Expats in Vietnam may enjoy a lot of incentives regarding tax, visa and administrative procedures. However, the foreign employees shall be also complied with the local laws and regulations to avoid and prevent the risks in advance.
REQUIRED DOCUMENTS FOR EXPATS IN VIETNAM
1 – VISA
Visa means a document issued by a competent authority of Vietnam to a foreigner to grant entry into Vietnam. A visa may be once or multiple times and its purpose must not be changed. Visa shall be issued and attached to passport, issued separately of issued via electronic transaction or according to lists issued by immigration authorities.
In Vietnam, there are many types of entry visas with different symbols and time limits, meanwhile the 05 most popular visa symbols and time limits are:
- Symbol ĐT: has time limits of visa from 12 months and does not exceed 10 years – Issued to foreign investors in Vietnam.
- Symbol LĐ: has time limits of visa not exceed 2 years – Issued to people who come to work.
- Symbol DN: has time limits of visa not exceed 12 months – Issued to people who come to work with companies in Vietnam.
- Symbol TT: has time limits of visa not exceed 12 months – Issued to foreigners that are parent, spouse, children under 18 years of age of the foreigners issued the above visas.
- Symbol DL: Issued to tourists.
The following situations exempt the foreigner from needing a visa:
- Vietnam allows Citizens of up to 24 countries to get Vietnam visa exemption in the conditional time, most of the countries are members of ASEAN.
- Vietnamese residing overseas and foreigners who are spouses and children of Vietnamese residing holding foreign passports with Vietnam visa exemption paper. Each entry is allowed to stay for 6 months. The visa exemption is valid for at most 5 years and 6-months prior to the valid duration of the passport.
Note: The expatriates need to pay attention to their living in Vietnam, they must be in line with entry purposes in the visa, avoid related risks that might happen. Depending on the purpose of entry and the applicant’s application, the validity of the visa might be different.
2 – WORK PERMIT (WP)
There are regulations on the issuance of work permits for expats in Vietnam and cases of expulsion of foreign workers who are working in Vietnam without the work permits.
Who can apply?
Employees who are foreign citizens moving to Vietnam for employment for the purpose of:
- Offering services.
- Providing services under contracts.
- Taking charge of establishing the commercial presence.
- Executing the labor contracts or Internal reassignments.
- Enforcing contracts or agreements on business, commerce.
- Working as managers, chief executive officers, experts, technicians
- Participating in the execution of bid contracts and projects in Vietnam.
- Working for foreign non-governmental organizations or international organizations in Vietnam.
What are conditions for issuing the work permit in vietnam?
- The employees are managers, chief executive officers, experts, or technicians.
- The employment of the foreign worker is approved in writing by a state competent authority.
- The worker’s health is fit for working and the worker is not a criminal or liable to criminal prosecution in accordance with the Vietnam law and the foreign country’s law.
3 – TEMPORARY RESIDENCE CARD (TRC)
A temporary residence card is a multiple visa valid from 2 to 5 years for expats who want to reside for a definite period of time in Vietnam. However, depending on each case the temporary residence card can be issued for a different period of time and also required different documents.
Temporary residence card is granted for:
- A foreigner who is a member of the board director of the stock corporation.
- A foreigner who is a member of the two members limited liability company or more.
- Relatives of the temporary residence cardholder include parents, spouses, and children.
- A foreign lawyer who is licensed to practice following Vietnam law by the Vietnam Ministry of Justice.
- A foreigner who is granted a working permit in all kinds of businesses or representative offices of foreign companies.
- A foreigner who is the owner of the one member limited liability company.
- Professionals, students, trainees who are in the national working or studying programs which are signed between the ministries was approved by the Government.
The validity of the temporary residence card:
- Expired temporary residence cards will be considered for the issuance of a new card.
- The duration of temporary residence cards is at least 01 month shorter than the duration of the passport.
- Temporary residence cards with the code LĐ, PV1 have a term of no more than 02 years.
- Temporary residence cards with the code NN1, NN2, TT have not more than 03 years.
- Temporary residence cards with the code NG3, LV1, LV2, ĐT, and DH have a term of no more than 10 years.
4 – PERMANENT RESIDENCE CARD (PRC)
A permanent residence card (PRC) is a paper granted by immigration authorities to foreigners who are allowed to permanently reside in Vietnam and have validity longer than a visa. Conditions and dossiers for the application of permanent residence cards for expats in Vietnam are flexible depend cases.
Conditions for permanent residence card application
- Foreigners who are legal residents.
- Foreigners who have stable incomes ensure their livings in Vietnam.
- Foreigners who are resided in Vietnam for 3 years or more.
- Foreigners who are sponsored by their parents, spouses or children who are Vietnamese citizens permanently residing in Vietnam.
5 – MANAGEMENT OF PAYROLL AND EMPLOYMENT RELATIONS
We manage the labor relations which are basically required by local laws and regulations:
- Relations between employees with company in signing and implementation of labor contracts.
- Relations between company with Insurances and Labor agencies in reporting and payments.
- Relations between company with Tax Department in reporting, payments and annual settlement.
Some typical procedures:
- Employee profile.
- Performance of labor contracts.
- Modification, supplementation and termination of labor contracts.
- Wages: minimum wage, formulation of wage scales, forms of wage payment, wage payment period, allowances, subsidies, wage raise and other incentives, bonuses…
- Payroll management and procedures.
- Working time and rest time.
- Labor discipline and material responsibilities.
- Compulsory social insurance – Trade unions – Personal income tax.
- Update and apply for new regulations from the authorities.
6 – OTHER SECRETARIAL SERVICES
Our secretarial services help you more convenience and efficiency in working and doing business in Vietnam
- Open bank accounts for: Payment, saving, direct or in-direct investment.
- Private banking services: Manage required papers and procedures for every transaction as per local laws. Overseas remittance and loans.
- Direct Investment in Vietnam.
- In-direct Investment in Vietnam.
- Buy, rent and purchase housing
- Manage contracts and representative for the deals. Legalized and notarized translations of overseas papers
- Exclusive counsel for the Chief of representative office and Legal representatives of a business entity.
ABOUT VIVA BUSINESS CONSULTING
VIVA is the local experts for local business compliance procedures, has been trusted by thousands of foreign investors, multinational companies from Europe, Japan, Singapore, India, Korea, USA… regard to market entry service, required business compliance procedures by local laws and regulations since 2006.
Thanks for consistent of practice expertise in Business laws - Employment relations – Tax and accounting – Corporate finance – Corporate services, VIVA has been successfully providing service for thousands of leading companies from Japan, US, EU, Singapore, India, China, Korea…. in such industries: Garment, ennergy, pharma, advertising, agricultural…
VIVA keeps its service signature by offering one-stop business platform with exclusive and tailored-made services related to market entry and mandatory business compliances. We ensure for our client’s good standing, in lawful and optimal manners whenever they are working and doing business in Vietnam.
VIVA not only manage business required procedures by laws but firstly places client’s compliance and good standing, in the optimal methods when offering any solution, and integrated with our intensive resources that allow us to prevent most of the risks in advance, create more benefits, advantages and business inspiration for entrepreneurs.
The insights and consistent backgrounds in Business Laws – Accounting and Corporate Finance – Tax Management – Labor Relations and Payroll – Serectarial and consistent with our exclusive standard operation processes, consisting of consultation – implementation – pratice operation help us fully protect client interests as one-stop solution.
- An email and a phone call from us
- A copy of our Confidentiality Commitment
- An appointment with our experts
- A suitable solution for your concern
“If you ask any successful businessperson, they will always have had a great mentor at some point along the road.”
Read more content of EXPATS in Vietnam
- Expats in Vietnam – what you need to know
- Foreigner working in Vietnam – Work permit – Regulation and guidance
- Foreigner working in Vietnam – Work permit – FAQS
- Foreigner working in Vietnam – Full compliance procedures for foreigners
- Foreigner working in Vietnam – Visa entry Vietnam – What you need to know
- Foreigner working in Vietnam – Compulsory insurance – What you need to know
- Foreigner working in Vietnam – Temporary residence card – What you need to know
- Foreigner working in Vietnam – Permanent residence card – What you need to know
- Foreigner working in Vietnam – Procedure for consular legalization foreign document.
- Foreigner working in Vietnam – Legal representative of enterprise – Roles and responsibility
- Foreigner working in Vietnam – Personal income tax – methods of declaration and payable amount
- Foreigner working in Vietnam – Acceptance of demand for foreign workers from local competent state agencies.
