Foreign teachers need work permits to teach legally in Vietnam. The process has specific rules about education levels and teaching positions. This guide explains everything you need to know about getting a work permit for foreign teachers, following the new Decree 219/2025/ND-CP.
Work permit requirements for English teachers in Vietnam
A work permit is a must-have document if you want to teach in Vietnam. Schools and language centers can only hire foreign teachers who have the right work permit.
To get a work permit, you’ll need to meet 4 basic conditions:
- Be at least 18 years old
- Be healthy enough to work
- Have no criminal record
- Have the right education and teaching certificates for your teaching level
What documents you need depends on where you’ll teach:
| Teaching level | What you need |
| Kindergarten teacher | Teaching degree in foreign languages + College degree in early childhood education |
| Primary, middle, and high school | Teaching degree in foreign languages |
| University lecturer | At least a master’s degree |
| Language center teacher | Any university degree + Teaching certificate (TESOL, TEFL, CELTA, DELTA, etc.) |
One more thing – the work location on your permit must match the location on your school’s business license.
>> Providing proper documentation of foreigner’s experience is essential. Learn how to obtain a properly formatted work experience certificate that meets Vietnam’s requirements for the work permit application.
Required documents for Vietnam work permits for teaching English
Here’s what you’ll need to prepare for your work permit application under Decree 219/2025/ND-CP:
- Application form explaining why you need a foreign teacher (Form 03)
- Criminal background check (no older than 6 months)
- 2 color photos (4x6cm, white background, facing forward, no hat, taken within last 6 months)
- Copy of your passport (must still be valid)
- Health check certificate from a Vietnamese hospital (valid for 12 months) – some foreign health checks accepted if Vietnam has an agreement with that country
- School’s business license
- Teaching certificates based on your level:
- Kindergarten: Teaching degree + Early childhood education degree
- Primary/middle/high school: Teaching degree in foreign languages
- University: Master’s degree or higher
- Language center: University degree + Teaching certificate (TESOL, TEFL, CELTA, DELTA, etc.)
- If you’re not a native speaker: Language certificate showing level 4 or higher
- Letter of permission (if someone else brings your documents)
>> Different countries might have slightly different paperwork. If you’re hiring teachers from Asian countries, check out our guides for teachers from the Philippines, Chinese teachers, or Japanese teachers.
Getting a work permit for English teachers keeps getting more complicated, with different rules for each teaching level and nationality. Many teachers don’t have the right university degrees or aren’t native speakers, which makes things harder. One small mistake can get your whole application rejected, wasting time and money. VisaNow has helped over 1,000 businesses each year for more than 10 years. We check everything carefully and handle the whole process with clear pricing and no surprise fees. Contact HOTLINE +84 94 367 6226 now for free advice about your teacher’s situation and help preparing the right documents.
Vietnam work permit procedures for English teachers
The process is now simpler with Decree 219/2025/ND-CP. Instead of many separate steps, everything is combined into 3 main steps.
Step 1. Post a job for Vietnamese teachers
At least 5 working days before you apply for the work permit (this used to be 15 days).
You’ll post online at one of these places:
- National Public Service Portal
- Your province’s Employment Service Center website
- Examples:
- Hanoi: vieclamhanoi.net
- Ho Chi Minh City: vieclamhcm.com.vn
- Dong Nai: vieclam.dongnai.gov.vn
- Examples:
What to include in your job posting?
- Teaching position and job title
- Detailed job description
- How many teachers you need
- Education and certificate needs
- Salary, schedule, and work location
This step shows that you tried to hire Vietnamese teachers first but couldn’t find anyone suitable.
Step 2. Send your work permit application
Timing: You need to send it between 10 and 60 days before your teacher starts work.
Sending your documents: Everything goes online through the National Public Service Portal. Use procedure code 194248 or 9151. You’ll upload digital copies – no need to mail paper documents.
The review process: The provincial office will look at your application. Right now, most provinces let the Department of Internal Affairs handle this for them. They’ll review everything in one go.
Processing time: It takes 10 working days after they get all your documents. If they reject your application, they’ll explain why within 3 working days.
Step 3. Get your work permit
Getting your results: The Department of Internal Affairs will send your results online through the National Public Service Portal. You can also get it by mail if you prefer.
Validity period: Your work permit lasts up to 2 years. The exact time depends on your employment contract or your school’s business license – it’ll be the shorter of the two.
Next steps: Your teacher needs to sign an employment contract before starting work. If teaching in multiple provinces, you must tell the office 3 days before.
Important tips for getting teacher work permits
From helping hundreds of schools successfully get work permits for foreign teachers, VisaNow wants to share some important tips to help you avoid common problems.
- New teaching certificate rule: Decree 222/2025/ND-CP says teachers who teach in a foreign language must prove their language skills are at level 4 or higher on Vietnam’s language scale. This is completely new – the old rules didn’t ask for this.
- Health check document changes:
- Decree 219/2025/ND-CP now accepts health checks from foreign hospitals if Vietnam has an agreement with that country (valid for 12 months)
- The health check must say “Healthy enough to work” and have all doctor signatures with completely correct information – any mistakes will get your application rejected
- The teacher’s signature on the health check must match their passport signature
Important note: Right now, there’s no official confirmation about which foreign hospital health checks Vietnam accepts. To be safe, it’s better for your teacher to come to Vietnam first and get a health check at an approved Vietnamese hospital.
Health checks are very strict – any wrong information, signature, or conclusion can get your application rejected. VisaNow will help you choose the right hospital and guide you through checking all the information carefully to make sure your health check meets all the rules. Contact HOTLINE +84 94 367 6226 now for professional help!
- Simpler forms: Decree 219/2025 puts everything into one form (Form 03) instead of using many separate forms like before. This saves a lot of preparation time.
- Criminal background check system: The new decree lets businesses get the criminal background check when they apply for the work permit – you don’t need to prepare it separately. But getting the background check takes 3 weeks, while the work permit only takes 10 days. If you use the combined system, you’ll have to wait the full 3 weeks. That’s why we suggest getting the background check first, then applying for the work permit – it’s faster.
These changes mean you need to prepare carefully and understand the new rules well to get your application approved the first time. VisaNow will look at your specific situation and find the right solution. Contact +84 94 367 6226 for free advice – we’re always ready to answer your questions.
Processing times for Vietnam work permits for teaching English
Getting a Vietnam work permit for foreign teachers takes 10 working days after they receive all your complete documents. The whole process is much faster than before.
In reality, the complete process from start to finish takes about 4-6 weeks.
| Application stage | Estimated processing time |
| Posting job recruitment notice | 5-7 days |
| Preparing and sending documents | 14-35 days |
| Consular legalization time | Depending on each country |
| Total time for teacher work permit | 28-42 days |
| This is much shorter than the 9-12 weeks it used to take. |
It might take longer if you need to add missing documents or if your teacher isn’t in Vietnam yet for the health check. Preparing everything carefully from the start will help make sure everything goes smoothly.
Work permit fees for English teachers in Vietnam
The government fee for a work permit varies by province, from VND 400,000 to VND 1,000,000.
Besides the government fee, you’ll also pay for:
- Translating documents
- Notarizing papers
- Making documents official
- Service fees (if you use a helper)
One more thing – your teacher needs to get a health check at an approved hospital. For a detailed breakdown of current costs, check the latest Vietnam work permit fee schedule before submitting the application to avoid any surprises.
Common questions about Vietnam work permits for teaching English
Can foreign English teachers renew their work permit without leaving Vietnam?
Can foreign English teachers work in Vietnam while their work permit application is being processed?
Do foreign English teachers need a specific type of visa before applying for a work permit?
Professional Vietnam work permit services for English teachers
VisaNow is a leading provider of work permit services for businesses hiring foreign teachers in Vietnam. Getting work permits for teachers can be complicated and time-consuming. We understand that following the new rules in Decree 219/2025/ND-CP needs deep knowledge of the process and real experience.
What makes VisaNow different?
- We offer free document pickup and delivery in major cities
- Our team stays updated on all changes in education laws
- We help teachers from all countries with professional document processing
- We give detailed advice about teaching certificates and language requirements for each level
This article covered everything you need to know about the process, where to apply, and fees for teacher work permits. If you still have questions or need more detailed advice, don’t hesitate to contact +84 94 367 6226 for professional help from our team of experts.
