Three Things
If your business is employing foreign workers in Vietnam, there are three important points we could draw from Decree 219//2025/ND-CP (Decree 219) dated August 7th, 2025 on employing foreign workers in Vietnam:
- One integrated procedure, clearer deadlines
- More flexible for short term work and priority sectors
- Higher expectations on who really counts as an expert
Why This New Decree, and Why Now
For years, investors and business groups have said the same thing about Vietnam’s work permit rule which are too many steps, too much paper, not friendly enough to high skill and fast moving industries. The previous regulations on foreign workers were written in an earlier stage of Vietnam’s development. They worked, but not any more.
Decree 219 employing foreign workers in Vietnam arrives in a new context. Vietnam is trying to move up the value chain, attract foreign experts in emerging industries like semiconductors, artificial intelligence and digital transformation, and at the same time cut red tape and modernise its administration.
This Decree 219 aims to support:
- visa and foreign labour reforms that aim to boost competitiveness and address skilled labour shortages
- wider administrative reforms and online public services that support a digital economy and more efficient state management
In that bigger picture, Decree 219 is one more building block in Vietnam’s long term strategy in digital transformation. For companies employing foreign workers in Vietnam, it is meant to make the system faster, more flexible and more predictable, especially for genuine experts and short term project work.
What Changed at a Glance
One integrated procedure
The explanation of why you need foreign staff and the work permit application are now handled in a single dossier, instead of two separate procedures under the previous regulations.
In practice, this cuts duplication and makes it easier to coordinate timing when you are employing foreign workers in Vietnam.
Shorter and clearer timeline
Once the dossier is complete, the authority has ten working days to decide and must give reasons if it refuses.
That gives HR and line managers a much firmer basis for planning onboarding and project schedules.
Exemptions that match real business models
Exemption categories increase and now clearly cover some foreign workers in finance, science, technology, innovation, digital transformation and other priority sectors, when confirmed by the right authorities.
Managers, executives, experts and technicians working under ninety days per year in Vietnam can be exempt in defined situations, instead of following the old per-visit limit.
This gives consulting, commissioning and troubleshooting teams a framework that finally looks closer to how they actually operate.
Softer but sharper rules for experts and technicians
In many cases, required experience is reduced, especially in priority sectors, but Decree 219 employing foreign workers in Vietnam explains more clearly what documents and evidence authorities expect.
That combination opens the door for younger high-skill talent, while making it harder to rely on inflated job titles without substance.
More digital, less queuing
Decree 219 employing foreign workers in Vietnam is launched together with plans for integrated databases and online platforms for labour administration.
Over time, this should mean fewer trips to counters and more use of online tools for employers employing foreign workers in Vietnam.
Vietnam’s Bigger Shift
If we look into big picture, Vietnam is doing three things at the same time:
- competing harder for foreign direct investment and global supply chains, not only in traditional manufacturing but in higher-value activities
- pushing administrative reform, merging overlapping procedures and trying to create a more efficient state apparatus
- driving national digital transformation, including digital identity, online public services and integrated data systems
Decree 219 employing foreign workers in Vietnam is part of a wider reform path and sends three clear signals:
- Vietnam still controls foreign labour and expects serious compliance
- Vietnam welcomes the right kind of foreign talent, especially in priority sectors
- Vietnam wants procedures that support a modern, digital economy
For businesses employing foreign workers in Vietnam, this means the legal framework is gradually becoming more aligned with the way international companies actually operate.
Faster and Simpler
How does this change day to day work for HR and legal teams?
First, the approval of foreign labour needs and the work permit itself are now combined. Under the previous regulations, you had to prepare one set of documents to prove the need, wait, and only then submit a separate work permit file. Now you present a single, integrated story, i.e. who this person is, why the role must be foreign, and how they fit the legal category.
Second, there is one main decision window. Once the dossier is complete, the authority has ten working days to respond, and if it refuses, it must explain why. This is very different from the earlier practice where businesses often felt in the dark about timing and reasons for delays.
Third, the move toward online systems and integrated databases means less scattered paperwork. Plans for a national job exchange and unified work permit databases fit into the same logic i.e. connect immigration data, labour data and administrative records in a more coherent way.
If you improve front end preparation, the law now gives you a realistic chance of a smoother, quicker process for employing foreign workers in Vietnam. The main bottleneck becomes the quality of your own dossier, not just the speed of the authorities.
More Flexible
Short term projects are the most obvious winner. The new rule for managers, executives, experts and technicians working under ninety days per year in Vietnam creates a practical exemption route. Instead of constantly calculating per-visit limits, you can manage one annual day-counter per worker, within the legal conditions. This aligns much better with how consulting firms, engineering teams and regional specialists actually work.
Priority sectors are another area of flexibility. Decree 219 employing foreign workers in Vietnam explicitly refers to foreign workers invited or confirmed to work in finance, science and technology, innovation, digital transformation and similar areas. Together with new visa policies, this shows that Vietnam wants to become a hub for higher-value activities and advanced services, not only low cost manufacturing.
There is also more clarity for multi province work. Many companies employ one foreign expert who supports several factories or branches. Under Decree 219 employing foreign workers in Vietnam, this pattern is recognised, with one permit and a notification mechanism, instead of forcing you to duplicate effort.
If you design roles with these tools in mind, employing foreign workers in Vietnam can better reflect your actual operations, especially for project based work and cross province support.
More Disciplined
What is expected from employers in return?
The trade off for more flexibility is stronger discipline. The law is more generous to genuine experts but more precise about what evidence is required. Job titles alone are not enough. Authorities now have clearer criteria to check degrees, experience and job content against the legal definitions of manager, executive, expert or technician.
This means that creative use of titles to justify foreign hires is more likely to be challenged. For employers employing foreign workers in Vietnam, it pushes you to align HR reality with legal categories. If someone is truly an expert, it should show in their education, their experience and their responsibilities.
Sanctions also become more focused. The system is designed to target serious misconduct and repeated non compliance, while supporting compliant businesses with clearer, faster procedures.
Decree 219 supports employers who can prove their case and organise their documents. It makes things easier for real experts and harder for weak or improvised arrangements.
Step by Step on What Employers Should Do Now
Step 1: Check your foreign workforce
List every foreign worker with entity, province, role, legal category, permit or exemption, expiry date and estimated days in Vietnam this year. This gives you a clear picture of how you are employing foreign workers in Vietnam right now.
Step 2: Re-check exemptions
For each person, consider whether they could now fall under an exemption, especially:
- genuine short term work under ninety days a year
- priority sectors with proper invitations or confirmations
Where there is a good fit, redesign the structure and documentation carefully. Do not rely on assumptions; keep written justification and internal approvals for every exemption.
Step 3: Update job design and evidence
Update job descriptions and reporting lines so they match the legal categories you use. Create standard evidence packs with degrees, experience letters and other documents for each type of role. This is your main shield if an application is questioned by the authorities.
Step 4: Build a simple internal approval flow
Before any offer to a foreign candidate:
- the business unit explains why a local hire is not suitable
- HR and legal decide between exemption and work permit
- the legal category and document list are agreed
This keeps your dossiers consistent and makes the ten day timeline achievable when employing foreign workers in Vietnam.
FAQ: Decree 219 and Employing Foreign Workers in Vietnam
Do old work permits stay valid?
Yes. Permits and exemption letters issued under previous regulations remain valid until they expire. When you renew, Decree 219 applies, so that is the moment to review and correct weak structures and documentation.
Is the ten day deadline guaranteed?
It applies once the dossier is complete and consistent. If information is missing or confusing, authorities will request additions or refuse. The law gives a better framework, but your internal preparation decides how close you get to that timeline.
Does every short visit avoid work permits now?
No. The ninety day rule applies only to certain types of foreign workers and still requires proper notifications and documentation. You need a reliable way to count days, or you risk crossing the threshold without noticing.
Is it easier to upgrade staff into experts?
It is easier to qualify real experts, including younger ones in key sectors. It is not easier to disguise non-experts as experts. Documentation and consistency matter more than before.
The Right Way Forward for Employers
For companies employing foreign workers in Vietnam, the direction is straightforward:
- align your headcount planning with Vietnam’s shift toward higher value and priority sectors
- design foreign roles that genuinely require international expertise and support that with clear evidence
- use the new exemptions and timelines only when your documents and internal systems can stand up to scrutiny
- modernise your internal procedures so they fit a more digital and integrated public administration
Decree 219 becomes a practical tool that supports your growth, strengthens compliance and helps you attract the foreign talent that Vietnam is actively trying to bring in.
About ANT Lawyers, a Law Firm in Vietnam
We help clients overcome cultural barriers and achieve their strategic and financial outcomes, while ensuring the best interest rate protection, risk mitigation and regulatory compliance. ANT lawyers has lawyers in Ho Chi Minh city, Hanoi, and Danang, and will help customers in doing business in Vietnam.
Source: https://antlawyers.vn/update/219-employing-foreign-workers-in-vietnam.html
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