New Ministry of Labour circulars have changed requirements for several expat categories. Here's a complete breakdown of documents, timelines, and common pitfalls.
Vietnam's work permit regime is governed by Decree 152/2020/ND-CP and subsequent Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs (MOLISA) circulars. As of January 2026, several categories have updated documentation requirements.
Who Needs a Work Permit?
Foreign nationals working in Vietnam for 3 months or more require a work permit, with limited exceptions: business visitors on short trips, members of certain international organisations, and spouses of diplomats.
The Two-Stage Process
Vietnam's work permit process operates in two stages. First, the employer must obtain approval from the provincial Department of Labour to hire a foreign national — demonstrating that the position cannot be filled by a qualified Vietnamese candidate. This approval typically takes 10–15 working days.
Second, the foreign national applies for the work permit itself, submitting authenticated copies of educational qualifications, professional experience certificates, a clean criminal record (from both Vietnam and the home country), and a health certificate from an approved facility.
2026 Changes
The most significant change this year is the tightened requirement for document legalisation. Degrees and professional certificates issued outside Vietnam must now be both notarised AND apostilled (or, for countries not party to the Hague Convention, legalised through the chain of consular endorsements). Documents in languages other than Vietnamese or English must be translated by a licensed translation office and notarised.
The single biggest cause of work permit delays is not bureaucracy — it's incomplete or incorrectly authenticated documents.
Common Pitfalls
The most frequent delays arise from criminal record certificates — these have a 6-month validity window, so timing the application carefully matters. Health certificates must come from a Ministry of Health-approved hospital, not a general clinic.
Many expats also underestimate the time required to authenticate overseas documents. Allow at least 4–6 weeks if your degree is from a country with a slow apostille process.
