A Vietnam work visa for an Indian professional has 2 parts, both arranged by 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; legalising Indian documents is the real cost and the real delay.
The compact version with the price card and checklist is on the Vietnam work visa route page. This article explains the three ways to work legally, the criteria Decree 219 applies, how to legalise Indian degrees and experience letters, and why dossiers are returned.
Vietnam work permit, exemption or investor visa: which route applies?
| Route | Who | Requirements | Validity | Fees |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Work permit plus LD2 visa | Employees and transferees | Expert, manager, executive or technical worker criteria; employer's explanation of need in the dossier | Up to 2 years, one extension | VND 400,000 to 600,000 plus USD 25/50 visa plus USD 145 TRC |
| Work-permit exemption plus LD1 visa | Under 90 days a year; intra-company transferees in 11 WTO service sectors; heads of representative offices; volunteers; licensed lawyers | Exemption confirmation (10 working days) or notification 3 days before the work | Up to 2 years | Free confirmation plus visa fees |
| Investor DT visa | Capital contributors from VND 3 billion | Investment registration; DT1 (VND 100 billion and above) to DT4 (under VND 3 billion) | 1 to 5 years by tier | USD 25 to 155 by validity; TRC USD 145 to 155 |
Most Indian hires, from software engineers in Ho Chi Minh City and Da Nang to plant managers in Bac Ninh and Hai Phong and teachers in international schools, go through the work permit. Managers and executives are defined by the company charter; experts need a bachelor's degree plus two years' experience in the field of the Vietnamese job, reduced to 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, and English teachers a degree in any field plus a TEFL-type certificate.
What goes in the Decree 219 dossier?
The employer files one dossier with the provincial Department of Home Affairs, which absorbed the labour departments in 2025: the explanation of the need for a foreign worker (the old separate approval, now part of the file), the application form, a health certificate issued within 12 months by an approved hospital in India or Vietnam, a police record from India (apostilled) or a Vietnamese certificate for applicants resident six months, legalised and translated copies of the degree and experience letters, two 4 by 6 cm photos and the passport. Decree 219 cut 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, which must name the position and period, be signed by the previous employer on letterhead and match the job title in Vietnam; Indian degrees are apostilled by the Ministry of External Affairs and translated by a Vietnamese notary.
What does it cost, and who pays?
| 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. Salaries are not subject to a statutory minimum for permits, but immigration expects the contract to cover living costs, typically USD 1,500 a month and above. Vistolane's partner in Ho Chi Minh City prepares the dossier and charges the USD 25 visa fee at the official rate on the Vietnam destination page; employers see every file in Vistolane for business.
How does the application run?
- Collect and legalise documents in India: degree and experience letters apostilled by the MEA, a police clearance certificate (apostilled), and a health certificate from an approved hospital in India or Vietnam.
- The employer posts the job for five days on a recruitment platform (unless exempt) and files the single dossier with the explanation of need at the provincial Department of Home Affairs; decision in 10 working days.
- Apply for the LD visa: an e-Visa on evisa.gov.vn with the permit (three working days), or an approval letter and sticker at the embassy in New Delhi or the consulate in Mumbai.
- Enter and register residence within 24 hours; sign the labour contract within the permit's terms and start work only after the permit is issued.
- The employer applies to the Immigration Department for the temporary residence card (USD 145, one to two years, about five working days); dependants' TT cards follow.
How long does it take from India?
| Stage | Typical time |
|---|---|
| Indian documents (apostille, PCC, translations) | 2 to 4 weeks |
| Job posting | 5 days |
| Work permit | 10 working days |
| LD visa | 3 working days (e-Visa) or 5 to 7 days via approval letter |
| Residence card | About 5 working days after arrival |
Plan six to eight weeks from signed offer to first working day. Workers already in Vietnam on a tourist or DN visa, covered in the Vietnam business visa guide, can switch to LD without leaving once the permit is issued, but the work must not start before it.
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, as the Vietnam family visa guide explains, and 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. Professionals comparing Asian hubs can read the Thailand work visa guide, the Malaysia Employment Pass guide and the Singapore Employment Pass guide.
Why are Vietnam work permits refused or returned, and what fixes each reason?
Experience letters inadequate. Letters without dates or positions, or unrelated to the Vietnamese role. Obtain detailed letters on company letterhead and apostille them; align the job title.
Degree not legalised. A photocopy without the MEA apostille or a Vietnamese translation. Apostille and translate before filing; Vistolane's partner manages the notary.
Job posting skipped. No record of the five-day posting for a non-exempt role. Post and keep screenshots before submitting the dossier.
Started work before the permit. A fine of VND 15 to 25 million and possible deportation. Attend only orientation until the permit is issued.
Health or police certificate expired. Certificates older than the 12-month or 6-month limits. Time the certificates to the filing date.
How Vistolane handles it
Vistolane arranges apostilles and translations in India, its licence-checked partner prepares the employer's dossier and residence card application, and the USD 25 visa fee is charged at the official rate. Employers start from Vistolane for business; workers start with the free eligibility check or the Vietnam work visa route page.
