Vietnam is tightening rules on fees charged to workers seeking overseas employment, with new legislation set to prevent labour recruitment companies from collecting training and skills-development fees before workers are selected by foreign employers.
The amended Law on Vietnamese Workers Working Abroad under Contract will take effect on March 1, 2027. Under the revised rules, service enterprises can collect fees for vocational training and foreign-language skills development only after a worker has been selected by a foreign employer and signed a contract to work abroad.
The changes are part of a broader effort to reduce the financial burden on Vietnamese migrant workers and move towards a recruitment model in which workers do not bear recruitment costs.
Workers spend nearly VND126m to work abroad
The reforms come as overseas employment remains a significant financial commitment for Vietnamese workers. A recent analysis by the General Statistics Office found that workers spent an average of nearly VND126 million per person in 2025 to secure employment abroad, equivalent to about 4.5 months of income.
The costs covered four main areas: completing applications and meeting migration requirements, payments to recruitment organisations or brokers, travel and other expenses.
Payments to recruitment organisations and brokers represented the largest component, averaging nearly VND53 million.
Japan and South Korea were among the most expensive destinations. Workers heading to Japan spent an average of nearly VND141 million, while those going to South Korea spent more than VND139 million. The average cost for other markets was nearly VND86 million.
Despite costs falling from around VND165 million in 2021, about 53% of surveyed workers still borrowed money to finance their overseas employment. The average loan was approximately VND122 million.
New rules target fees before recruitment
Under the amended law, service enterprises will be prohibited from charging workers for vocational and language training during the workforce preparation stage before they have been selected by foreign employers.
The restriction applies to workforce preparation activities carried out by service enterprises under Article 18 of the Law on Vietnamese Workers Working Abroad under Contract.
Companies will also be required to sign a written agreement with workers participating in workforce preparation. The agreement must specify training, skills-development and foreign-language fees, as well as any other applicable charges.
It must also outline the expected overseas market, industry, occupation, recruitment standards and timeline, alongside a commitment to prioritise participating workers when recruitment takes place.
The agreement must further set out the responsibilities of both parties if a worker is not accepted by the foreign employer or ends their participation in workforce preparation before the agreed deadline.
Push to reduce recruitment costs
The Department of Overseas Labor Management said recruitment and brokerage fees account for a significant share of the total cost of overseas employment, with some expenses arising through intermediary and brokerage activities before workers leave Vietnam.
The amended law also tightens rules on fees beyond service charges, with authorities seeking to reduce the overall financial burden on workers.
Authorities said they would continue bilateral negotiations with destination countries and foreign employers to encourage greater sharing of recruitment costs, airfare and training expenses.
The longer-term objective is to move towards a model where Vietnamese workers do not have to pay recruitment costs for overseas employment.
The data also highlights differences in the financial burden and earning potential based on workers' skills and education.
Workers with average skills spent approximately VND143 million on overseas employment, compared with nearly VND109 million for low-skilled workers and around VND68 million for highly skilled workers.
Meanwhile, average first-month income rose from VND22.4 million to more than VND28 million during the period covered by the analysis.
Workers with a college degree or higher earned an average of VND42.6 million per month, compared with VND27.6 million for those with primary or secondary education, VND26 million for high school graduates and around VND22 million for those with junior high school education.
The revised rules are expected to increase transparency around recruitment and training charges while strengthening protections for Vietnamese workers preparing to take up jobs overseas.