Vietnam eases work permit rules for foreign employees

Decree No. 219/2025/ND-CP, effective August 7, 2025, outlines mandatory procedures for employers in Vietnam to report and justify the need for foreign workers in the work permit application process. Employers must also submit their explanation using a standardised form alongside the work permit application. 

The new regulation also shifts the authority of issuing and revoking work permits from the Ministry of Labour and provincial labour departments to the Provincial People’s Committee, the provincial-level administrative authority in Vietnam, to streamline the review and approval process. 

For foreign workers employed by companies working in multiple provinces, the People’s Committee where the company’s headquarters is located will be responsible for processing the permits. 

The review period for work permit applications has also been extended from five to ten working days upon submission of all necessary documents. If a permit is denied, the committee must issue a written response stating its reasons within three working days. 

The decree also adds exemptions for qualified foreigners in Vietnam in obtaining work permits. These include positions in science, technology, and other high-priority sectors, journalists, students, interns, and consultants on programmes or projects funded by foreign aid. Business owners, investors, and board members with a capital contribution of at least 3 billion Vietnamese dong ($114,400) in local companies are also exempted. 

The new reforms are part of the Vietnamese government’s strategy to shore up the country’s workforce with high-quality talent, particularly in emerging industries such as semiconductors and AI, in its bid to transform the country into a high-income economy by 2045. 

Earlier in June, Vietnam’s National Assembly amended nationality laws to ease citizenship requirements for foreign investors, scientists, and highly skilled workers. The law, which took effect on July 1, enabled qualified individuals to bypass minimum residency requirements and obtain dual citizenship under certain conditions and with the approval of the president. 

The National Assembly also added new provisions to the country’s employment laws to strengthen protections against employment discrimination, fraud in job services, and misuse of labour data. It also updated regulations on job creation, labour registration, vocational training, unemployment insurance, and government aid to workers in times of crisis. 

The government said such reforms are a crucial step to loosen unnecessary legal restrictions in Vietnam’s labour laws and to attract talent and resources overseas, particularly in the technology and finance sectors.