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Work Permits for Vietnam

Updated At: 11:06 AM, 02/21/2011

Work Permits for Vietnam: All visas, from tourist to business, need to be applied for before arriving in Vietnam. Some employers are able to arrange for your visa to be presented to you upon arrival at one of Vietnam’s international airports. Employers will usually sponsor your visa.

In order to obtain a visa you will need a valid passport, a passport sized photo, completed application forms from the Vietnamese embassy in your country, the visa application fee and an approval obtained through your Vietnamese sponsor. It is important to keep all paperwork and receipts when going through this process as they are sometimes asked for at the airport or by your employer once you arrive in Vietnam.

Applying for a work permit is essential when working in Vietnam. There is a one year grace period for foreigners working in Vietnam, so as long as you begin the process within your first year you are not likely to encounter any problems. Work permits need to be applied for at the Department of Labour, they are valid for the duration of your contract as long as it does not exceed 36 months.

Work Permits for Vietnam: The government stipulates that in order to be eligible for a work permit the applicant must fit the following requirements:

Over 18 years old
Physically fit for the work requirements
Must have highly technical skills or highly professional qualifications (including: engineers and persons of a standards similar to or higher than engineers; traditional trade artisans) and be very experienced and be senior professionally in the direction of production or business operation or in management work which Vietnamese employees are not yet able to perform.
Have no previous conviction or criminal record.
Foreign employees engaged in private medical or pharmaceutical practices or directly carrying out disease examination and treatment in Vietnam must satisfy all conditions stipulated by the Vietnamese laws in relation to private medical or pharmaceutical practice.

Furthermore, work permit applications should have duplicate copies of the following documents:

An application
A further application for working in Vietnam
A Criminal Clearance Certificate
CV or Resume
Medical Health Certificate
Certified copies of qualifications and degrees.
Three colour passport photos

It usually takes a month after application for the work permit to be delivered. Companies making use of employees without valid work permits are subject to hefty fines and so it is in everyone’s best interests to apply for a work permit sooner rather than later.