General procedures applied in Ho Chi Minh City
As elsewhere in the country, hiring staff in Ho Chi Minh City requires: signing the correct type of labor contract, registering for social, health and unemployment insurance, and complying with the Labor Code on working hours and wages.
Specific points when handling procedures in HCMC
- Social insurance registration files are submitted through the HCMC Social Insurance Agency or the district branch where the business is headquartered.
- Work permit applications for foreigners working in HCMC are submitted to the HCMC Department of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs (or an equivalent agency); processing times should be monitored closely because the volume of applications in a large city is usually higher than in the provinces.
- Work rules must be registered with the HCMC labor management authority if the business employs 10 or more employees.
Procedures for foreign employees in Ho Chi Minh City
HCMC has the largest concentration of foreign experts and managers in the country, so work permit and temporary residence card procedures should be prepared early, avoiding the peak season (usually early in the year) when processing times can run longer than expected.
How to simplify the procedures
Many businesses, especially foreign companies new to HCMC, choose an EOR service or labor legal consulting so that a dedicated provider completes all procedures on their behalf, avoiding the time spent dealing directly with many different agencies.
Do hiring procedures in Ho Chi Minh City differ from other provinces? In essence the regulations are the same nationwide; the differences lie mainly in where documents are submitted (HCMC agencies) and in processing times, which may be longer because of the large volume of applications.
Can the documents for these procedures be submitted online in HCMC? Some procedures (such as social insurance registration) already support online submission through the public service portal; work permits and other procedures involving foreigners usually still require paper documents in combination, so confirm directly with the receiving agency.