Work Permit Exemption in Vietnam: The 15 Cases (2026)

Under Article 7 of Decree 219/2025/ND-CP there are 15 groups of foreigners who do not need a Vietnam work permit, including investors with at least 3 billion VND capital, spouses of Vietnamese citizens living in Vietnam, people working under 90 days a year, intra-corporate transferees, student interns and licensed lawyers. Exempt does not mean no paperwork: depending on the case, the employer either notifies the authority at least 3 working days in advance or obtains an exemption certificate (5 working days).

Updated October 2026 under Decree 219/2025/ND-CP (effective 7 August 2025), which replaced Decrees 152/2020/ND-CP and 70/2023/ND-CP.

Contents

The 15 exempt groups

Cases in Art. 154(3)–(8) of the Labour Code: heads of representative offices or projects of international organisations and NGOs; entry under 3 months to offer services; entry under 3 months to fix complex technical incidents; licensed foreign lawyers; cases under international treaties; foreigners married to Vietnamese citizens and living in Vietnam.
Owners or capital-contributing members of a limited liability company with a capital contribution of at least 3 billion VND.
Chairpersons or board members of a joint-stock company with a capital contribution of at least 3 billion VND.
Technical consultants for ODA programmes and projects.
Foreign correspondents licensed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Teachers or managers sent to education institutions set up at the request of diplomatic missions or intergovernmental organisations.
Foreign students on internships under school agreements.
Family members of foreign mission staff under treaties.
Official-passport holders working for state or political bodies.
People responsible for establishing a commercial presence.
Unpaid volunteers under international treaties.
People implementing international agreements signed by central or provincial bodies.
Managers, executive directors, experts or technical workers who (a) work in Vietnam for less than 90 days in total per year, or (b) are intra-corporate transferees in the 11 WTO service sectors, employed for at least 12 continuous months.
People confirmed by the Ministry of Education to teach, research or serve as principal at schools set up at the request of diplomatic missions.
People confirmed by a ministry or provincial People’s Committee to work in finance, science, technology, innovation, digital transformation or priority sectors.

Notification vs exemption certificate

Notification only (at least 3 working days before)	Exemption certificate required
Service sellers under 3 months; technical incidents under 3 months; licensed lawyers; spouses of Vietnamese citizens; investors with 3 billion VND+; correspondents; family of mission staff; people establishing a commercial presence; work under 90 days/year	Intra-corporate transferees; student interns; teachers at diplomatic-request schools; ODA consultants; priority-sector workers confirmed by authorities; other remaining cases

How to apply: work permit exemption documents and procedure.

Good to know

Exemption certificates last up to 2 years and can be renewed once.
You still need an LD1 visa and can apply for a residence card.
Investors contributing under 3 billion VND who work in the company need a work permit.