Advisory on Confirming
Not Subject
to a Work
Permit
Not every foreign worker needs a work permit. Vietnamese law provides for many exempt cases — but a written confirmation from the competent authority is still mandatory.
VLIC helps businesses and foreign workers complete the work-permit-exemption confirmation file — fast, compliant, and error-free.
| Category | Specific conditions | Important notes |
|---|---|---|
| Decree 152 · Art. 7.1 Owner / capital-contributing member |
An owner or capital-contributing member of an LLC, with a capital contribution valued at VND 3 billion or more. | Must have documents proving ownership of the corresponding capital portion per the enterprise registration. |
| Decree 152 · Art. 7.2 Head of a representative office / project |
The head of a representative office or project of an international organization or a foreign NGO in Vietnam. | Requires an appointment decision from the parent organization abroad, consular-legalized. |
| Decree 152 · Art. 7.3 Entering Vietnam for under 30 days |
A foreign worker entering Vietnam for short-term work, with a total time of no more than 30 days per visit and no more than 90 days per year. | Requires a contract or document proving the short-term nature of the work. |
| Decree 152 · Art. 7.4 International treaty |
A foreign worker working under international treaties to which Vietnam is a party that provide for a work-permit exemption. | Must have a document confirming that they fall within the scope of the relevant international treaty. |
| Decree 152 · Art. 7.5 Student interns |
Students studying abroad who have an internship agreement with an organization or business in Vietnam. | The internship period must be clearly stated in the invitation letter/internship contract. They may not be paid under a labour contract. |
| Decree 152 · Art. 7.6 Intra-corporate transfer |
A manager, chief executive, expert, or technical worker of a foreign business that has established a commercial presence in Vietnam, on an intra-corporate transfer within the business. | Applies only to the 8 service sectors in Vietnam's WTO commitment schedule. Maximum term of 3 years. |
| Decree 152 · Art. 7.7 Other cases as prescribed |
Other cases as prescribed by law or under the direction of the Prime Minister on receiving foreign labour. | Speak directly with a VLIC expert to determine the correct applicable legal basis. |
(by category)
commitment of responsibility
| Confirmation category | Service fee |
|---|---|
| Owner / capital-contributing member (≥ VND 3 billion) | VND 1,500,000 |
| Head of a representative office / NGO project | VND 1,500,000 |
| Short-term entry to Vietnam (≤ 30 days per visit) | VND 1,500,000 |
| Intra-corporate transfer (ICT) | VND 2,000,000 |
| Student interns | VND 1,500,000 |
| 3 or more people (price/person) | VND 1,200,000 |
| Item | Fee |
|---|---|
| Work-permit-exemption confirmation service fee | VND 1,500,000 |
| Notarized document translation (basic package) | VND 800,000 |
| Advisory + support with consular legalization | VND 1,200,000 |
| Urgent-processing fee (within 1–2 working days) | + VND 1,000,000 |
| Work-permit-exemption confirmation renewal (subsequent) | VND 1,200,000 |
Analysing the contract, the job role, and the legal-entity status to determine whether the foreign worker falls within a work-permit exemption — avoiding legal risk from the start.
Drafting the confirmation request in the prescribed form, drawing up a complete file checklist, and guiding the business to collect any missing documents.
Translating and notarizing all foreign-language documents into Vietnamese per the state authority's requirements — fast, accurate, and accepted.
Advising on and assisting with the consular legalization of documents issued by foreign authorities — a mandatory condition for the file to be accepted in Vietnam.
Filing the file at the DOLISA on the business's behalf, tracking progress, handling requests for supplementation, and receiving the confirmation — the business doesn't need to visit the state authority.
Archiving the file, reminding, and assisting with renewing the work-permit-exemption confirmation before expiry — ensuring the foreign worker always remains in a lawful status.
Yes — it's mandatory. Even when exempt from a work permit, the employer must still file a request to confirm that the worker is not subject to a work permit with the DOLISA or the Economic Zone Authority at least 3 working days before the worker starts work. Failure to do so may incur a fine of VND 1–3 million under Decree 12/2022.
The confirmation's validity matches the term of the labour contract or the document proving the exempt category, up to a maximum of 2 years. On expiry, or when there is a change of role, the business must carry out a renewal or new issuance procedure. VLIC tracks and reminds the business before the due date.
Usually yes — documents issued by foreign authorities (a passport is not needed, but a labour contract from the parent company, an appointment decision, a confirmation of position, etc.) must be consular-legalized and have a notarized translation. However, documents of citizens from countries that have signed the Hague Convention (Apostille) with Vietnam are exempt from consular legalization. VLIC advises specifically for each case.
Yes — a work permit must be obtained before the foreign worker starts work. Working without a work permit or without an exemption confirmation is a breach of the law, and the employer may be fined up to VND 75 million per person in violation. VLIC also provides the full work permit application service if needed.
Under clause 1, Article 7 of Decree 152/2020, an owner or capital-contributing member of an LLC is exempt from a work permit if the capital contribution is valued at VND 3 billion or more. For a joint-stock company, shareholders should check the further specific conditions. VLIC advises for free to determine your business's case accurately.
