Decree 325/2025/ND-CP on labor, employment and social security in the International Financial Center in Vietnam

DECREE

On labor, employment and social security in the International Financial Center in Vietnam¹

Pursuant to Law No. 63/2025/QH15 on Organization of the Government;

Pursuant to Law No. 72/2025/QH15 on Organization of Local Administration;

Pursuant to Law No. 41/2024/QH15 on Social Insurance;

Pursuant to Law No. 25/2008/QH12 on Health Insurance, which is amended and supplemented by Law No. 32/2013/QH13, Law No. 46/2014/QH13, Law No. 97/2015/QH13, Law No. 35/2018/QH14, Law No. 68/2020/QH14, Law No. 30/2023/QH15, and Law No. 51/2024/QH15;

Pursuant to Labor Code No. 45/2019/QH14;

Pursuant to Law No. 38/2013/QH13 on Employment;

Pursuant to the National Assembly’s Resolution No. 222/2025/QH15 on the International Financial Center in Vietnam;

At the proposal of the Minister of Home Affairs;

The Government promulgates the Decree on labor, employment and social security in the International Financial Center in Vietnam.

Chapter I

GENERAL PROVISIONS

Article 1. Scope of regulation

This Decree details and guides the implementation of Clause 3, Article 20; Clause 1, Article 21; and Points a and b, Clause 4, Article 21, of the National Assembly’s Resolution No. 222/2025/QH15 of June 27, 2025, on the International Financial Center in Vietnam (below referred to as Resolution No. 222/2025/QH15), regarding labor, employment and social security in the International Financial Center in Vietnam (below referred to as the International Financial Center).

Article 2. Subjects of application

1. Vietnamese employees as defined in Clause 1, Article 2 of Labor Code No. 45/2019/QH14 and foreign employees as defined in Clause 3, Article 2 of Labor Code No. 45/2019/QH14, who work for the employers defined in Clause 2 of this Article.

2. Employers include Members of the International Financial Center, the Executive Body of the International Financial Center, the Supervisory Bodies of the International Financial Center, and the Dispute Resolution Bodies at the International Financial Center as defined in Clause 2, 5 and 6, Article 3, and at Point c, Clause 1, Article 9, of Resolution No. 222/2025/QH15.

3. Related agencies, organizations and individuals.

Chapter II

LABOR AND EMPLOYMENT

Article 3. Recruitment

1. Employers may proactively recruit Vietnamese employees under Clause 1, Article 11 of Labor Code No. 45/2019/QH14.

2. Employers may proactively recruit foreign employees based on work demand, without being subject to restrictions on the proportion of foreign employees.

3. Recruitment of Vietnamese employees and foreign employees specified in Clauses 1 and 2 of this Article must not affect national security.

Article 4. Competence for grant, re-grant, renewal and revocation of work permits and work permit exemption certificates

The Ho Chi Minh City-based Executive Body of the International Financial Center and the Da Nang city-based Executive Body of the International Financial Center (below referred to as the Executive Body in the cities) are competent to grant, re-grant, renew and revoke work permits and work permit exemption certificates for foreign employees working for the employers defined in Clause 2, Article 2 of this Decree in the cities.

Article 5. Foreigners exempt from work permits

1. Foreigners are exempt from work permits when falling into one of the following cases:

a/ Being the persons defined at Points a and b, Clause 1, Article 20 of Resolution No. 222/2025/QH15, except those being accompanying family members;

b/ Being the persons eligible for work permit exemption certificates as specified in Decree No. 219/2025/ND-CP;

c/ Satisfying professional criteria under regulations of the Executive Bodies in the cities.

2. Employers shall apply for grant, re-grant, renewal and revocation of work permit exemption certificates for the foreign employees defined in Clause 1 of this Article.

Article 6. Grant, re-grant, renewal and revocation of work permit exemption certificates

1. Grant, re-grant, renewal and revocation of work permit exemption certificates for the employees specified in Clause 1, Article 5 of this Decree must comply with Decree No. 219/2025/ND-CP.

The time limit for processing a dossier of application for grant or renewal of a work permit exemption certificate is 3 working days after receiving a complete dossier.

2. For foreign employees falling into the case specified at Point a, Clause 1, Article 5 of this Decree, employers are not required to carry out procedures for grant of work permit exemption certificates but shall submit a notice thereof to the Executive Body in the cities online via the National Public Service Portal or by public postal services or in person at least 3 working days before the date the foreign employees are scheduled to work in Vietnam.

A notice must contain the following basic information: full name, date of birth, nationality, passport number of the foreign employee, workplace and duration of employment. The duration of employment must not exceed the validity period of visa, temporary residence card or permanent residence card as specified at Points a and b, Clause 1, Article 20 of Resolution No. 222/2025/QH15.

Article 7. Validity period of work permit exemption certificates

The maximum validity period of a work permit exemption certificate is 10 years.

Article 8. Grant, re-grant, renewal and revocation of work permits

1. Employers shall apply for grant, re-grant, renewal and revocation of work permits for foreign employees, except those specified in Clause 1, Article 5 of this Decree.

For grant or renewal of work permits for foreign employees, employers are not required to either report and explain their demand for foreign workers or make an announcement of recruitment of Vietnamese workers for the positions scheduled to recruit foreign employees.

2. The grant, re-grant, renewal and revocation of work permits for foreign employees specified in Clause 1 of this Article must comply with Decree No. 219/2025/ND-CP.

The time limit for processing of a dossier of application for grant or extension of work permits is 3 working days after receiving a complete dossier.

Article 9. Validity period of work permits

The maximum validity period of a work permit is 10 years.

Chapter III

SOCIAL SECURITY

Article 10. Social insurance

1. The participation in social insurance and settlement of social insurance regimes for Vietnamese employees working in the International Financial Center must comply with the law on social insurance.

2. The participation in compulsory social insurance and settlement of compulsory social insurance regimes for foreign employees working for employers at the International Financial Center who are subject to compulsory social insurance under Clause 2, Article 2 of Law No. 41/2024/QH15 on Social Insurance must comply with the law on compulsory social insurance.

3. Foreigners working in the International Financial Center who are not subject to compulsory social insurance under Clause 2, Article 2 of Law No. 41/2024/QH15 on Social Insurance may participate in compulsory social insurance if they file an application therefor. The participation in compulsory social insurance and settlement of compulsory social insurance regimes must comply with the regulations applicable to foreign employees specified in Clause 2 of this Article.

4. In case a foreigner working in the International Financial Center applies to participate in social insurance under Clause 3 of this Article but neither has a labor contract nor receives salary, he/she may choose a salary level for use as a basis for compulsory social insurance premium payment, which must be between the reference level and a rate equal to 20 times the reference level at the time of premium payment as specified at Point d, Clause 1, Article 31 of Law No. 41/2024/QH15 on Social Insurance.

5. Foreigners working in the International Financial Center who participate in compulsory social insurance under Clause 3 of this Article may:

a/ Terminate the participation in compulsory social insurance after having paid premiums for full 12 months or longer, counted from the date of applying for participation in compulsory social insurance till the time of filing a request for termination of the participation in compulsory social insurance.

b/ Adjust the salary level used as a basis for compulsory social insurance premium payment after having paid premiums based on that salary level for at least 12 months, counted from the date of selection of the salary level till the time of request for adjustment of the salary level.

c/ Terminate the participation in compulsory social insurance to receive lump-sum social insurance payouts in the following cases: having paid compulsory social insurance premiums for full 12 months or longer, counted from the date of applying for participation in compulsory social insurance till the time of filing a request for termination of the participation in compulsory social insurance to receive lump-sum social insurance payout or no longer working in the International Financial Center.

6. The partial exemption from the obligation of compulsory social insurance premium payment in Vietnam for foreigners working in the International Financial Center who have paid social insurance premiums in a foreign country or territory must comply with treaties to which the Socialist Republic of Vietnam is a contracting party.

7. Social insurance agencies shall issue forms of application for participation in compulsory social insurance, request for termination of the participation in compulsory social insurance, or adjustment of the salary level used as a basis for compulsory social insurance premium payment for foreigners working in the International Financial Center specified in Clauses 3 and 5 of this Article.

Article 11. Unemployment insurance

1. The participation in unemployment insurance and settlement of unemployment insurance regimes for Vietnamese employees working in the International Financial Center must comply with the law on employment.

2. Foreigners working in the International Financial Center may participate in unemployment insurance if they file an application therefor. The participation in unemployment insurance and settlement of unemployment insurance regimes must comply with the regulations applicable to Vietnamese employees specified in Clause 1 of this Article.

Article 12. Health insurance

The participation in health insurance and settlement of health insurance regimes for Vietnamese and foreign employees working in the International Financial Center must comply with the law on health insurance.

Chapter IV

IMPLEMENTATION PROVISIONS

Article 13. Effect

1. This Decree takes effect on December 18, 2025.

2. In case the documents referred to in this Decree are amended, supplemented or replaced, the corresponding provisions of the amending, supplementing or replacing documents shall prevail.

Article 14. Transitional provisions

1. Work permit exemption certificates and work permits for foreign employees that were granted, re-granted or renewed before the effective date of this Decree may be continued to be used until they expire, and shall be granted, re-granted, renewed or revoked in accordance with this Decree.

2. In case employers have submitted dossiers of applying for grant, re-grant, renewal or revocation of work permits or work permit exemption certificates before the effective date of this Decree, such dossiers may continue to be considered and processed in accordance with Decree No. 219/2025/ND-CP.

Article 15. Implementation responsibility

1. Responsibilities of the Ministry of Home Affairs:

a/ To assume the prime responsibility for, and coordinate with the People’s Committees of Ho Chi Minh City and Da Nang city in, performing unified state management of recruitment and management of Vietnamese and foreign employees working in the International Financial Center;

b/ To assume the prime responsibility for, and coordinate with ministries, ministerial-level agencies, and the People’s Committees of Ho Chi Minh City and Da Nang city in, carrying out supervision, evaluation and annual and unscheduled specialized examinations of the implementation of the regulations on labor, employment and social security by the Executive Body in the cities;

c/ To summarize difficulties and obstacles arising in the course of implementation, and report and make recommendations to competent authorities.

2. Responsibilities of the People’s Committees of Ho Chi Minh City and Da Nang city:

a/ To manage Vietnamese and foreign employees working in the International Financial Center;

b/ To organize dissemination of and public communication about the laws on labor, employment and social security in the International Financial Center; to carry out inspection and examination and handle violations in accordance with law;

c/ To report on the implementation of regulations on labor, employment and social security in the International Financial Center to the Ministry of Home Affairs before December 15 every year or on an unscheduled basis.

3. Responsibilities of the Executive Body in the cities:

a/ To formulate professional standards applicable to foreign employees exempt from work permits as specified in Clause 3, Article 20 of Resolution No. 222/2025/QH15;

b/ To organize the implementation of the regulations on labor, employment and social security in the International Financial Center;

c/ To report on the implementation of regulations on labor, employment and social security in the International Financial Center to the People’s Committees of Ho Chi Minh City and Da Nang city before December 10 every year or on an unscheduled basis.

4. Responsibilities of employers:

a/ To implement the regulations on labor, employment and social security in accordance with this Decree;

b/ To recruit and employ Vietnamese and foreign employees, ensuring national security and social safety;

c/ To report on the implementation of regulations on labor, employment and social security to the Executive Bodies in the cities before December 5 every year or on an unscheduled basis.

5. Ministers, heads of ministerial-level agencies, heads of government-attached agencies, the Chairpersons of the People’s Committees of Ho Chi Minh City and Da Nang City, and related organizations and individuals shall implement this Decree.-

On behalf of the Government
Prime Minister
PHAM MINH CHINH