Work Permits are both required and necessary for Vietnamese companies seeking to employ and pay most foreign individuals in Vietnam. With a Work Permit, foreign employees can receive their salary into a Vietnamese bank account (in Vietnam Dong or a nominated foreign currency), and they can transfer these funds from their bank account to outside Vietnam as they wish. Our Quick Guide infographic provides a clear reference for the work permit application process.
A Work Permit, which is valid for up to 2 years and can be renewed in most situations for another 2 years, also allows an individual and their immediate family to obtain Temporary Resident Cards, removing the need for obtaining and maintaining Visas whilst in Vietnam.
The actual process can take from 5 to 8 weeks, depending on a range of factors, and assuming all documents are in order. If the required documents are not ready, then this timeline will obviously be extended. Some documents can take a considerable time to prepare, and it is encouraged that these be arranged before the Work Permit process commences. In particular, Criminal History Checks can be burdensome in some countries, and even Vietnamese Criminal History Checks take a minimum of 3 weeks and often 5 weeks or more.
Acclime handles the entire application process for clients – first lodging and gaining approval for the employer to employ foreign labour, and then lodging the physical application and submission of documents to support each employees personal Work Permit.
We can also arrange the notarisation of most Vietnamese documents, and in some circumstances we can also assist and undertake the Consularisation and Legalisation for certain nationalities and documents in Vietnam.
View our Quick Guide detailing the list of documents required, and the general process, for obtaining Work Permits in Vietnam.
