Who Needs a Work Permit in Vietnam?
This page covers who is required to hold a permit. Service and pricing: work permit service.
The basic rule
A foreigner working in Vietnam must hold a work permit unless they fall into a listed exemption. “Working” is judged by substance, not job title: receiving remuneration from a Vietnamese entity, performing a defined role, reporting to Vietnamese management, or working here for more than the permitted short period all point to employment.
Typical cases that need a permit
- Employees on a Vietnamese labour contract
- Intra-company transferees outside the committed service sectors
- Contract performers, technicians and specialists staying beyond the short-stay limits
- Chief representatives and project managers below the exemption thresholds
Typical exemption cases
- Capital-contributing members or owners of an LLC above the statutory threshold
- Chairperson or board members of a joint stock company above the threshold
- Intra-company transferees within the eleven committed service sectors
- Experts entering for short periods within the annual limits
Exemption is not automatic — a written confirmation must be obtained before work starts: exemption procedure.
Why it matters beyond compliance
The work permit is the basis for the LD visa and for a two-year residence card. Without it the employee is limited to short business visas and repeated extensions.
