Work permit service for FDI companies in Vietnam is a solution that helps foreign-invested businesses recruit, employ and manage foreign workers legally in Vietnam. During the expansion of production and business, FDI enterprises often need to bring experts, managers, executives, and technical workers from abroad into Vietnam. However, the latest work permit procedures 2026 in Vietnam require businesses to meet specific conditions regarding job positions, legal documents, experience, qualifications, work duration, and the obligation to justify the need for foreign labor. Using a full-service work permit support for FDI companies in Vietnam helps FDI enterprises minimize document errors, shorten processing time, control legal risks, and focus on core business activities. This article by Viet An Law Firm will provide detailed advice on Work permit for FDI companies in Vietnam.
Difficult to obtain a work permit for foreigners in Vietnam
Foreign-invested enterprises (FDI) often face numerous challenges when handling the procedures for sponsoring and work permit application procedure in Vietnam for foreign workers. These difficulties stem not only from language barriers but also from the complexity of the current legal system:
| Case | Is a Work Permit Required? | Notes for FDI Businesses |
| Foreign experts | Generally required to apply for a work permit in Vietnam | Must provide proof of qualifications, experience, or professional expertise. |
| Managers, chief executive officers (CEOs) | Generally required to apply for a work permit | Requires documentation proving the job title, appointment decision, or company charter. |
| Technical workers | Generally required to apply for a work permit | Must provide proof of relevant experience, training, or skills. |
| Eligible FDI investors | May be exempt from a work permit | Need to verify the capital contribution ratio, job title, and specific exemption conditions. |
| Short-term foreign workers | May be exempt in certain cases | A duration of under 90 days does not automatically guarantee an exemption. |
| Step | Implementation Content | Viet An Law’s support services | Outcome for FDI businesses |
| Step 1 | Consulting on conditions for employing foreign workers | Reviewing job positions, working duration, working locations, and foreign worker categories. | Accurately determining cases requiring a work permit or those eligible for work permit exemption for FDI investors in Vietnam |
| Step 2 | Assessing the job position | Consulting on specific conditions for each position: expert, manager, chief executive officer (CEO), or technical worker. | The business selects the correct job title, avoiding non-compliance with application requirements. |
| Step 3 | Preparing the work permit application dossier | Guiding the preparation of passports, health certificates, criminal record certificates, degrees/qualifications, proof of experience, and corporate documents. | A complete application dossier with consistent information, fully compliant with the latest regulations. |
| Step 4 | Consular legalization, translation, and review of foreign documents | Checking foreign-issued documents, providing support for consular legalization, translation, and certification when necessary. | Minimizing the risk of the application being returned for amendments, supplementation, or rejection. |
| Step 5 | Submitting the application and tracking results | Representing the FDI business to submit the application at the competent authority or via the online public service portal. | The business is continuously updated on the progress and receives the work permit in Vietnam following the proper procedure. |
| Step 6 | Handing over the work permit | Receiving and delivering the work permit to the business, and guiding record storage and management. | The foreign worker establishes a solid legal basis to work legally in Vietnam. |
| Step 7 | Supporting Vietnam work visa for foreign employees and temporary residence card in Vietnam after obtaining the work permit | Consulting on entry approval letters, Vietnam work visa for foreign employees, visa purpose conversion, and temporary residence card in Vietnam for foreigners. | Labor, residence, and foreign personnel management procedures are processed seamlessly and synchronously. |
In a fiercely competitive business environment, time is money. Many FDI enterprises face urgent situations such as: production line malfunctions requiring immediate technical expert intervention, international bidding projects requiring senior management personnel to be present for contract signing, or experts’ current work permits expiring but personnel forgetting to renew them.
For these specific cases, Viet An Law provides urgent document processing solutions to:
| Key updates to note | Implications for FDI Businesses |
| The report explaining the demand for foreign workers is integrated into the work permit application process | Helps businesses prepare application dossiers more synchronously, avoiding incorrect procedure separation. |
| Increased submission of applications via the online public service portal | Businesses need to prepare scanned copies, electronic documents, and consistent information. |
| Stricter control over the conditions for experts, managers, chief executive officers (CEOs), and technical workers | Documents proving capacity and qualifications must be clear, properly consular legalized, and translated according to regulations. |
| Stricter management of the work permit exemption in Vietnam cases | FDI investors should not assume a default exemption without checking the specific conditions first. |
| Interconnected with visa and temporary residence card in Vietnam procedure. | The work permit must be consistent with the foreigner’s residence dossier. |
| Document Type | Purpose | When is it needed? |
| Work permit | Allows foreigners to work legally in Vietnam | Before signing an employment contract or officially starting work. |
| Working visa | Allows foreigners to enter and stay for the correct employment purposes | When foreigners enter Vietnam to work. |
| Temporary residence card | Allows long-term residence in Vietnam | After obtaining a work permit or meeting the conditions for a temporary residence card. |
The cost of a complete work permit service package is usually composed of the following elements:
| Cost Item | Detailed Content |
| State fees | Fees for submitting the explanation report, and fees for the new issuance/re-issuance/extension of work permits according to the regulations of each province/city. |
| Translation & Legalization fees | Costs for the judicial notarized translation of degrees, diplomas, and experience certificates from foreign languages into Vietnamese. |
| Viet An Law’s service fees | Costs for consulting, drafting application dossiers, and representing clients to work directly with state management agencies. |
Depending on the worker’s nationality, the nature of the application (regular or urgent), and the number of personnel applying simultaneously, we will develop the most optimal pricing plan, helping businesses save as much initial investment budget as possible while still receiving the best quality service.
While many firms offer temporary residence card service for Foreigners in Vietnam, Viet An Law Firm remains the preferred choice for large corporations and FDI businesses due to its outstanding core values:
Yes. FDI enterprises employing foreign workers in Vietnam must apply for work permits, except in cases where the worker is exempt from work permit requirements or is certified as exempt according to regulations. Decree 219/2025/ND-CP currently regulates the conditions, procedures for granting, re-granting, extending, and revoking work permits and certificates of exemption from work permit requirements for foreigners in Vietnam.
Foreign workers in FDI enterprises may be exempt from work permits if they fall under the cases stipulated by law, for example, investors, owners, or contributing members who meet the conditions regarding the value of capital contribution; internal transfers within the enterprise; foreign lawyers; Individuals entering Vietnam for short-term work or other specific cases. Businesses need to review the conditions and carry out procedures to confirm that they are not subject to work permit requirements if required by law.
The application for a work permit for foreign experts and managers usually includes a written request for a work permit accompanied by a report explaining the need to employ foreign workers, a health certificate, a criminal record certificate, a passport, photos, documents proving the job position, qualifications, experience, or appropriate appointment decisions. Documents issued by foreign countries usually need to be legalized by consular authorities, translated into Vietnamese, and certified according to regulations.
According to the new regulations, the procedure for reporting and explaining the need to employ foreign workers is integrated into the work permit application dossier. After preparing the application, the FDI enterprise submits the application to the competent authority. Within 10 working days from the date of receiving a complete and valid application, the competent authority reviews and approves the need and issues the work permit; in case of disapproval or refusal to issue, a written response must be provided stating the reasons.
A work permit for foreigners working at an FDI enterprise is issued according to the term of the labor contract, assignment document, service agreement, or documents proving the form of work, but not exceeding 2 years. When the work permit is about to expire, the enterprise needs to proactively review the need for foreign labor to carry out the renewal procedure at the right time.
Yes. An FDI enterprise can renew a work permit for a foreigner if the employee and the enterprise still meet the conditions as prescribed. Work permits are renewed according to the duration of the corresponding work case, but can only be renewed once for a maximum period of 2 years.
FDI enterprises employing foreigners without work permits or without written confirmation of exemption from work permit requirements may be subject to administrative penalties, forced to cease the violation, and affected in the labor management and immigration records of the foreign nationals. The penalty may increase depending on the number of foreign workers in violation, and organizations are usually subject to higher penalties than individuals.
If clients would like detailed advice on our comprehensive work permit services for FDI enterprises, please contact Viet An Law Firm for the best support!
