Decree No. 219/2025/ND-CP on foreign workers in Vietnam

Decree No. 219/2025/ND-CP providing for foreign workers in Vietnam was promulgated by the Government and takes effect on August 7, 2025.

Decree No. 219/2025/ND-CP prescribes foreign workers working in Vietnam in accordance with the provisions of the following Articles and Clauses of the Labor Code:

Conditions, order, and procedures for the issuance, re-issuance, extension, and revocation of work permits; certification of foreign workers not subject to the requirement for a work permit under Article 157 of the Labor Code; and foreign workers working in Vietnam who are not subject to the requirement for a work permit under Clauses 1, 2, and 9, Article 154 of the Labor Code.

Subjects of application include:

(1) Foreign workers working in Vietnam who are foreign nationals employed in job positions stipulated in Article 3 of this Decree, in the following forms:

• Performing labor contracts;

• Intra-corporate transferees;

• Performing contracts or agreements on technical or financial matters;

• Service providers under contracts;

• Offering services;

• Volunteers;

• Persons responsible for establishing a commercial presence;

• Persons transferred from an agency, organization, or enterprise overseas to work in Vietnam, except intra-corporate transferees;

• Participating in the execution of bidding packages or projects in Vietnam;

• Dependents of members of foreign diplomatic missions in Vietnam who are permitted to work in Vietnam in accordance with international treaties to which the Socialist Republic of Vietnam is a party;

• Chairpersons or members of the Board of Directors of joint-stock companies; owners or members of limited liability companies with contributed capital of less than VND 3 billion;

• Performing labor contracts with foreign diplomatic missions or foreign organizations in Vietnam.

(2) Employers of foreign workers, including enterprises, agencies, organizations, contractors, foreign diplomatic missions in Vietnam, and individuals permitted to conduct business activities in accordance with law.

Job positions of foreign workers in Vietnam include:

• Managers being managers of enterprises;

• Executive directors;

• Experts falling under one of the prescribed cases;

• Technical workers.