VietnamThe chief can skip the permit. The rest of the office cannot.
In plain termsA representative office (RO) is a foreign company’s presence that does not itself trade. The labour skip on file is for the head of that office, or of a foreign NGO / international-org project — not for every foreigner who sits at the same desk.
Start here — three checks
- Chief limb exists? yes
- Default for other foreigners. yes
- If they work without a permit anyway. forced exit or deportation
Title on the appointment vs title on a name card
| Role | Labour read | If you stretch it |
|---|---|---|
| Appointed chief of the RO or listed NGO / IO project | Permit-exempt on that head limb. | You skip proving you are actually the appointed head. |
| Deputy, specialist, or “acting chief” on email | Default: permit required. | You photocopy the chief’s exemption letter onto three other passports. |
| Founder still setting up a trading company | Different exemption — commercial-presence founder, not this RO chief limb. | You file an RO-head skip for a company that will sell goods. |
| Office already in dissolution | Closure sequence is another page. The labour skip does not replace it. | You keep staff working “until the seal is cut.” |
Common wrong movesDissolution is not this labour skip.
- Calling every foreigner in the RO “head of office.”
- Using the chief exemption to cover a secondment that is actually employment.
- Skipping the permit because the RO “does not invoice.”
If you are not the appointed chiefOpen the permit stack. Do not borrow the title.
- File the work form that matches the real duties.
- If the office is closing, use the dissolution page for the entity — not as a labour waiver.
Evidence and sources3 dated facts for Representative-office or NGO project head can be work-permit exempt
The readable briefing above uses these cells. Open a source only when you need to verify a number, date, or legal gate.
- 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
- Foreign workers generally need a work permitBộ luật Lao động 45/2019/QH14 Điều 153 khoản 2yeschecked Aug 2026
- Consequence of working without a permitBLLĐ 45/2019 Điều 153 khoản 2forced exit or deportationchecked Aug 2026
Common questions
I am chief of the representative office. Do I still need a work permit?
The head of a foreign NGO / international-org project or representative office can be permit-exempt. That limb is the chief, not every badge in the office.
Our office has three foreign specialists. Are they exempt too?
No. Foreign workers generally need a permit. Copying the chief’s exemption onto specialists is not the cell on file.
We are closing the representative office. Is this the same process?
No. Dissolution and activity limits live on the representative-office closure page. This page is only the labour skip for the chief.