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Pathway

Vietnam Work Visa

Vietnam Residency
Pathway overview

At a glance

Working in Vietnam normally requires a work permit or properly documented exemption plus separate permission to stay. Your employer or host leads the application, and the actual job and evidence must fit a defined role.

Job offer required?
A real Vietnamese role or assignment, supported by an employer or host
LĐ2 status
For workers with an approved work permit
LĐ1 status
For workers whose exemption has been established through the required process

Summary

Vietnam’s employment visa and residence categories let eligible foreign workers stay for authorized jobs. Decree 219/2025 sets the current rules for the separate work approval. Experts generally need a university-level qualification and two years of relevant experience, reduced to one year in specified priority fields. A technical worker may qualify with at least one year of training plus two years of relevant experience, or with three years of relevant experience. Managers and executive directors use separate role definitions. LĐ1 and LĐ2 visas and residence cards are temporary, generally capped at two years, and employment alone does not create a general permanent-residence route.

The immigration code LĐ2 is for workers with a work permit; LĐ1 is for qualifying exempt workers. Work permits, visas, and residence cards can generally last up to two years, depending on the supporting documents. A work permit can be extended once, for up to another two years.

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Eligibility

The work arrangement and role must both qualify

Decree 219/2025/ND-CP covers arrangements such as a Vietnamese employment contract, a transfer within a company, a contract or service assignment, an assignment from a foreign organization, work for an international or nongovernmental organization, volunteering, and other listed forms. Each requires its own employer, contract, or assignment evidence.

For an ordinary permit, you normally need to meet one of these role definitions:

Role Main evidence requirement
Manager The legal definition of a company manager, or the head or deputy head of a qualifying organization
Executive director Head of a branch, representative office, or business location; or someone directly leading a field within an organization with at least three years of relevant experience
Expert A university degree or equivalent and at least two years of relevant experience
Expert in an accepted priority field A relevant degree and at least one year of relevant experience, where the field is officially recognized or covered by a Vietnamese government cooperation agreement
Technical worker At least one year of training and two years of relevant experience, or at least three years of relevant work experience

Priority fields include finance, science, technology, innovation, national digital transformation, and other accepted development priorities. A title alone does not establish eligibility, and a university degree is not required for every role category.

Documents and responsible authority

The employer’s application combines an explanation of the need for the worker with the permit request. It normally includes your passport, photos, role and work-arrangement evidence, health certificate, and criminal-record document.

The provincial People’s Committee, or a locally delegated authority, handles work permits and exemption confirmations. For one employer with work across several provinces, filing is handled where the employer has its headquarters under the current rules.

The stated decision period is 10 working days after a complete application. Missing or inconsistent evidence can extend the practical timeline.

Exemptions still need the correct procedure

Examples include:

Other exemptions have their own conditions. Confirm whether yours requires an official exemption document, advance notification, or another procedure; “exempt” does not mean no paperwork.

Preparing to work in Vietnam
  1. Confirm the role and work arrangement Match the actual duties and qualifications to a permit or exemption category.
  2. Have the employer complete the labor process Submit current evidence or the required exemption confirmation or notice.
  3. Obtain and maintain matching immigration permission Use LĐ2 or LĐ1 as appropriate and update documents before material changes.

Work authorization and immigration permission are separate, and even exempt workers must follow the required procedure.

What This Route Allows

The permit or confirmed exemption allows the work covered by its employer, role, arrangement, and validity. The corresponding LĐ2 or LĐ1 visa or temporary residence card separately permits entry and residence.

A spouse and child under 18 may qualify for TT family permission, with the required relationship, sponsor, passport, and immigration records. They need their own work authorization if employed.

After the single permitted work-permit extension, further employment requires the correct new-permit process. Apply for extensions, replacements, or new documents before the relevant expiry.

What This Route Is Not

A job offer, business visa, or visitor visa does not replace work authorization. A work permit does not by itself issue your visa or residence card.

Permission is not freely transferable. A new employer requires a new permit process. Under Decree 219, a change of position or form of work even with the same employer also requires a new permit. Other changes may need reissuance or updates.

Employment does not automatically become permanent residence after a set period. Vietnam reserves permanent residence for separately listed categories, and LĐ temporary residence does not start the standard citizenship rule’s five-year period measured from a Permanent Residence Card.

Next Steps

  1. Confirm the employer or host, actual duties, work arrangement, locations, and start date. Match the role to a precise legal category.
  2. Check whether a documented exemption applies before assembling a full permit application.
  3. Coordinate time-sensitive police, health, training, degree, and experience records, with accepted legalization and translation.
  4. Have the employer file with the correct provincial authority, then complete the matching immigration application separately.
  5. Review employer, position, work-form, location, or passport changes before working under them, and track all expiry dates.

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Sources