Recruiting & HR — agency and in-house payroll
In plain termsForeign recruiters and HR leaders earn in search firms and corporate people teams. A visa alone does not grant work (no).
What people actually do
Executive search, RPO desks placing teachers and FDI managers, and plant HR. ThonExpat maps labour doors — it does not publish vacancy lists.
Labour stack
Foreign workers generally need a permit (yes). Positions: manager, executive, expert, technician. Ordinary manager / expert limbs. Own a recruitment company → own a business.
Stay LĐ, TRC capped at 2 years. Risk:forced exit or deportation.
Tax
Resident worldwide (yes). Non-resident employment flat20%.
Dead ends
- Tourist stamp + paid placements.
- Treating a LinkedIn desk as lawful labour.
- Putting affiliate pitch inside earn facts.
Open the next door
- Foreign workers generally need a work permitBộ luật Lao động 45/2019/QH14 Điều 153 khoản 2yeschecked Aug 2026
- Positions for which foreigners may be hiredBLLĐ 45/2019 Điều 152 khoản 1; NĐ 219/2025/NĐ-CP Điều 3manager, executive, expert, technicianchecked Aug 2026
- Maximum work-permit termBLLĐ 45/2019 Điều 155; NĐ 219/2025/NĐ-CP Điều 2124 monthschecked Aug 2026
- Maximum term of a one-time renewalBLLĐ 45/2019 Điều 155; NĐ 219/2025/NĐ-CP Điều 2924 monthschecked Aug 2026
- Married to a Vietnamese citizen and living in Vietnam — permit exemptBLLĐ 45/2019 Điều 154 khoản 8 (via NĐ 219/2025 Điều 7 khoản 1)yeschecked Aug 2026
- Capital contribution threshold for owner/board exemptionNĐ 219/2025/NĐ-CP Điều 7 khoản 2–33,000,000,000 VNDchecked Aug 2026
- Under this many work days in a calendar year — permit exemptNĐ 219/2025/NĐ-CP Điều 7 khoản 13 điểm a90 dayschecked Aug 2026
- Under 3 months to sell services — permit exemptBLLĐ 45/2019 Điều 154 khoản 4yeschecked Aug 2026
- NĐ 219/2025 effective dateNĐ 219/2025/NĐ-CP Điều 35 khoản 12025-08-07checked Aug 2026
- Issuing authorityNĐ 219/2025/NĐ-CP Điều 4provincial People's Committee where the foreigner will workchecked Aug 2026
- Work permit may be renewed this many timesBLLĐ 45/2019 Điều 155; NĐ 219/2025 Điều 291checked Aug 2026
- One permit cycle ceiling before a fresh issue is requiredBLLĐ 45/2019 Điều 155 — 24 + one renewal 24, then new issue48 monthschecked Aug 2026
- Under 3 months for complex tech incident — permit exemptBLLĐ 45/2019 Điều 154 khoản 5 (via NĐ 219 Điều 7 khoản 1)yeschecked Aug 2026
- Licensed foreign lawyer in Vietnam — permit exemptBLLĐ 45/2019 Điều 154 khoản 6 (via NĐ 219 Điều 7 khoản 1)yeschecked Aug 2026
- Head of foreign NGO / international org project or rep office — permit exemptBLLĐ 45/2019 Điều 154 khoản 3 (via NĐ 219 Điều 7 khoản 1)yeschecked Aug 2026
- Cases under an international treaty Vietnam is party to — permit exemptBLLĐ 45/2019 Điều 154 khoản 7 (via NĐ 219 Điều 7 khoản 1)yeschecked Aug 2026
- Priority-field confirmation exemption (filed categories)NĐ 219/2025/NĐ-CP Điều 7 khoản 14–15finance; science & technology; innovation; national digital transformation — with ministry/provincial confirmationchecked Aug 2026
- Owner/board with capital below the exemption threshold still needs a permitNĐ 219/2025/NĐ-CP Điều 2 khoản 1 điểm lyeschecked Aug 2026
- Authority when work spans multiple provincesNĐ 219/2025/NĐ-CP Điều 4People's Committee where the employer's head office ischecked Aug 2026
- Filing channel for work-permit dossiersNĐ 219/2025/NĐ-CP Điều 6, Điều 22National Public Service Portal; Public Administration Service Centrechecked Aug 2026
- Criminal-record certificate is bundled in the same dossierNĐ 219/2025/NĐ-CP Điều 6yeschecked Aug 2026
- Earliest days before start date to file a new permitNĐ 219/2025/NĐ-CP Điều 2210 dayschecked Aug 2026
- Latest days before start date to file a new permitNĐ 219/2025/NĐ-CP Điều 2260 dayschecked Aug 2026
- Statutory processing days to issue a permitNĐ 219/2025/NĐ-CP Điều 22 (Mẫu số 04)10 working dayschecked Aug 2026
- Statutory days to refuse in writingNĐ 219/2025/NĐ-CP Điều 223 working dayschecked Aug 2026
- Earliest days before expiry to file renewalNĐ 219/2025/NĐ-CP Điều 2810 dayschecked Aug 2026
- Latest days before expiry to file renewalNĐ 219/2025/NĐ-CP Điều 2845 dayschecked Aug 2026
- Max age of health certificate for renewalNĐ 219/2025/NĐ-CP Điều 2712 monthschecked Aug 2026
- Passport must still be valid at renewalNĐ 219/2025/NĐ-CP Điều 27yeschecked Aug 2026
- Processing days to reissue a permitNĐ 219/2025/NĐ-CP Điều 23–263 working dayschecked Aug 2026
- Reissue does not reset the permit clockNĐ 219/2025/NĐ-CP Điều 26 — reissue term = prior term minus time already workedyeschecked Aug 2026
- Job title or work form change with same employer needs a new permitNĐ 219/2025/NĐ-CP Điều 20 khoản 2yeschecked Aug 2026
- Minimum notice days before multi-province workNĐ 219/2025/NĐ-CP Điều 22 khoản 53 dayschecked Aug 2026
- Permit dies when the employment contract ends — does not wait for printed expiryBLLĐ 45/2019 Điều 156 khoản 2 via NĐ 219/2025 Điều 30 khoản 1yeschecked Aug 2026
- Labour contract term cannot exceed the work-permit termBLLĐ 45/2019 Điều 151 khoản 2yeschecked Aug 2026
- Employer must justify labour need and get written approval before hiringBLLĐ 45/2019 Điều 152 khoản 2yeschecked Aug 2026
- Consequence of working without a permitBLLĐ 45/2019 Điều 153 khoản 2forced exit or deportationchecked Aug 2026
- Max term of exemption confirmation certificateNĐ 219/2025/NĐ-CP Điều 1024 monthschecked Aug 2026
- Max term of one renewal of exemption confirmationNĐ 219/2025/NĐ-CP Điều 1724 monthschecked Aug 2026
- Processing days to issue exemption confirmationNĐ 219/2025/NĐ-CP Điều 95 working dayschecked Aug 2026
- Days to refuse exemption confirmation in writingNĐ 219/2025/NĐ-CP Điều 93 working dayschecked Aug 2026
- Notify-only path: working days before startNĐ 219/2025/NĐ-CP Điều 9 khoản 43 working dayschecked Aug 2026
- A prior work permit or exemption confirmation can substitute experience proofNĐ 219/2025/NĐ-CP Điều 18–20yeschecked Aug 2026
- Revoked exemption confirmation must be reported to Immigration Department (Ministry of Public Security)NĐ 219/2025/NĐ-CP Điều 33 khoản 2yeschecked Aug 2026
- Numeric experience thresholds for the four positions are filed in facts.jsonNĐ 219/2025/NĐ-CP Điều 3 — filed 2026-08-09yeschecked Aug 2026
- Điều 7 khoản 4–12 exemption limbs are fully filed in facts.jsonNĐ 219/2025/NĐ-CP Điều 7 khoản 1–15 — filed 2026-08-09yeschecked Aug 2026
- Who counts as a manager for work-permit positionsNĐ 219/2025/NĐ-CP Điều 3 khoản 1enterprise manager under Enterprise Law Art 4(24), or head/deputy head of an agency/organisationchecked Aug 2026
- Head of a branch, representative office, or business location counts as executiveNĐ 219/2025/NĐ-CP Điều 3 khoản 2 điểm ayeschecked Aug 2026
- Min years experience for field-head executive limbNĐ 219/2025/NĐ-CP Điều 3 khoản 2 điểm b3 yearschecked Aug 2026
- Min years experience for expert with university degree (general)NĐ 219/2025/NĐ-CP Điều 3 khoản 3 điểm a2 yearschecked Aug 2026
- Min years experience for expert in priority fields with matching degreeNĐ 219/2025/NĐ-CP Điều 3 khoản 3 điểm b1 yearschecked Aug 2026
- Min years experience for technician with ≥1 year trainingNĐ 219/2025/NĐ-CP Điều 3 khoản 4 điểm a2 yearschecked Aug 2026
- Min training years for technician limb (a)NĐ 219/2025/NĐ-CP Điều 3 khoản 4 điểm a1 yearschecked Aug 2026
- Min years experience for technician limb without stated training requirementNĐ 219/2025/NĐ-CP Điều 3 khoản 4 điểm b3 yearschecked Aug 2026
- ODA advisory / project support under international agreement — permit exemptNĐ 219/2025/NĐ-CP Điều 7 khoản 4yeschecked Aug 2026
- Foreign journalist confirmed by Ministry of Foreign Affairs — permit exemptNĐ 219/2025/NĐ-CP Điều 7 khoản 5yeschecked Aug 2026
- Teaching/management at diplomatic/intergovernmental school or treaty body — permit exemptNĐ 219/2025/NĐ-CP Điều 7 khoản 6yeschecked Aug 2026
- Student / trainee internship (incl. VN seafarer training) — permit exemptNĐ 219/2025/NĐ-CP Điều 7 khoản 7yeschecked Aug 2026
- Family member of foreign mission staff allowed to work under treaty — permit exemptNĐ 219/2025/NĐ-CP Điều 7 khoản 8yeschecked Aug 2026
- Official-passport work for state / political / socio-political body — permit exemptNĐ 219/2025/NĐ-CP Điều 7 khoản 9yeschecked Aug 2026
- Person responsible for establishing a commercial presence — permit exemptNĐ 219/2025/NĐ-CP Điều 7 khoản 10yeschecked Aug 2026
- Unpaid volunteer under treaty with diplomatic/IO confirmation — permit exemptNĐ 219/2025/NĐ-CP Điều 7 khoản 11yeschecked Aug 2026
- Work under central/provincial international agreement — permit exemptNĐ 219/2025/NĐ-CP Điều 7 khoản 12yeschecked Aug 2026
- Intra-company transfer: prior continuous employment months requiredNĐ 219/2025/NĐ-CP Điều 7 khoản 13 điểm b12 monthschecked Aug 2026
- Ministry of Education & Training confirmation path — permit exemptNĐ 219/2025/NĐ-CP Điều 7 khoản 14yeschecked Aug 2026
- Days for employer to return an expired/invalid work permit to the issuerNĐ 219/2025/NĐ-CP Điều 31 khoản 115 dayschecked Aug 2026
- On administrative revoke, issuer notifies employer and Immigration DepartmentNĐ 219/2025/NĐ-CP Điều 31 khoản 2yeschecked Aug 2026
- Days for employer to return an expired exemption confirmationNĐ 219/2025/NĐ-CP Điều 33 khoản 115 dayschecked Aug 2026
- Labour Code defines a day-count for 'living in Vietnam' marriage exemptionBLLĐ 45/2019 Điều 154 khoản 8 — 'sinh sống trên lãnh thổ Việt Nam' with no day-count or registration threshold in the Labour Codenochecked Aug 2026
- Number of statutory work-form limbs for foreign workersNĐ 219/2025/NĐ-CP Điều 2 khoản 1 điểm a→m13checked Aug 2026
- Thirteen work forms (Điều 2.1 a–m)NĐ 219/2025/NĐ-CP Điều 2 khoản 1 (vbpl ItemID=180273)a employment contract; b intra-company transfer; c economic/social contracts; d contractual service supplier; đ service seller; e volunteer; g commercial-presence founder; h secondment (ex-ICT); i project/bid packages; k diplomatic-family treaty work; l board/owner capital under 3bn VND; m employment with foreign mission/org in VNchecked Aug 2026
- Board/owner under 3bn VND is a permit-required work formNĐ 219/2025/NĐ-CP Điều 2 khoản 1 điểm l — capital under 3 billion VND is a work form that requires a permityeschecked Aug 2026
- Forms a and m require a written employment contract before startNĐ 219/2025/NĐ-CP Điều 22 khoản 4 — forms a and m must sign written employment contract before planned startyeschecked Aug 2026
- A single national work-permit fee schedule is filedNĐ 219 has no fee amounts. Work-permit fees are set by provincial HĐND under TT 85/2019/TT-BTC (as amended by TT 106/2021) — not a single national schedulenochecked Aug 2026
- Work-permit fees are set at provincial council levelPractice under Luật Phí và lệ phí + TT 85/2019/TT-BTC provincial competence (illustrated by provincial NQ e.g. Đồng Nai 43/2025) — amounts vary by provinceyeschecked Aug 2026
- All thirteen Điều 2 work forms are filedNĐ 219/2025/NĐ-CP Điều 2 khoản 1 a–m filed 2026-08-09 (closes N10)yeschecked Aug 2026
Common questions
- Do foreign recruiters need a work permit?
- Usually yes when a Vietnam search firm or corporate HR employs you. Owning the agency is the enterprise door.
- Will ThonExpat place me?
- Earn pages are doors, not a job board. This site does not list vacancies.