Procedure for Applying for a Visa for Foreigners to Work in Vietnam

1. Legal Basis

• Law No. 47/2014/QH2013 – Law on Entry, Exit, Transit, and Residence of Foreigners in Vietnam;

• Circular No. 04/2015/TT-BCA stipulating the forms for visa application for foreigners.

2. Legal Documents of the Enterprise or Organization(Apply to enterprises submitting documents for the first time at the Immigration Department; these documents are not required for subsequent submissions)

• Business license or operation permit of the enterprise or organization (business registration, investment certificate, branch or representative office operation permit, etc.). The enterprise or organization must submit this when applying for the first time at the Immigration Department.

• Certificate of seal registration or notification about posting the seal sample of the enterprise on the national business registration portal.

• Form NA16 - Registration of the seal and signature of the legal representative of the enterprise or organization operating in Vietnam.

3. Procedure for Applying for an Entry Permit and Visa

Step 1 – Prepare the DocumentsThe sponsor fills out the forms listed in item 1 above. The legal representative of the enterprise or organization must sign and affix the seal according to regulations.

Note:For a Vietnam visa of more than 3 months, a work permit or exemption certificate from the work permit for the foreigner is required.

Step 2 – Submit the Documents and Receive the Appointment LetterIf the enterprise or organization is located in the North, submit the documents to the Immigration Department in Hanoi. For the Central region, submit to the Immigration Department in Da Nang. For the South, submit to the Immigration Department in Ho Chi Minh City. If applying for a visa at the Vietnamese Embassy or Consulate abroad, the enterprise or organization must pay the fax fee at the counter.

Step 3 – Receive the ResultAfter 5 working days from the date of submission of the complete and valid documents, the Immigration Department will return the result to the enterprise or organization. The entry permit will specify the entry time and the location for the foreigner to receive the visa.

Step 4 – Notify the ForeignerOnce the entry permit is approved, the enterprise or organization must inform the foreigner that the entry permit procedure has been completed at the Immigration Department.

Step 5 – Receive the Visa and Pay the FeesAt the visa pickup location, the applicant must complete and submit Form NA1 with a 3x4 cm photo, original passport, a copy of the approved entry permit, and the visa application fee (the visa fee is publicly posted at the visa counter).

Note:Foreigners need to check the entry permit document to find out where to pick up the visa. Generally, foreigners receive the visa at the Vietnamese diplomatic missions abroad or at Vietnam's international border gates (e.g., Noi Bai, Tan Son Nhat, Da Nang airports, etc.).

If the visa is received at the Embassy or Consulate, the foreigner must personally submit their documents and usually wait no longer than 5 days to receive the visa.

If the visa is received at the airport or at a border gate, the foreigner will complete the visa procedure directly at the visa counter when entering Vietnam. The waiting time is typically around 20 minutes or longer, depending on the volume of customers at that time.