On December 31, 2025, the newly issued Decree No. 372/2025/ND-CP amended and supplemented a number of regulations in Decree 112/2021/ND-CP regarding Vietnamese workers working abroad under contracts. This Decree will take effect from January 1, 2026, introducing many new regulations on labor export aimed at simplifying procedures, increasing transparency, and tightening conditions for sending Vietnamese workers abroad. Below, Viet An Law will clarify 05 Key Changes regarding Labor Export from 2026 in Decree 372/2025/ND-CP.
Compared to the regulations in Article 4 of Decree 112/2021/ND-CP, the new regulations in Decree 372/2025/ND-CP have made important adjustments regarding requirements for professional staff of enterprises sending Vietnamese workers abroad under contracts.
Enterprises have the obligation to arrange professional staff to ensure the full implementation of operational contents prescribed in Article 9 of the Law, instead of having to prove that each employee meets rigid criteria regarding field of study or seniority.
This approach emphasizes the enterprise’s responsibility in management, training, and use of labor. This amendment contributes to increasing flexibility and suitability with practice, especially in the context where the demand for sending workers abroad is increasingly diverse, requiring a workforce with practical skills, experience, and adaptability, not just based on degrees or initial training majors.
Decree 372/2025/ND-CP adds Article 15b, regulating the notification of the list of workers expected to work abroad.
Accordingly, enterprises are responsible for performing the notification via online form, while providing full necessary information of the workers, including personal information, identification number, passport, time of departure, and contact information of relatives.
Within 03 working days from the date of receiving the list of workers, the Ministry of Home Affairs is responsible for confirming the enterprise’s notification.
Decree 372/2025/ND-CP adds Article 15a, regulating the notification of meeting market and sector conditions.
Accordingly, before sending workers to work in Taiwan (China), Japan and for nursing jobs in Japan, enterprises must notify online on the Database System on Vietnamese workers working abroad under contracts.
In addition, Decree No. 372/2025/ND-CP amends and supplements Article 12 and Article 15 of Decree No. 112/2021/ND-CP regarding conditions for operating services sending Vietnamese workers to Taiwan (China) and Japan towards adding the condition that the enterprise is licensed and has performed the notification of meeting market and sector conditions.
Simultaneously, it does not regulate specific quantity requirements for staff with foreign language proficiency (Chinese, Japanese) to perform related operational contents.
Thus, immediately after successful notification, enterprises are allowed to deploy activities, instead of waiting for additional approval procedures as before.
In case the enterprise terminates operations in the notified market or sector, the termination is also performed online, and the enterprise does not have to continue maintaining the corresponding conditions.
One of the important amendments in Decree 372/2025/ND-CP is shortening the processing time for procedures to renew the Operation License of service enterprises sending workers abroad.
Accordingly, the dossier settlement time is reduced from 10 days to 7 working days from the time the Ministry of Home Affairs receives a valid dossier.
Enterprises can submit dossiers directly, via post, or online on the National Public Service Portal, contributing to promoting administrative reform and digital transformation in this field.
Article 23 of Decree 112/2021/ND-CP regulated the deposit level as follows:
Decree 372/2025/ND-CP does not directly regulate the reduction of costs that workers must pay when going to work abroad. However, simplifying business conditions, shortening procedure resolution times, reducing personnel requirements, and abolishing additional deposits for branches may indirectly reduce the operational costs of enterprises. In the long run, this is expected to contribute to limiting unnecessary fees and creating room to reduce costs for workers.
Decree 372/2025/ND-CP does not change the nature of cases where the License is revoked but strengthens the management mechanism through online notification and monitoring. Accordingly, enterprises may have their License revoked if they seriously violate obligations such as: providing dishonest information; not ensuring the notified operating conditions; infringing upon the legal rights and interests of workers; or not remedying violations upon the request of competent authorities.
Workers benefit from increased information transparency, as the list of workers, markets, and sectors are all notified and managed centrally on the national data system. At the same time, the new regulations help shorten administrative procedures, limit illegal brokerage, and enhance the responsibility of enterprises throughout the process of sending workers abroad.
Enterprises need to review and update processes for recruitment, training, notification, and labor management, especially the process for performing online notification on the national data system. Proactively adjusting early will help enterprises avoid legal risks and ensure stable operations when the Decree officially takes effect from January 1, 2026.
The above is an update on Vietnam Labor Export Regulations 2026: 5 Key Changes in Decree 372/2025. If customers still have questions, need clarification on legal regulations, or have a need for advice and support with procedures related to labor export activities, please contact Viet An Law to be advised promptly, accurately, and effectively by a team of experienced lawyers and legal specialists.
