Work permit in Vietnam for foreign employees

No, if the employee is a manager, executive director, expert or technical worker working in Vietnam for less than 90 days in total in a calendar year (Point a, Clause 13, Article 7 of Decree 219/2025/ND-CP). No certificate of exemption is needed, but the employer must notify the authority at least 3 working days before the employee starts work (Clause 4, Article 9).

Up to 2 years, matching the term of the planned labour contract or the secondment letter (Article 155 of the Labour Code; Clause 1, Article 21 of Decree 219/2025/ND-CP). It can be extended only once, for up to 2 years (Article 29). After that extension, if the employee stays in the same position, the employer applies for a new permit (Clause 3, Article 20). The labour contract may not run longer than the permit (Clause 2, Article 151 of the Labour Code).

At least 10 days and no more than 45 days before the permit expires. The authority approves the need and extends the permit within 10 working days of receiving a complete file (Clauses 1 and 3, Article 28 of Decree 219/2025/ND-CP). For employees on a labour contract, both parties must sign a written contract before the employee continues working (Clause 4, Article 28).

Under Clause 5, Article 13 of Decree 283/2026/ND-CP (in force from 10 September 2026, replacing Decree 12/2022/ND-CP), an employer that uses a foreign worker without a work permit or certificate of exemption, or whose permit or certificate has expired, is fined VND 30 million to 45 million for 1 to 10 workers, VND 45 million to 60 million for 11 to 20 workers and VND 60 million to 75 million for 21 or more. These are the fines for individuals; a company, branch or representative office is fined twice as much (Clause 1 and Point b, Clause 2, Article 7). A foreign worker who works without a permit is fined VND 15 million to 25 million and may be deported (Clause 3 and Point b, Clause 6, Article 13).

Yes. The employer must recover an expired permit and return it to the issuing authority within 15 days (Clause 1, Article 31 of Decree 219/2025/ND-CP). An employer that fails to recover it, recovers it late or fails to return it under Clause 1 or 2 of Article 31 is fined VND 5 million to 10 million per employee, up to VND 75 million, and must return the permit (Points b and c, Clause 2 and Point b, Clause 7, Article 13 of Decree 283/2026/ND-CP). These are the fines for individuals; the fine for a company is set under Article 7 of the Decree. Failing to notify, or notifying late, for an employee who only needs a notification is fined VND 1 million to 3 million (Point a, Clause 1).

No. An employee with a valid permit who wants to work for another employer, even in the same position and field, needs a new permit; the file is shorter and does not require a new health certificate or criminal record certificate (Clause 1, Article 20 of Decree 219/2025/ND-CP). The old permit ceases to be valid when the labour contract ends (Clause 2, Article 156 of the Labour Code), and the former employer must recover it and return it to the issuing authority within 15 days (Clause 1, Article 31).