a Vietnam Work Permit?

When your employer files an application for a Work Permit in Vietnam, you must prepare numerous documents to give to them:

• Health Certificate. You have to obtain a health certificate in your home country, which confirms you are in good health to work.
• Criminal Background Certificate. You need a Police Certificate clearing you of any criminal background, issued within the last six months by the authorities in your country.
• Proof of your professional background. You have to submit documents from former employers, proving you worked there.
• Copies of your qualifications and degrees.
• Recent passport-size pictures in comply with Vietnam visa photo requirements :
• Size: 4 cm x 6 cm
• Taken recently
• White background
• You must be centered in the picture, staring ahead with a neutral facial expression
• If you wear headgear for religious purposes or you have a wig, you may keep it in the picture but must also be wearing on arrival
• You must not be wearing any glasses

Additionally, your employer must supply the following documents:

• The Vietnam Work Permit application form
• Your Work Contract
• Approval from the Committee which allows them to employ foreign workers
• Their Business Registration Certificate

Note:

The documents you get from your country must be notarized and legalized by the appropriate authorities in your country.

Before submission, the documents must be translated into Vietnamese by the Justice Division of a District People’s Committee branch or a notary service in Vietnam.

• Applying for the Vietnam Work Visa

You must apply for a Vietnam Work Visa at the Vietnamese Embassy or Consulate in your country. Your company must sponsor your Vietnam Work Visa application before or after they apply for the Work Permit. You can also apply for a Vietnam Visa upon arrival.

• Applying for a Vietnam Work Visa at an Embassy/Consulate

If you intend to apply for a Vietnam Work Visa at an Embassy or Consulate, your employer must provide you a Letter of Sponsorship or Letter of Entry Clearance, which they must receive from Vietnam’s Immigration Services. To receive the Letter of Sponsorship, they want the following information from you:

• Your full name
• Your nationality (or nationalities, if you have double citizenship)
• The exact dates of entry and departure
• The type of visa you need (single or multiple-entry)
• The Vietnamese Embassy or Consulate where you will apply for the Work Visa

After your company delivers you the Letter of Sponsorship, you must submit it along with your Vietnam Work Visa application to the local Embassy or Consulate.

• Applying for a Vietnam Work Visa On Arrival

If you enter Vietnam through one of the ports of entry listed below, you can apply for a Vietnam Work Visa On Arrival.

• Tan Son Nhat in Ho Chi Minh City
• Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi
• Danang Airport in Da Nang
• Cat Bi Airport in Hai Phong
• Cam Ranh Airport in Nha Trang

However, before receiving the Vietnam Work Visa upon arrival, you must apply for a Letter of Approval from the Vietnamese Immigration Department. You can do so online with one of the companies authorized by Vietnam’s Immigration Department.

• Documents required for a Vietnam Work Visa

When applying for a Vietnam Work Visa, you have to submit the following documents:

• Your passport, which has at least another six months’ validity.
• If you are applying for the Letter of Approval online, you have to send a scan of your passport’s personal information and picture page.
• Recent passport-size pictures in comply with Vietnam visa photo requirements:
• Size: 4 cm x 6 cm
• Taken recently
• White background
• You must be centered in the picture, staring ahead with a neutral facial expression
• If you wear headgear for religious purposes or you have a wig, you may keep it in the picture but must also be wearing on arrival
• You must not be wearing any glasses
• If you are applying at an Embassy/Consulate:
• The Vietnam Visa Application Form. Depending on which country you are applying from, you can either download it or get the Vietnam Visa Application Form at the Embassy/Consulate.
• Letter of Sponsorship/Entry Clearance
• Any other additional documents that the Vietnam Embassy/Consulate may require, such as a Letter of Invitation.
• If you are applying for Vietnam Visa On Arrival:
• Pre-obtained Letter of Approval
• Entry and Exit Form. You will receive this on the airplane and you have to complete it before handing it in at the Immigration Officers at the port of entry
• Cash to pay the Vietnam visa stamping fee

How Long is a Vietnam Work Visa Valid?

A Vietnam Work Visa can be awarded for one month, three months, six months, or a year, with either single or multiple entries. However, after you acquire a Work Permit, you can apply for a Temporary Residence Card, which will replace your visa.

• The Temporary Residence Card

If you hold a work permit that is valid for more than a year, you are eligible for a Vietnam Temporary Residence Card (TRC).

The Immigration Services of Vietnam, which works under the Ministry of Public Security, issues Temporary Residence Cards. They can be issued for one to five years and function as a multiple-entry permit, allowing you to leave and re-enter Vietnam without a visa for the time it is valid.