Who is required to have a work permit?
Foreigners working in Vietnam under a labor contract, or holding the position of manager, executive director, expert, or technical worker are required to apply for a work permit, except for some exempt cases according to regulations (for example, owners, capital contributing members of limited liability companies whose capital contribution ratio is eligible for exemption).
Conditions for granting work permits
- Be 18 years old or older, have full civil capacity.
- Have professional qualifications, techniques, and skills appropriate to the position expected to be held.
- Healthy enough according to regulations of the Ministry of Health.
- Not currently serving a sentence or having an unresolved criminal record.
- Be approved by the enterprise in Vietnam to work, and have written approval of the need to use foreign workers.
Documents need to be prepared
- Enterprise's written request for a work permit.
- Health certificate is still valid.
- Criminal record card (Vietnamese or foreign).
- Diploma, professional certificate or confirmation of work experience.
- 2 standard color photos with white background and valid passport.
- Document approving the need to use foreign workers from the competent authority.
Processing time
Once a valid application is submitted, the competent authority usually processes and issues the work permit within about 5-7 working days. The time may be longer if additional documents are needed, especially with consular legalization documents from abroad.
Common filing errors cause returns
- Criminal record is older than 6 months from the date of application.
- Professional diplomas cannot be consularly legalized and notarized translated according to regulations.
- The actual job position does not match the content of the document approving the need to use foreign workers.
Frequently asked questions
Can a work permit be renewed? Yes, businesses need to submit an extension application before the current permit expires within the prescribed time, to avoid interruption of legal working status.
What are the consequences of not having a work permit? Workers may be deported, businesses may be subject to administrative sanctions, and it will affect future licensing applications for other foreign personnel.
Does Nhân Kiệt support this entire application package? Yes, Nhân Kiệt supports from consulting documents, preparing documents to working directly with authorities to shorten processing time for businesses.