The procedures for managing foreign workers in Vietnam are undergoing significant changes towards modernization and digitalization. Moving from a fragmented administrative model in which procedures were processed sequentially, Decree No. 219/2025/ND-CP establishes a new legal framework aimed at simplifying procedures for enterprises, particularly the procedure for obtaining a new Work Permit (WP).
1. Key Changes in the Work Permit Application Procedure
| Comparison criteria | Previously (Decree No. 152/2020/ND-CP) | Currently (Decree No. 219/2025/ND-CP) |
| Procedure for submitting the WP application and reporting the demand for foreign workers | Two separate steps: Step 1: Report the demand for foreign workers at least 15 days before the expected employment date; the approval period is 10 working days (Article 4). Step 2: Submit the WP application at least 15 days before the expected employment date; the processing period is 05 working days (Article 11). | One-step procedure: – The two procedures are integrated into a single application dossier using Form No. 03 (Clause 1, Article 18). – The application must be submitted within 60 days but no later than 10 days before the expected employment date (Clause 1, Article 22). – The processing period is 10 working days (Clause 3, Article 22). |
| Competent authority | Competence was divided between the Ministry of Labour – Invalids and Social Affairs and the provincial-level Department of Labour – Invalids and Social Affairs, depending on each case (Clauses 1 and 6, Article 30). | Provincial-level People’s Committees (PPCs): + Issue WPs within their respective localities. + May delegate authority to specialized agencies to perform the relevant functions (Article 4). |
| Method of application submission | No online submission mechanism. | Applications may be submitted online via the National Public Service Portal (Clause 3, Article 6). |
| Interconnection with the Judicial Record Certificate (JRC) | – No interconnection mechanism. – The applicant had to independently apply for the JRC with the co | An online interconnection mechanism is available: – The employer may submit the WP application together with the application for a JRC on behalf of the foreign worker under a power of attorney via the National Public Service Portal. – The electronic JRC is directly transmitted to the authority handling the WP application (Clause 3, Article 6). |
| Minimum years of experience require | More stringent requirements: – Expert: A university degree + at least 03 years of relevant work experience. – Technical worker: At least 01 year of training + at least 03 years of relevant experience; or at least 05 years of relevant experience. (Article 6 of Decree No. 152, as amended by Decree No. 70/2023/ND-CP). | Reduced minimum experience requirements: – Expert: A university degree + at least 02 years of relevant experience (the experience is not required to be in the same field as the degree). – Priority sectors (finance, digital transformation, high technology, etc.): at least 01 year of experience. – Technical worker: At least 01 year of training + at least 02 years of relevant experience; or at least 03 years of relevant experience. (Clauses 3 and 4, Article 3). |
| Working for the same employer in multiple provinces/cities | The employer had to make an electronic report within 03 working days from the commencement of work to the Ministry of Labour – Invalids and Social Affairs and the relevant provincial Departments of Labour – Invalids and Social Affairs where the worker worked (Article 6 of Decree No. 152, as amended by Decree No. 70/2023/ND-CP). | The employer only needs to notify the competent authority in the locality where the foreign worker is expected to work at least 03 days in advance (Clause 5, Article 22). |
| Recruitment notice for Vietnamese workers | The employer was required to publish a recruitment notice for Vietnamese workers on the Ministry’s (Department of Employment’s) information portal or at an employment service center for at least 15 days from the expected date of reporting the demand for foreign workers (Clause 2, Article 1 of Decree No. 70/2023/ND-CP). | The employer must publish a recruitment notice for Vietnamese workers for the position intended to be filled by a foreign worker at least 05 days before submitting the WP application (Section II of Form No. 03 issued together with Decree No. 219/2025/ND-CP). |
2. Key Changes in Detail
2.1. Major Change: The “Two-in-One” Integrated Procedure
Previously: Enterprises were required to complete two separate steps: (1) submit a report explaining the demand for foreign workers; and (2) after obtaining approval, submit the application for a WP.
Currently: The two procedures are integrated into a single application dossier under Form No. 03. The application must be submitted within 60 days and at least 10 days before the expected employment date. The processing period is 10 working days.
The integration of the two procedures helps shorten the overall process and eliminates the waiting period between the demand approval stage and the WP application stage. Enterprises can also reduce repetitive document preparation and have greater flexibility in planning the employment of foreign workers. However, the application dossier must be prepared comprehensively from the outset, as both matters are reviewed within the same procedure.
2.2. Digital Transformation and the Interconnected Judicial Record Mechanism
Previously: The procedure for obtaining a JRC and the WP application procedure were carried out separately. The JRC was one of the required documents in the WP application dossier. The applicant was required to obtain the JRC before completing the dossier for submission to the competent authority.
Currently: The employer may simultaneously submit the WP application and the JRC application on behalf of the foreign worker under a power of attorney via the National Public Service Portal. The electronic JRC is then transmitted directly to the authority handling the WP application for further processing.
2.3. Decentralization of Authority to Provincial-Level People’s Committees
Under Article 4 of Decree No. 219/2025/ND-CP, the authority to issue WPs is now assigned to the provincial-level People’s Committee of the locality where the foreign worker is expected to work. Where a foreign worker works for the same employer in multiple provinces or centrally governed cities, the competent authority is the provincial-level People’s Committee of the locality where the employer’s head office is located. Provincial-level People’s Committees may also delegate authority to competent agencies to perform the relevant functions.
This change enables enterprises to more clearly identify the competent authority responsible for receiving and processing WP applications. At the same time, concentrating authority at the provincial level helps make the procedure more transparent and reduces uncertainty in determining the competent authority in different cases.
3. Assessment of Effectiveness
The integration of the procedures into a “two-in-one” process, the online interconnection of judicial records, and the comprehensive decentralization of authority to local authorities help eliminate unnecessary intermediate administrative procedures.
Under the new framework, enterprises can significantly reduce waiting time, simplify the preparation of application dossiers, and enjoy greater flexibility when assigning foreign workers to work across multiple provinces and centrally governed cities.
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