Business Visas and Work Permits in Vietnam

Relevant visa types include: 

With LV1, LV2, LS, DT1, DT2, DT3, NN1, NN2, DH, PV1, LD1, LD2, and TT visas, foreigners can apply for a temporary residence card within 2 – 10 years depending on the visa type.

Procedures and requirements for work permits
In situations where local personnel are not yet ready to meet commercial requirements, a Vietnamese corporation may hire foreign individuals to serve as managers, executive directors, and experts. Additionally, Vietnamese representative offices have the ability to directly hire employees, unlike several other Asian nations.

Eligibility requirements for work permits
To be eligible for a work permit, the applicant must comply with the following conditions:

- At least 18 years of age and has full legal capacity;
- Qualifications, occupational skills, practical experience, and adequate health as prescribed by the Minister of Health;
- A manager, executive director, or expert with technical skills and knowledge necessary for the job;
- Not serving a sentence; does not have an unspent conviction; is not undergoing criminal prosecution under the home country laws or Vietnamese law; and,
- A visa that is granted by a competent authority of Vietnam unless otherwise prescribed by laws. 
- Further, foreigners are required to have a practice certificate with at least five years of work experience in the job that they will be hired for in Vietnam. Alternatively, experts need to have a relevant bachelor’s degree or higher relevant to their job position in Vietnam and a minimum of three years of work experience. In addition, the practice certificate must be confirmed by an overseas company or organization.

Depending on the job assignment (Manager/Executive/Expert/Technical worker), foreign workers need to have proven experiences, and provide different documents, while the employer needs to explain the recruitment needs to foreign workers before applying for a work permit. 

Temporary Residence Cards
Foreigners who hold work permits valid for one year or more, as well as the holder of work visas, members of management boards of directors, heads of company branches, and Chief Representatives of representative offices of foreign enterprises in Vietnam, can be granted a Temporary Residence Card (TRC).

A TRC is issued by the immigration agency under the Ministry of Public Security, and is valid from one to ten years, depending on the visa type. As per the Immigration Law, the duration of each investor visa type of TRC is based on the amount of contributed capital, as follows:

TRC – DT1 visas: up to 10 years;
TRC – NG3, LV1-2, LS, DT2 and DH visas: up to 5 years;
TRC – NN1-2, DT3, and TT visas: up to 3 years; and
TRC – LD1-2, and PV1 visas: up to 2 years.

Investors using a DT4 visa (with a capital investment of less than VND 3 billion, or USD 128,800) are not eligible for a TRC. Expired TRCs will be considered for granting new cards. The validity of TRC is shorter than the remaining validity of the passport by at least 30 days. Foreign employees with a TRC can enter and exit Vietnam without a visa within the valid terms of their TRC. The processing time typically takes five working days depending on the duration of the card.

Permanent Residence Cards
An expatriate who has a legal residence while earning a living in Vietnam may also apply for a Permanent Residence Card (PRC); however, they are subject to the following conditions: 

The expat works for the development of Vietnam and is awarded a medal or title by the government;
The expat resides temporarily in Vietnam for three or more consecutive years and is sponsored by his parent, spouse, or child who is a Vietnamese citizen and has a permanent residence in Vietnam; and
Foreign scientists or experts recommended by the head of a ministerial or government agency.  
The processing time typically takes five working days. A PRC holder can stay in Vietnam without a visa however, the card must be re-issued every 10 years.