VietnamWork-permit evidence pack
In plain termsA Vietnam work-permit file under NĐ 219 (Decree 219/2025) is a coherence test. Identity, employer, role category, and proof of expert/manager/executive facts must agree. This pack is the checklist HR should close before the 10-to-60-day filing window.
Start here — three checks
- Lock the legal category before collecting paper. Expert evidence will not save a manager story, or the reverse.
- Build one identity string: name, passport number, birth date, across every translation
- Date the start of work. Filing too early or too late vs the statutory window is a self-inflicted refusal.
Decision map
| Signal | Lock now | If skipped |
|---|---|---|
| New hire, first Vietnam permit | Employer demand/approval steps plus the person’s degree and experience pack, aimed at one category. | HR submits a passport and a job ad. |
| Intra-company transfer exemption instead of a permit | Swap in the 12-month group-employment pack. Do not mix ICT letters into an expert permit form. | Two routes in one folder look like neither route. |
| Renewal, not first issue | Use the renewal window (10–45 days before expiry) and prove continuity of the same role. | A “new issue” pack is filed against an expiring permit and misses the window. |
| Criminal record and health certificate from mixed countries | Check issuance dates and legalisation against the current provincial list. | The role evidence is strong; the police certificate is stale. |
| Employer is a new FDI company | Include ERC, and IRC if the business line matters to the role, so the employer itself is real on paper. | The person is qualified; the sponsor file is hollow. |
Common wrong movesWhere people lose time on this exact question.
- Starting translations before the category is chosen.
- Letting the employee collect “some certificates” with no duty map.
- Filing on the last lawful day with three documents still in legalisation.
If this fails, do this nextRecovery order — not a generic legal memo.
- Index the pack: present, missing, inconsistent. Do not add more PDFs on top of a conflict.
- Fix identity and category first; then replace weak experience letters.
- If the window is already wrong, recompute start date or renewal date rather than forcing a doomed filing.
Evidence to prepareChecklist before you file or walk in.
- Passport bio page and current visa / entry evidence.
- Photos and application forms using the same identity string.
- Employer ERC (and IRC if relevant) plus labour-demand / approval papers.
- Draft labour contract or assignment letter matching the category.
- Degree / professional certificate, legalised as required.
- Experience letters with duties, dates, and letterhead — mapped to Vietnam duties.
- Health certificate and criminal-record documents within accepted validity.
- For ICT: 12-month group employment plus corporate-relationship proof.
- For owner/board: charter capital figure and role on the ERC, not a nickname.
- A discrepancy log: any name, date, or title that still disagrees, with the fix.
Common questions
What documents are needed for a Vietnam work permit?
Identity, employer legal status, category-specific proof (degree and experience for experts), health and police certificates, and a contract/assignment that matches. NĐ 219 sets the logic; provinces still publish form lists.
When must the employer file?
New issue: generally 10 to 60 days before planned start. Renewal: 10 to 45 days before expiry. Outside those windows the dossier can be refused even if the person is qualified.
Can one pack cover permit and exemption?
No. Pick a route. An exemption file (ICT, marriage, under-90-days, qualifying capital) uses different exhibits than a permit file.