A working visa for foreigners is a type of document issued by a competent Vietnamese agency, allowing foreigners to enter Vietnam to work when they meet work permit conditions or eligibility to work according to the provisions of the recent Vietnamese Labor Law. In recent years, the need for domestic businesses to use foreign experts and workers has increased, which has led to the high demand for obtaining working visas for foreigners. In the article below, Viet An Law will summarize information about working visa for foreigners in Vietnam.
Visa LD1: Issued to foreigners working in Vietnam with confirmation that they are not subject to a work permit.
Visa LD2: Issued to foreigners working in Vietnam who require a work permit.
Conditions of granting working visa for foreigners in Vietnam
For a foreigner to be granted a working visa in Vietnam, the foreigner must meet the conditions specified in Article 10 of the Law on Entry, Exit, Transit, and Residence of Foreigners in Vietnam 2014, specifically must meet all of the following conditions:
Passport or valid international travel document
A passport is a document issued by a competent authority of a country to its citizens as a permit used to exit and enter the country, proving nationality and identity.
Documents valid for international travel are documents issued by a competent authority of a country to a stateless person residing in that country and approved by a competent authority of Vietnam. For example, a valid document for international travel for stateless people residing in Vietnam is an immigration permit issued by the Immigration Department.
Agencies, organizations, and individuals in Vietnam invite and sponsor work
Agencies, organizations, and individuals inviting and sponsoring foreigners to enter and work in Vietnam include:
Central agency of socio-political organizations, social organizations, Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry;
The enterprise is established under Vietnamese law;
Diplomatic representative agencies, consular offices, representative agencies of international organizations under the United Nations, intergovernmental organizations in Vietnam;
Other organizations with legal status according to Vietnamese law;
Vietnamese citizens permanently residing in the country, foreigners with permanent residence cards or temporary residence cards.
Inviting and sponsoring foreigners to enter and work in Vietnam must meet the order and procedures according to Vietnamese law.
Cases that have not been allowed to enter the country
Foreigners who do not fall into one of the following cases are not allowed to enter Vietnam:
Not eligible to enter Vietnam;
Forging documents, declaring falsely to obtain valid documents for entry, exit, or residence;
People with mental illness or infectious diseases that pose a danger to public health;
Be deported from Vietnam within 3 years from the effective date of the deportation decision;
Being forced to exit Vietnam within 6 months from the effective date of the decision to exit Vietnam;
For reasons of disease prevention and control;
Due to natural disasters;
For reasons of national defense, security, social order, and safety.
Documents proving the purpose of entry
Foreigners practicing law in Vietnam must have a practice license according to the provisions of the Law on Lawyers.
Foreigners working must have a work permit according to the provisions of the Labor Code.
According to regulations, working visa are only issued for labor purposes, so foreigners will not be allowed to apply for other purposes because they are not suitable for entering Vietnam.
Procedures for granting working visas to foreigners in Vietnam
To be granted a visa for foreigners to work in Vietnam, individuals and organizations must carry out the following procedures:
Step 1: Apply for a foreign work permit or Certification of exemption from work permit
In case foreigners working in Vietnam are required to have a work permit, they must carry out the procedure to apply for a work permit.
In case the foreign worker is not subject to a work permit, the procedure must be carried out to confirm by applying certification of exemption from work permit.
Step 2: Agencies, organizations, and individuals sponsoring foreigners send written notices and related documents to the immigration management agency.
Notification is only done once, when there is a change in content in the dossier, additional notification must be made.
Step 3: Agencies, organizations, and individuals sponsoring foreigners directly submit a visa application to the immigration management agency.
Submit your application to the Immigration Department.
Processing time: 05 working days from the date of receiving the visa application.
Step 4: Foreigners receive visa at Vietnamese competent agencies abroad
Location of procedures: Embassy, Consulate General, and Consulates or other agencies authorized to perform consular functions in the territory or country of Vietnam located in the territory of the foreigner’s birth living.
Dossiers for foreigners working in Vietnam
According to the Law on Entry, Exit, Transit, and Residence of Foreigners in Vietnam 2014, after obtaining a valid Work Permit, foreign workers need to prepare documents to apply for a work visa each year. The procedural steps are specified as follows:
Documents notifying agencies, organizations, and individuals sponsoring foreigners sent to the immigration management agency include:
Written notice of inviting and sponsoring foreigners to enter the country;
Certified copy of the license or decision of the competent authority on the establishment of the organization (Enterprise Registration Certificate, Investment Registration Certificate, business operation license in certain industries…) ;
Document introducing the seal and signature of an authorized person of the organization according to the form below:
The dossier to request a visa for foreign workers working in Vietnam includes:
Official dispatch requesting approval and inspection of foreign personnel entering the country – According to the form:
A certified copy of the work permit or confirmation of not being subject to a work permit issued by the Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs or the Department of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs;
Copy of the foreigner’s passport that is still valid according to regulations.
Documents for receiving visas at Vietnamese visa-issuing authorities abroad:
Original valid passport;
Application form for issuance of Vietnam visa to foreigners;
02 recent photos, size 4x6cm, white background, straight face, bare head, no colored glasses (01 photo glued to the declaration form, 01 photo left separately) ;
Certified copy of official dispatch responding to request for approval of foreign personnel entering the country; Official dispatch responding to request for inspection of foreign personnel entering the country; Official dispatch responding to the request for visa issuance at the international border gate of the Immigration Department;
Fees for foreigners working visa in Vietnam
Based on the fee and fee collection schedule issued with Circular 25/2021/TT-BTC, amended by Circular 62/2023/TT-BTC, visa issuance fees for foreigners working in Vietnam Nam is:
Single-entry visas: USD 25/visa
Multiple-entry visas
< 90 days of validity: USD 50/visa
90 to 180 days of validity: USD 95/visa
180 days to 1 year of validity: USD 135/visa
1 to 2 years of validity: USD 145/visa
2 to 5 years of validity: USD 155/visa
Individuals < 14 years old (regardless of validity period): USD 25/visa.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long is a work visa for foreigners?
According to the provisions of Article 9 of the Law on Entry, Exit, Transit, and Residence of Foreigners in Vietnam 2014, amended by Point c, Clause 4, Article 1 of the Law on Entry, Exit, Transit, and Residence of Foreigners Foreign workers in Vietnam revised 2019, visas issued to foreign workers are valid for 02 years.
Can a tourist visa or visiting relatives visa be converted to a work visa?
Other types of visa purposes can be converted to a work visa if they fall into one of the following cases:
He/she presents a document proving to be an investor or a representative for a foreign organization investing in Vietnam as per the law of Vietnam;
He/she presents a document proving his/her relationship with the person inviting or sponsoring in terms of parents, spouse, children;
He/she is invited or sponsored by agencies or organizations and presents a work permit or confirmation of eligibility for work permit exemption according to the labor law;
He/she makes entry by electronic visa and presents a work permit or confirmation of eligibility for work permit exemption according to the labor law.
In case of changing the visa purpose to work purpose, a new visa will be issued with symbols LD1, and LD2. The order and procedures for granting new visas comply with the provisions of Article 19 of the Law on Entry, Exit, Transit, and Residence of Foreigners in Vietnam 2014.
Above is the content of Viet An Law Firm’s answers to questions for individuals and organizations related to procedures for applying for working visa for foreigners in Vietnam. If you are interested in the service of applying for a work visa for foreigners, please contact Viet An Law Firm, with a team of experienced lawyers, we are committed to consulting and supporting you effectively with extremely reasonable service costs.
Working visa for foreigners in Vietnam service of Viet An Law
Advise on conditions and documents that need to be prepared to issue work permits to foreigners or request documents confirming that foreign workers are not subject to work permits;
Consulting on conditions for granting working visa to foreigners, offering options and solutions for you to meet the above conditions;
Prepare and advise on visa applications for foreigners working in Vietnam;
Carry out visa application procedures for foreign workers in Vietnam;
Consulting labor law in Vietnam for fereign traders.
Clients who need to apply for a working visa for foreigners, please contact Viet An Law Firm for the best support!
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