Experience letters inadequate
Letters without dates or positions, or unrelated to the Vietnamese role.
The fix. Obtain detailed letters on company letterhead and apostille them; align the job title.
Vietnam LD work visa and work permit for Indian professionals
Indian engineers, teachers, managers and IT specialists hired in Vietnam need two things from the employer: a work permit from the provincial labour authority and an LD visa or temporary residence card from the Immigration Department. Decree 219/2025, in force since 7 August 2025, defines an expert as a degree holder with two years of relevant experience (one year in priority sectors) and a technical worker as someone with one year of training plus two years of experience, merges the old two-step approval into a single dossier decided in 10 working days, and issues permits for up to two years, extendable once. State fees are small: USD 25 for the visa (USD 50 multiple entry), VND 400,000 to 600,000 for the permit depending on the province and USD 145 for a one- to two-year residence card.
Vietnam Work visa (LD) and work permit: quick answers
Who qualifies for a Vietnam work permit? Managers, executives, experts and technical workers over 18 with a clean police record and a medical certificate, employed by a Vietnamese entity or transferred within a company. Experts need a bachelor's degree or higher plus two years of experience in the field of the Vietnamese job (one year in finance, science and technology, innovation and digital transformation); technical workers need one year of training plus two years' experience, or three years' experience in the field. Teachers need a degree plus a teaching qualification; English teachers need a degree in any field and a TEFL-type certificate.
What does it cost? The work permit state fee is set by each province, VND 600,000 in Ho Chi Minh City and VND 400,000 in Hanoi for a new permit (less for renewals); the LD visa is USD 25 single or USD 50 multiple entry; a temporary residence card costs USD 145 for one to two years. Employers also pay for the criminal record (Indian PCC apostilled, or a Vietnamese police certificate), the health check (about VND 1 to 2 million) and legalisation and translation of the degree and experience letters (about VND 2 to 4 million).
How long does it take from India? About 10 working days for the permit once the dossier is complete, plus two to four weeks to collect and legalise the degree, experience letters and police certificate in India. The LD visa then takes three working days as an e-Visa or five to seven days via an approval letter and the embassy. Plan six to eight weeks from signed offer to first working day.
At a glance
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Visa type | LD1 (permit-exempt) or LD2 (with work permit) visa, then a temporary residence card |
| Government fee | Visa USD 25 (USD 50 multiple); work permit VND 400,000 to 600,000; TRC USD 145 |
| Processing | Work permit 10 working days; e-Visa 3 working days |
| Expert rule | Degree + 2 years' experience (1 year in priority sectors) |
| Permit validity | Up to 2 years, extendable once for up to 2 years |
| Exemption | Under 90 days of work per calendar year, intra-company transfers in WTO service sectors, DT1 to DT3 investors |
| Dependants | Spouse and children on TT visas or cards tied to the permit |
| Verified | 29 Oct 2026 against Decree 219/2025 and evisa.gov.vn |
Work permit, exemption or investor visa: the three ways to work legally
| Route | Who | Requirements | Validity | Fees |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Work permit + LD2 visa | Employees and transferees | Expert, manager, executive or technical worker criteria; employer's labour-demand explanation in the dossier | Up to 2 years, one extension | VND 400,000 to 600,000 + USD 25/50 visa + USD 145 TRC |
| Work-permit exemption + LD1 visa | Under 90 days a year; intra-company transferees in 11 WTO service sectors; heads of representative offices; volunteers; lawyers | Exemption confirmation (10 working days) or notification 3 days before work | Up to 2 years | Free confirmation + visa fees |
| Investor DT visa | Capital contributors from VND 3 billion | Investment registration; DT1 (VND 100bn+) to DT4 (under 3bn) | 1 to 5 years by tier | USD 25 to 155 by validity; TRC USD 145 to 155 |
The permit dossier, filed by the employer with the provincial Department of Home Affairs (which absorbed the labour departments in 2025), contains the explanation of need for a foreign worker, the health certificate issued within 12 months, the police record from India (apostilled) or Vietnam, legalised and translated copies of the degree and experience letters, two photos and the passport. Decree 219 removed the separate advance approval, shortened the mandatory local job posting to five days on any suitable platform and set a 10-working-day decision; a new decree published for 5 December 2026 continues the regime with updated forms.
Indian applicants most often stumble on the experience letters: they must name the position and period, be signed by the previous employer and match the job title in Vietnam, and Indian degrees must be apostilled by the Ministry of External Affairs and translated by a Vietnamese notary. Salaries are not subject to a statutory minimum for permits, but immigration expects the contract to cover living costs, typically USD 1,500 and above.
Fees and who pays them
| Item | Fee | Paid by |
|---|---|---|
| Work permit, new (Ho Chi Minh City) | VND 600,000 | Employer |
| Work permit, new (Hanoi) | VND 400,000 | Employer |
| Work permit extension | VND 300,000 to 450,000 | Employer |
| LD visa, single or multiple entry | USD 25 / USD 50 | Employer |
| Temporary residence card, 1 to 2 years | USD 145 | Employer |
| Temporary residence card, 2 to 5 years (investors) | USD 155 | Investor |
| Health check, PCC apostille, legalised translations | About VND 5 to 8 million | Employer |
Vietnam has no skills levy or health surcharge; foreign employees on contracts of 12 months or more join social insurance (8 per cent employee, 17.5 per cent employer) and pay personal income tax at 5 to 35 per cent, with India treaty relief. Vistolane's partner in Ho Chi Minh City prepares the dossier and charges the USD 25 visa fee at the official rate.
How the application runs, step by step
- Collect and legalise documents in India. Degree and experience letters apostilled by the MEA; police clearance certificate (apostilled); medical can be done in Vietnam.
- Employer posts the job and files the dossier. 5-day posting on a recruitment platform (unless exempt); dossier with the need explanation to the provincial Department of Home Affairs; decision in 10 working days.
- Apply for the LD visa. e-Visa on evisa.gov.vn with the permit (3 working days), or approval letter and sticker at the embassy in New Delhi.
- Enter and register. Residence registration within 24 hours; sign the labour contract within the permit's terms.
- Temporary residence card. Employer applies to the Immigration Department; USD 145 for 1 to 2 years; dependants' TT cards follow.
Timeline for an Indian hire
| Stage | Typical time | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| Indian documents | 2 to 4 weeks | Apostille, PCC, translations |
| Job posting | 5 days | Any suitable platform |
| Work permit | 10 working days | Provincial Department of Home Affairs |
| LD visa | 3 working days (e-Visa) | Or 5 to 7 days via approval letter |
| Residence card | 5 working days | After arrival, through the employer |
Workers already in Vietnam on a tourist or DN visa can switch to LD without leaving once the permit is issued, which is common for Indians who come for an interview and are hired; the work must not start before the permit.
After arrival: changing jobs, renewals and family
The permit names the employer, position and work location; a new employer means a new permit, and a promotion into a different job title requires re-issuance. Extensions are filed between 5 and 45 days before expiry, once only, after which a fresh permit is issued. Revocation follows a terminated contract, so arrange the next permit before resigning.
Spouses and children under 18 receive TT visas and residence cards tied to the worker's card; a spouse who wants to work needs their own permit. After three years of temporary residence and a stable income, foreigners may apply for permanent residence in narrow categories; most Indian professionals renew residence cards instead.
Document checklist: applicant
| Document | Standard the officer applies |
|---|---|
| Passport valid 12 months | Scan of the data page |
| Degree certificate, apostilled and translated | MEA apostille; Vietnamese notarised translation |
| Experience letters, apostilled | Position, dates, employer's signature; matching the Vietnamese job |
| Police clearance certificate | Indian PCC apostilled, or Vietnamese certificate if resident 6 months |
| Health certificate | From an approved hospital in India or Vietnam, within 12 months |
| Photos, 4 by 6 cm | Two, white background |
Employer
| Document | Standard the officer applies |
|---|---|
| Explanation of need for a foreign worker | In the single dossier under Decree 219 |
| Job posting record | 5 days on a recruitment platform, unless exempt |
| Enterprise registration and labour contract draft | Position and salary |
| Exemption confirmation | If using the under-90-day or transferee exemption |
Why applications on this route get refused, and the fix
Degree not legalised
Photocopy without MEA apostille or Vietnamese translation.
The fix. Apostille and translate before filing; Vistolane's partner manages the notary.
Job posting skipped
No record of the 5-day posting for a non-exempt role.
The fix. Post and keep screenshots before submitting the dossier.
Started work before the permit
Fine of VND 15 to 25 million and possible deportation.
The fix. Attend only orientation until the permit is issued.
Health or police certificate expired
Certificates older than the 12-month or 6-month limits.
The fix. Time the certificates to the filing date.
Official sources
- Decree 219/2025/ND-CP on foreign workers in Vietnam (7 August 2025)
- Ministry of Home Affairs (labour): work permits for foreigners
- Vietnam Immigration Department: official e-Visa portal
- Vietnam Immigration Department: visas and temporary residence
- Circular 25/2021/TT-BTC: fees for visas and residence documents
Questions, answered
What are the requirements for a Vietnam work permit in 2026?
Under Decree 219/2025, experts need a degree plus two years of relevant experience (one year in priority sectors), technical workers one year of training plus two years' experience or three years' experience, plus a police record, a health certificate and an employer dossier decided in 10 working days.
How much does a Vietnam work visa cost for Indians?
USD 25 for a single-entry LD visa or USD 50 multiple entry, VND 400,000 to 600,000 for the work permit depending on the province and USD 145 for a one- to two-year temporary residence card; employers normally pay all of it.
How long is a Vietnam work permit valid?
Up to two years, extendable once for up to another two years; a new permit is issued after that. The residence card and family TT cards follow the permit's validity.
Can I work in Vietnam without a work permit?
Only in the exemption cases: under 90 days of work in a calendar year with a notification three days in advance, intra-company transfers in WTO service sectors, heads of representative offices and investors from VND 3 billion; an exemption confirmation or notification is still required.
Does Vistolane handle Vietnam work permits?
Yes. Vistolane arranges apostilles and translations in India, its partner prepares the employer's dossier and residence card application, and the USD 25 visa fee is charged at the official rate.