Complete guide to work permits for Filipinos: Requirements, procedures & costs

Work permits are papers you need if you want to work legally in Vietnam as a Filipino. This guide will show you everything step by step – what you need, how to do it, what papers to prepare, and how much it costs. All the information follows the new government rules from Decree 219/2025/ND-CP.

Requirements for Vietnam work permit for Filipino citizens

• Be 18 years old or older and able to make your own decisions
• Have professional qualifications, skills, experience, and good health
• Must not have a criminal record or be under criminal investigation
• Need to fit one of the job positions that allow foreigners to work in Vietnam
  • Manager: You manage a company or lead an organization (or work directly under the leader)
  • Executive director:
    • You run a branch office or business location;
    • Or you manage one area of the business and have at least 3 years of experience doing similar work
  • Expert:
    • You have a university degree and at least 2 years of experience in your field
    • Or just 1 year if you work in finance, science, technology, innovation, or digital areas
  • Technical worker: You trained for at least 1 year and have 2 years of experience; or you have at least 3 years of experience in your job

>> Note: You’ll need papers from your old jobs to prove your experience. These papers must be verified by the Philippines government and translated to Vietnamese.

Documents needed for Vietnam work permit for Filipino citizens

Based on Decree 219/2025/ND-CP, here are all the papers you need:

• Form 03: This explains why the company needs to hire you and includes the job posting proof
• Criminal record check: This paper shows you haven’t been in trouble with the law (must be issued within the last 6 months)
• 2 color photos: Size 4x6cm, white background, face forward, no hat, no glasses, taken within the last 6 months
• Passport copy: Your passport must still be valid
• Health check paper: From a licensed hospital in Vietnam (valid for 12 months)
• Permission letter (if someone else drops off your papers instead of the company owner)
• Job proof papers depending on your position:

>> Important: All papers from the Philippines (degrees, experience letters, criminal records) must be verified by the Philippines Department of Foreign Affairs before you bring them to Vietnam.

How to get a Vietnam work permit for Filipino workers?

Step 1. Post a job opening for Vietnamese workers

Before asking for a work permit, your company must first try to hire Vietnamese workers for the job. This shows the government that no Vietnamese person can do the work.

• How long: At least 5 working days before sending your work permit papers
• Where to post:
  • National Public Service Portal: dichvucong.gov.vn
  • Or your province’s Job Service Center website
• What to include in the posting:
  • Job title and what the work is
  • How many people needed
  • What skills and experience needed
  • How much the job pays
  • Where and when the work happens
  • Other details like contract length

Note: Keep the posting confirmation – you’ll need it for Form 03.

If no Vietnamese workers apply or fit the job, you can move to the next step.

Step 2. Send your work permit papers

With the new government rules (Decree 219/2025/ND-CP), everything happens in one step now. The government looks at why you need a foreign worker AND gives you the permit at the same time.

• When to send: Between 60 days and 10 days before the Filipino worker starts the job
• How to send:
  • Upload everything online at dichvucong.gov.vn
  • Search for code “194248” or “9151”
  • Create a company account, upload Form 03 and all papers, sign digitally
• How long it takes:
  • 10 working days after they get all your papers
  • If they say no, they’ll tell you why within 3 working days

After sending everything, check the website regularly. They might ask for more papers.

Step 3. Receive your work permit

After reviewing your papers, the government will give you the results.

• How you get it:
  • Download it from the government website (digital format)
  • Or they send it by mail
  • If everything is good, you pay the fee and get a pickup date (usually 1-2 days later)
• How long it’s good for: Up to 2 years (depends on your work contract)
• Special cases:
  • If papers are missing: They tell you within 3 days, you add them online
  • If you lost your permit: Getting a new one takes 5 working days

>> Note: After getting the work permit, sign a work contract before starting the job.

Experience in applying for Vietnam a work permit for Filipinos

The new government rules (Decree 219/2025/ND-CP) changed many things. Here’s what makes Filipino workers different:

• About visas:
  • Before coming to Vietnam, Filipino workers must get a work visa from the Philippines Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE)
  • After getting your Vietnam work permit, you must send copies back to the Philippines government to report
  • This reporting is required by Philippines law
• About visa-free entry:
  • Filipinos can enter Vietnam without a visa for 21 days
  • But if you’re coming to work, you must change to a work visa
  • Changing from visa-free to work visa has special steps that can be tricky. It’s a good idea to talk to experts who know how to do this correctly. This helps you avoid problems with the law.

• About criminal record checks: The new rules let the government get this paper for you automatically. But we suggest getting it yourself first: Criminal checks take about 3 weeks, but work permits only take 10 days. If the government does both together, you’ll wait longer for everything.
• Common name problems: Filipino workers often have issues with their names on different papers:
  • Shortened names: Filipino names are often very long, so people shorten their middle names (like Maria Anna Isabelle Lopez becomes Maria A. Lopez). This makes papers look different from each other.
  • Name changes after marriage: After getting married, many Filipinos change their last name to their husband’s name. This makes old papers (like school degrees) different from new papers (like passports).

Don’t worry if your papers have different versions of your name. You can fix this with a name declaration form in Vietnam. This paper proves all the different names belong to you. VisaNow can help you do this correctly.

• About health checks: This is where many people make mistakes:
  • The hospital must write “Healthy enough to work” on the paper
  • Your name and reason for the check must be correct
  • All doctors who checked you must sign, and you must sign too (your signature must match your passport)
  • Because everything is online now, the government won’t accept health papers with wrong information or handwritten corrections. If something is wrong, the hospital must make a new paper.
  • Even though the new rules say you can use health checks from Philippines hospitals (if both countries agree), there’s no official confirmation yet that Philippines health checks work in Vietnam. So it’s better to get your health check done in Vietnam at an approved hospital.

Processing time for Vietnam work permit for Filipino citizens

According to Vietnam’s Decree 219/2025/ND-CP, it takes 10 working days to process a work permit for Philippine nationals after receiving all valid documents.

But in real life, the whole process usually takes 4-6 weeks (28-42 days). This includes preparing papers, getting them verified, and waiting for approval.

>> Note: It might take longer if:

• Your papers need changes or additions
• Papers from the Philippines weren’t verified correctly
• Your health check or criminal record expires
• There are name differences on your papers

To make sure things go fast, prepare all your papers correctly from the start. Besides time, you’ll also want to know about costs.

Vietnam work permit for Filipino citizens costs

Getting a new work permit for Filipino workers costs between 600,000 and 1,000,000 VND. Each province sets its own price. This fee hasn’t changed with the new rules (Decree 219/2025/ND-CP).

Besides the official fee, you’ll need money for:

• Verification costs:
  • Criminal record check from the Philippines
  • Verification from Philippines Department of Foreign Affairs
  • Verification from Vietnam Embassy in the Philippines
  • Translation and notarization in Vietnam
• Health check costs: 1,500,000 to 3,000,000 VND (depends on which hospital you use)
• Other costs:
  • Name declaration fee (if names don’t match on papers)
  • Help from experts (if you use a service)
  • Travel and mailing costs

FAQs about Vietnam work permits for Filipinos

VisaNow – Vietnam work permit services for Filipino citizens

VisaNow provides professional work permit services for Filipino workers with over 10 years of experience. We understand all the special steps and papers that Filipino workers need – from verification by the Philippines government to handling complex name issues.

• We guide you on what papers to prepare from the Philippines, check that everything is correct before sending, and help you avoid rejection
• Our experienced team supports you 24/7 and handles papers quickly with high success rates
• We pick up and deliver papers for free in central Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi, and can provide VAT invoices if you need them

We hope this guide answered all your questions about getting work permits for Filipino workers in Vietnam. Preparing your papers correctly and following all the steps will help your business save time and avoid problems. If you need help with work permit services for Filipino workers, don’t hesitate to contact +84 94 367 6226. VisaNow will help you quickly and professionally.