Work permit application procedures for technical workers in Vietnam

If you’re a technical worker planning to work in Vietnam, you’ll need a work permit. The new Decree 219/2025/ND-CP has made the process much easier than before. This guide shows you exactly what you need to do. VisaNow will walk you through every step so you can get your work permit without any confusion.

Vietnam work permit requirements for technical workers

• Be at least 18 years old with full civil act capacity
• Have professional qualifications, skills, experience, and good health as required
• Not serving a sentence or facing criminal prosecution in Vietnam or abroad
• Meet one of these two work experience needs:
  • You trained for at least 1 year in your field and worked for at least 2 years in a similar job
  • You worked for at least 3 years in a similar job

>> Important to know: The new Decree 219/2025/ND-CP says you must write your job title exactly as it appears in Vietnam’s official job list. This is different from before.

• For example, you can’t just write “chuyên gia kinh doanh (business expert)” anymore.
• You need to find the exact job code and use the correct name like “Chuyên viên quản lý kinh doanh (Business Management Specialist)” (code 1221.01).

This change means preparing papers that prove your skills and experience is now more important than ever before in the work permit process.

>> Read more: For technical workers, you’ll need to provide a work experience certificate from previous employers that clearly demonstrates your qualifications and relevant experience in your field. This document is critical for validating your expertise to Vietnamese authorities.

Required documents for Vietnam work permit for technical workers

The new Decree 219/2025/ND-CP makes things simpler. Now you only need to prepare one set of documents instead of many separate ones.

• Report explaining why you need a foreign worker and work permit request using Form 03 (this includes why you need foreign workers, proof you tried to hire Vietnamese workers, list of foreign workers, and confirmation you could not find Vietnamese workers)
• Criminal record check or document saying you are not serving a sentence (must be less than 6 months old)
• 2 color photos (4×6 cm, white background, face forward, no hat, no glasses, taken less than 6 months ago)
• Copy of your passport (must still be valid)
• Health check from an approved medical center saying “Healthy enough to work,” with all doctor signatures (must be less than 12 months old)
• Documents proving you are a technical worker:
  • Option 1: If you have training and experience
    • Certificate showing you trained for at least 1 year in your field (official copy)
    • Letter from past employer confirming at least 2 years of work experience in a similar job
  • Option 2: If you only have work experience
    • Letter from past employer confirming at least 3 years of work experience in a similar job
    • You might need to add training certificates if asked
• Introduction letter or permission letter (if the person bringing documents is not the company’s legal representative)
• Other documents you might need:
  • List of foreign workers already working at the company (if any)
  • Social insurance list or form C12-TS (if the local office asks for it)
  • Office or factory rental contract (if needed to prove work location)
  • Tax reports from the last 3 months (if asked to prove business activity)

>> Note: All documents from outside Vietnam must be made official through the embassy, translated to Vietnamese, and certified. Some countries do not need to do this if they have special agreements with Vietnam.

How to get Vietnam your technical worker work permit?

The new Decree 219/2025/ND-CP makes the process shorter. Now there are only 3 main steps instead of 4. Each step has specific timing you need to follow.

Step 1. Notify recruitment of Vietnamese workers

This first step shows you tried to hire Vietnamese workers but could not find anyone suitable.

• When to do it: At least 5 working days before you apply for the work permit (down from 15 days before)
• Where to post: Online at one of these two places:
  • National Public Service Portal
  • Provincial Employment Service Center website
    • For example:
      • Hanoi: vieclamhanoi.net
      • Ho Chi Minh City: vieclamhcm.com.vn
      • Dong Nai: vieclam.dongnai.gov.vn
• What to include in your job listing:
  • Job title and type (using the official job type list)
  • Detailed job description and how many people you need
  • Skills, training, and experience needed
  • Salary, work hours, and work location

Step 2. Submit work permit application

This is the most important step. All your documents go together in one package now.

• When to apply: Between 10 to 60 days before the foreign worker starts the job
• How to apply: Online only through the National Public Service Portal
• How long it takes: 10 working days after the government office receives your complete application
• Who handles it: Provincial People’s Committee (currently the Department of Internal Affairs does this work)

Step 3. Get your result

You will get your result completely online, which makes things easier.

How you get the result:

• Online through the National Public Service Portal (electronic result using Form 04)
• Or delivered by public postal service

How long your work permit lasts: Up to 2 years, can be extended one time only for up to 2 more years

If they say no: The government office will send you a written explanation within 3 working days

Important notes for Vietnam work permits for technical workers

Here are some key points to help you avoid problems:

• Job type must be exact: You need to write your job type using Vietnam’s official list of 242 job types. You cannot just make up a job title anymore.
  • For example, do not write “business expert.” Look up the correct name like “Business Management Specialist” (code 1221.01) or “Sales Staff” (code 5221.01).
• About health checks:
  • The new rules say you can use a health check from a hospital in your home country if Vietnam has an agreement with that country. The health check must be less than 12 months old.
  • Your health check MUST say “Healthy enough to work” and have all doctor signatures. Any mistakes will cause problems when you apply online.
  • In the future, the system will get health checks automatically. We will update you when this happens.

Our advice from experience: Right now, there is no official confirmation that health checks from foreign hospitals are accepted in Vietnam. To be safe, come to Vietnam first and get your health check at a hospital approved by Vietnam’s Ministry of Health.

• You can choose to let the government automatically get your criminal record check when you apply for your work permit. But we think it is better to get it yourself first. This way, you have more control over timing. Foreign workers living in Vietnam can get their criminal record check at the police station where they registered their stay. It takes about 3 weeks.

These changes mean you need to prepare carefully. Getting everything right the first time will save you a lot of trouble.

How long does it take to get your Vietnam work permit?

Under Decree 219/2025/ND-CP, the government needs 10 working days to process your work permit after they receive all your correct documents.

But in real life, the whole process usually takes 4-6 weeks, including:

Compared to old rules: Decree 219/2025/ND-CP is much faster than the old Decree 152/2020/ND-CP because everything is combined now and simpler.

>> Remember:

• It might take longer if they need you to add or fix documents.
• The review time starts when the Department of Internal Affairs officially receives your documents, not when you upload them to the portal. So getting everything right the first time will save you a lot of time.

Vietnam work permit costs for technical workers

The fee for getting a new work permit for technical workers under Decree 219/2025/ND-CP is still VND 600,000 like before. This fee is set by each province and might be slightly different depending on where you apply. Usually it ranges from VND 400,000 to VND 1,000,000.

Other costs you might have:

• Translation and document certification (depends on how many pages and what language)
• Embassy certification for documents from your country
• Health check (VND 1,500,000 – VND 3,000,000 depending on the medical center)
• Criminal record check (VND 200,000 if done in Vietnam)

Note about hospitals: Right now, you still need to include your health check document as normal. When Vietnam’s system updates with a list of connected hospitals, health checks will be automatic. We will let you know when this happens.

Frequently asked questions about work permits for technical workers

Vietnam work permit services for technical workers

VisaNow provides professional work permit services for foreign technical workers. Our process follows the latest Decree 219/2025/ND-CP. With over 10 years of experience, we have successfully helped more than 1,000 businesses each year get work permits for foreign workers.

Why choose VisaNow?

• Experienced team that keeps up with all new law changes and helps you 24/7
• We help technical workers from any country in the world with the same high-quality process
• Complete service from advice to document preparation to tracking results – saves you time and effort
• High success rate because we know how to handle complex cases and understand what each province needs

Getting a work permit for foreign technical workers is a complex process. You need to understand the rules deeply and know how to prepare documents correctly. VisaNow promises to be with you through the whole process, helping reduce risks and save time.