What do businesses need before hiring?
If hiring directly, the business needs to have a registered legal entity in Vietnam: business registration certificate, tax code, bank account and registration to participate in social insurance for the unit. Enterprises also need to develop a salary scale and, if employing 10 or more employees, register labor regulations according to Labor Code.
If you don't have a legal entity, you can hire through EOR service: EOR provider is the party that signs the labor contract and takes care of insurance, taxes, and payroll — you don't need to set up a company just to hire people.
Documents when hiring Vietnamese workers
- Citizen identification card (or equivalent identification document) and residence information.
- Personal profile, contact information and qualifications and certificates appropriate to the position.
- Health certificate if required by position.
- Personal tax code and social insurance code (if available), bank account number for salary payment.
- Labor contract in writing, signed with the right type (definite term or indefinite term) and with all required content.
Enterprises are not allowed to keep original copies of diplomas, certificates or identification documents of employees.
Documents when hiring foreign workers
Foreign workers working in Vietnam often need a work permit (or confirmation of exemption according to regulations). According to Decree 219/2025/ND-CP (effective from August 7, 2025), work permit application documents generally include:
- Valid passport and 2 color photos 4×6 cm.
- Health certificate issued by a qualified facility (foreign documents are only accepted when they meet the recognition conditions and are valid according to regulations).
- Criminal record card, usually no more than 6 months from date of issue to date of submission.
- Documents proving that you are a manager, executive director, expert or technical worker (diploma, confirmation of experience).
- Documents proving form of employment: labor contract, service provision contract or internal transfer decision.
Processing time is usually set at about 10 working days from receipt of complete and valid documents. After obtaining the license, the enterprise continues with visa/temporary residence card procedures and registers for social insurance for qualified workers (see more article about Compulsory social insurance for foreign workers). Information about legalization of foreign workers is also available at Nhân Kiệt.
How to shorten document preparation
Instead of working with many agencies themselves, many businesses, especially foreign businesses new to Vietnam, hand over all documents to specialized units. With the EOR model, you only need to provide a job description, desired salary and candidate information; Contracts, insurance and payroll are handled by EOR.
The article is for reference only according to current regulations at the time of posting; Specific documents may vary according to position, industry and instructions of the receiving agency. Should confirm again before submitting.
Does it require a company to hire personnel in Vietnam? Direct hiring requires a legal entity in Vietnam. If you don't have one, you can rent it through EOR without needing to set up a company.
Which foreign workers are exempt from work permits? Some special cases are exempted according to regulations (for example, according to international treaties, or some professional categories, short-term internal moves); Businesses need to receive exemption confirmation from the competent authority before hiring people.
Is a labor contract required to be in writing? Yes, for contracts of 1 month or more, it must be signed in writing and each party keeps a copy; In case of temporary work of less than 1 month, a verbal agreement can be made according to regulations.