Work Visa For Vietnam Requirements

Recruiting firms and executive search services are also popular in Vietnam, but many of these options tend to come with steep fees. If you’re interested in pursuing this option, you might be better off partnering with a global PEO that includes recruitment as a part of their platform.

Laws Against Discrimination in Vietnam

It’s essential to make sure your company is compliant with Vietnamese law throughout the process of staffing your international team. In Vietnam, employees are protected against discrimination based on the following characteristics:

• Race
• National and social origin
• Skin color
• Ethnicity
• Age
• Religion
• Beliefs
• Gender
• Family responsibilities
• Pregnancy
• Marital status
• Political views
• Disability
• HIV status
• Participation in a trade union or internal employee organization

As you meet with prospective employees during the recruitment process, you should be sure to avoid any direct inquiries about these characteristics. You should also be mindful of the language you use in your job postings. Don’t mention any specific traits that aren’t true requirements for the position.

How to Hire Employees in Vietnam

It’s essential to focus on Vietnam’s culture when you’re hiring employees. Vietnamese people often participate in small talk, share personal information about their families and hobbies, and ask about their conversation partner’s background. Participating in these tasks are seen as relationship building and can make a difference in someone choosing your company over another.

The concept of “face” is important in Vietnam, and you should make sure you don’t damage anyone’s image, dignity, honor, or status. The Vietnamese often don’t say no, so you should always follow up to make sure you understand the entire negotiation process.

Vietnam Employment Laws

One Vietnam employment compliance law is that you must have a written employment contract for every employee you hire. This contract should spell out compensation, benefits, and termination requirements in the local language. You should also include the salary and any other compensation amounts in Vietnam dong instead of a foreign currency.

The Vietnamese employees you hire should work a maximum of eight hours per day and six days per week. You are legally required to give employees one full day off per week, typically Sundays. Overtime is permitted, but total working time should not exceed 12 hours in a day or 200 hours in a year, with some exceptions for specific industries and sectors.

Onboarding in Vietnam

Once you hire employees in Vietnam, you need to onboard them to make them familiar with the company, their position, and their coworkers. While Vietnam employment compliance laws do not dictate one way to onboard employees, you can take steps to make these individuals more comfortable.

Try to travel to Vietnam for an employee’s first day or week with your company. You can go over the employment contract together, your company’s code of conduct, and other resources. Onboarding multiple employees at one time can also help establish a sense of camaraderie and simplify the process for your company.

Benefits of Hiring Outsourcing in Vietnam

You have a lot to focus on when you’re expanding your company and hiring employees, from understanding how to hire Vietnamese employees to meeting all Vietnam employment compliance laws. If you outsource the hiring process, you won’t have to worry about finding the right talent, but you’ll still be held accountable for compliance.

Your employees are the ones who make a difference in your company. When it comes to running day-to-day operations, you need employees you can trust to build up your new location in Vietnam. Unfortunately, it’s not always easy to find the time to hire employees in Vietnam while you’re trying to establish a company. During the processes of recruiting and hiring, you’ll need to study up on Vietnamese culture as well as the local laws regarding employment.

Recruiting in Vietnam

Planning for the practical aspects of staffing and recruiting in Vietnam is just as important as understanding the cultural nuances. No level of preparation for the interview process will ensure a successful recruitment process unless you start by sourcing the right candidates.

In Vietnam, social media is one of the best ways for employers to connect with potential hires. As in many other countries, LinkedIn is a popular platform. You might also focus on establishing a presence on other social media platforms to build a pool of candidates.

In recent years, there has been an increase in skilled foreign workers traveling to Vietnam for employment. If your company is in the process of expanding or outsourcing operations to Vietnam, you’ll need to ensure that all of your team members have the necessary work visas and permits before they start working in the country.

Types of Work Visas in Vietnam

Like any other foreign nationals, prospective employees will need to obtain a visa from the Vietnamese Embassy or Consulate in order to enter the country. Relevant types of visas include:

• DL visas for tourists
• HN visas for meetings and conferences
• DT visas for investors
• DN visas for individuals working with Vietnam businesses
• DH visas for students and interns
• NG1-NG4 visas for diplomatic purposes
• LV1-LV2 visas for individuals working with Vietnamese authorities
• LD visas for foreign workers

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An LD visa will be necessary for employees who wish to live and work in Vietnam on a long-term basis.

Requirements to Obtain Vietnam Work Visas

Vietnam has strict requirements to determine which individuals are eligible to obtain a work visa. There are three main categories of foreign workers who may apply for a Vietnam work permit:

• Managers, executives, or those in other high positions within a company
• Specialists and experts
• Technicians

Furthermore, a company in Vietnam can only offer one of these positions to a foreign national if there are no eligible Vietnamese job seekers to fill the position. To prove that a foreign employee is necessary, the company must announce recruitment for this position to job seekers in Vietnam via an online portal or a Vietnamese newspaper. If there are no qualified Vietnamese applicants within 30 days, a foreign worker may be offered the job.

Proof of this announcement is one required document that must be submitted in the process of applying for an LD work visa. Other requirements include:

• A completed application form
• A valid passport
• Health certificates and medical records of the applicant
• Three passport-sized photos taken within the last year
• A judicial profile to prove the applicant has no history of criminal activity that would prevent them from working in Vietnam
• Copies of any relevant professional certificates

Application Process

To apply for a visa to work in Vietnam, employees should take the following steps:

• Get a letter from their employer that confirms their job within the company
• Gather three recent passport photos or have new photos taken
• Obtain a certificate of health from a hospital in Vietnam or the employee’s country of residence
• Complete the work visa application form and gather all of the necessary documents to be submitted to the Department of Labor in Vietnam

The employer in Vietnam also plays a significant role in the work visa application process. The steps for the employer include:

• Obtaining a letter of preapproval for foreign labor usage from their Local Labor Department
• Filing a work permit application with the Department of Labor, Invalids, and Social Affairs (DOLISA)

Applications must be submitted at least 15 days before the employee’s intended start date. However, the process can take much longer. It is recommended that companies apply two to three months in advance.

Upon approval of the application, the employee may travel to Vietnam. They will need to declare their status as a temporary resident at their local police authority. A temporary residence permit with a duration equal to that of the work visa will be issued within five days.

Conclusion: Other Important Considerations

Currently, work permits in Vietnam are valid for up to three years and are not eligible for renewal. If your company plans to continue employing a foreign worker beyond the duration of their permit, a new application must be submitted.