Vietnam Work Visa 2026: Work Permit Rules and Costs

By the SettleBuddy editorial teamUpdated 14 October 20268 min read

Working in Viet Nam needs a work permit, or a written confirmation that you are exempt, and since 7 August 2025 the rules come from a new government decree, No. 219/2025/ND-CP. It moved the decision to provincial People's Committees, set a ten-working-day deadline and widened the list of exemptions. This guide sets out the conditions in the Labor Code, the new procedure, the exemptions, what the official pages say about cost and validity, and how US, Indian, Pakistani and Bangladeshi citizens enter, as published by the Government of Viet Nam and read on 14 October 2026.

Quick answer

Your employer files a written request explaining why it needs to hire a foreign worker, on Form No. 03 of Decree 219/2025/ND-CP, with the provincial People's Committee. The authority must decide within ten working days of receiving a valid dossier, and give reasons within three working days if it refuses. You must be at least 18, qualified and experienced, in suitable health and without an unresolved criminal record. Citizens of all countries can enter on an e-visa of up to 90 days, costing US$25 single-entry or US$50 multiple-entry.

A courtyard of the Temple of Literature in Hanoi with a tiled-roof pavilion sheltering stone stelae, a trimmed bonsai tree and yellow flowers beside a pond — The Temple of Literature, Hanoi. Photo: Ltn12345 / CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons).

The rule since August 2025

New decree: Decree No. 219/2025/ND-CP of 7 August 2025, with 5 chapters and 36 articles, took effect on 7 August 2025. It governs the conditions and procedures to issue, reissue, extend and revoke work permits and confirmations of exemption.
What it replaced: the rules on foreign workers in Decree No. 152/2020/ND-CP, as amended by Decree No. 70/2023/ND-CP, ceased to have effect when Decree 219 took effect.
Who decides: provincial-level People's Committees now issue, reissue, extend and revoke work permits. Under Decree 70/2023, the labour ministry or provincial labour departments issued permits within five working days.

Conditions in the Labor Code

Article 151.1 of the Labor Code 2019, as set out on the Government's portal, requires foreign workers in Viet Nam to:

Be at least 18 years of age and have full civil act capacity.
Have technical, professional or occupational qualifications and experience, and health suitable under the Minister of Health's rules.
Not be serving a sentence, have an unspent criminal record, or be subject to criminal prosecution under foreign or Vietnamese law.
Hold a work permit issued by a competent Vietnamese authority, except in the cases of Article 154 of the Code.

The procedure under Decree 219

The employer's request. The dossier must include a written request from the employer explaining the need to hire foreign workers and asking for the work permit, using Form No. 03 in the Appendix to the decree.
Filing. The dossier goes to the competent provincial People's Committee.
Decision. The authority must decide whether to issue the work permit within ten working days from the date it receives a valid dossier.
Refusal. If the permit is not issued, a written explanation must be given within three working days.

Who is exempt from a work permit

Decree 219 expands the list of foreign workers who need a confirmation of exemption instead of a permit. It includes:

Owners or capital contributors with at least VND 3 billion in a limited liability company, and chairpersons or board members with at least VND 3 billion in a joint-stock company.
Managers, executive directors, experts or technical workers who enter Viet Nam to work for a total of less than 90 days in a year, counted from 1 January.
Intra-corporate transferees within the 11 service sectors of Viet Nam's WTO commitments, employed by the foreign enterprise for at least 12 consecutive months before the transfer.
Foreign workers certified by the Ministry of Education and Training to teach, conduct research or transfer international education programmes.
People certified by ministries or provincial People's Committees to work in finance, science, technology, innovation, national digital transformation and other priority sectors.
Foreign students, learners and trainees with internship agreements or work invitations from Vietnamese employers, and persons responsible for establishing a commercial presence.

Cost

The Government reports we read on Decree 219 publish no fee. The Government portal's work permit page, written under the previous decree and Circular 250/2016/TT-BTC, says the fee is set by each province: for example VND 400,000 for a new permit in Hanoi and VND 600,000 in Ho Chi Minh City, with VND 1,000,000 as the highest. It adds that the employer should cover the expense. Check the current fee with the provincial authority that will issue your permit.

Item	Amount	Source
E-visa, single entry	US$25	Government news portal, February 2025
E-visa, multiple entry	US$50	Government news portal, February 2025
Work permit, new, Hanoi	VND 400,000	Government portal page written under the previous decree
Work permit, new, Ho Chi Minh City	VND 600,000	Government portal page written under the previous decree

How long a work permit lasts

The Decree 219 reports we read do not restate the validity period. The Government portal's page under the previous decree says a permit is granted for the period of the labour contract or assignment but shall not exceed 02 years. Treat that as the previous rule and confirm the term on your permit.

Entering Viet Nam: by nationality

E-visa: Viet Nam issues e-visas to citizens of all countries and territories, valid for up to 90 days. The fee is paid through the e-visa portal and is non-refundable if the visa is not granted.
Border gates: e-visa holders must enter and exit through international border gates designated by the Government.
Visa exemptions: the Government's unilateral exemption lists cover 24 countries, such as Germany, France, the UK, Japan, the Republic of Korea and Switzerland. The United States, Canada, India, Pakistan and Bangladesh are not on these lists.

So US, Indian, Pakistani and Bangladeshi citizens all use the e-visa to enter, and need a work permit or exemption confirmation to work. For the wider move, see our moving to Vietnam guide.

Frequently asked questions

What are the Vietnam work permit requirements?

You must be at least 18 with full civil capacity, have qualifications and experience, be in suitable health, and have no unresolved criminal record or prosecution. Your employer files a written request on Form No. 03 explaining the need to hire you.

How long does a Vietnam work permit take?

Under Decree 219/2025/ND-CP, the provincial authority must decide within ten working days of receiving a valid dossier, and explain any refusal within three working days.

How much does a Vietnam work permit cost?

The fee is set by province. The Government portal's earlier page gives VND 400,000 in Hanoi and VND 600,000 in Ho Chi Minh City as examples, and says the employer should cover it.

Do US citizens need a work permit in Vietnam?

Yes, unless an exemption applies. US citizens are not on Viet Nam's visa-exemption lists, so they enter on an e-visa and work with a permit or a confirmation of exemption.

Can Indian citizens work in Vietnam?

Yes, under the same rules. India is not on the exemption lists, so Indian citizens enter on an e-visa costing US$25 for single entry or US$50 for multiple entry.

What about Pakistani and Bangladeshi citizens?

The same work permit rules apply, and the Government states that e-visas are issued to citizens of all countries and territories.

Who is exempt from a Vietnam work permit?

Among others, owners or capital contributors with at least VND 3 billion, managers and experts working less than 90 days a year, certain intra-corporate transferees, and education-ministry certified teachers and researchers.

Official sources

All rules, deadlines and fees verified against the official sources above on 14 October 2026. Information, not legal advice.