ThonExpatVietnam
Start

The job ended. How long do I have to leave?

In plain termsThe permit dies with the contract. Printed expiry on the card is not a grace period. Leave planning starts the day the labour relationship ends.

Start here — three checks

  1. Permit is already dead. yes
  2. Employer return clock. Return the permit within 15 days.
  3. Sponsor notifies Immigration. yes

What ends, and what does not have a filed leftover day-count

LayerWhat the statute doesWhat people invent
Work permitDies when the contract ends.“I still have three months printed on the card.”
Employer dutyReturn the document to the issuer in 15 days.“HR can keep the card in a drawer until I find a new job.”
Sponsor / ImmigrationWritten notice when sponsorship ends, and coordinate an exit request (yes).“Nobody tells Immigration if I stay quiet.”
LĐ temporary residence cardLeftover-day count after permit death: no.Blog “15 days to leave” copied as if it were Immigration Law.
Common wrong movesQuit/dismissal is not a silent pause.
  • Working the notice period after the contract is already treated as ended on paper.
  • Assuming the TRC (temporary residence card) floats without a live sponsor.
  • Starting a new job on the old permit because the print date has not arrived.
If you already have a new offerThat is a different door.
  • Stop treating the old permit as transferable.
  • Open the sponsor-change playbook for a new employer sequence.
  • Do not work the gap between contracts on the dead permit.
Evidence and sources5 dated facts for After a Vietnam work-permit job ends — how long to leave

The readable briefing above uses these cells. Open a source only when you need to verify a number, date, or legal gate.

  • Permit dies when the employment contract ends — does not wait for printed expiry
    BLLĐ 45/2019 Điều 156 khoản 2 via NĐ 219/2025 Điều 30 khoản 1
    yeschecked Aug 2026
  • Days for employer to return an expired/invalid work permit to the issuer
    NĐ 219/2025/NĐ-CP Điều 31 khoản 1
    15 dayschecked Aug 2026
  • Sponsor must notify Immigration in writing when sponsorship is no longer needed
    Luật Nhập cảnh Điều 45 khoản 2 điểm e
    yeschecked Aug 2026
  • Sponsor must coordinate an exit request when sponsorship ends
    Luật Nhập cảnh Điều 45 khoản 2 điểm e
    yeschecked Aug 2026
  • Day-count for TRC cancel after work-permit revoke is filed
    Luật Nhập cảnh Đ45.2.e requires written notice + coordinate exit — no published day-count for how long an LĐ TRC lasts after permit death
    nochecked Aug 2026
Work permit hubHow permits live and die with the contract.Sponsor-change playbookOnly if a new employer is real — not a leave-clock substitute.Stay-compliance hubIf stay status has already broken.

Common questions

How long can I stay in Vietnam after I quit or am dismissed?

The work permit dies when the employment contract ends. It does not wait for the printed expiry. Immigration Law requires the sponsor to notify and coordinate an exit request. No statute cell here files a leftover-day count for the LĐ (labour) temporary residence card after that.

Does the employer do anything besides stop payroll?

Yes. The employer must return the expired or invalid work permit to the issuer within 15 days, and the sponsor must notify Immigration in writing when sponsorship is no longer needed.

Is this the same as changing to a new employer?

No. A new sponsor is a new permit path. This page is the leave-or-rebuild clock after the old contract is dead.