A Vietnam Work Permit is a labor license that allows foreigners to work in Vietnam. Obtaining a Vietnam Work Permit is a complicated process involving various costs and paperwork. In this article, Thao & Co. will provide information on all the costs of obtaining a Vietnam Work Permit. We will also share valuable tips to help you save money, time, and effort.
The costs of obtaining a Vietnam Work Permit typically include fees such as consular legalization, health examination, notarized translation, and criminal record check issuance, among others.
Below, you will find specific information and important considerations for each type of cost.
Consular legalization refers to having Vietnamese competent authorities authenticate the legality of information on documents, such as stamps, signatures, job titles, etc., making them valid for use in Vietnam.
However, according to Article 9 of Decree No. 111/2011/ND-CP, certain papers and documents are exempt from the consular legalization procedure. To determine whether you need to undergo this procedure, look up the specific conditions relevant to your case.
Circular No. 157/2016/TT-BTC states that the consular legalization fee is 10 USD/stamp. If you choose to authorize a service agency to handle this procedure, the fee can range from 20 – 25 USD/stamp, depending on the length and complexity of the document.
Please note that before consular legalization in Vietnam, the documents must be authenticated by the consular authorities/organizations in the issuing country. The specific fee for this step may vary depending on the regulations of each country.
The health examination fee is a mandatory component of the costs of obtaining a Vietnam Work Permit.
Employees can undergo health examinations in Vietnam or their home country. The health certificate must be issued within 12 months.
In Vietnam, the cost of health examinations may vary depending on the specific hospital, ranging from 1,000,000 – 4,000,000 VND.
The criminal record check is a document that provides information about employees’ criminal history (if any).
Foreigners can request a document confirming their criminal record status in their home country or Vietnam. If applying in Vietnam, the condition is a residency period of over six months.
Currently, the fee for issuing a criminal record check in Vietnam is 200,000 VND/application/person.
After consular legalization, foreigners’ documents must be translated into Vietnamese and subsequently notarized.
The notarized translation fee can vary depending on several factors, including the document type, quantity, translation agency, and notary office.
When choosing the notarized translation service at Thao & Co., you will get a transparent estimate that takes into account factors such as document type, language pair, length, and urgency. You will also get a Certificate of Translation Accuracy issued by Thao & Co. free of charge. We also provide reasonable fees for notarization and consular legalization of the translated documents to save you time and effort.
According to Resolution No. 142/2022/NQ-HDND:
The issuing fee for a Work Permit is 400.000 VND in Ha Noi and 600.000 VND in Ho Chi Minh City. Other provinces will have their own fees for a maximum of 1.000.000 VND, further details can be seen in the table below.
The reissuing fee for a Work Permit in cases of tearing, damage, etc. will be regulated by individual provinces at a standard rate of 800.000 VND for in-person application and 640.000 VND for online application.
The renewal fee for a Work Permit in a province/city is usually the same as the issuing fee. Note that each work permit can only be renewed once and this should be done at least 5 days before the permit’s expiry date.
Without a legally obtained and valid Work Permit, expats and their respective employers are liable to penalties depending on severities.
Employers engaging in illegal employment of fewer than 10 expats will face a fine of 30 – 45.000.000 VND and 45 – 75.000.000 VND for more than 10.
Foreign employees will be subject to a fine from 15 to 25.000.000 VND in the absence of a lawful Work Permit. In light of this, it is important that you carefully research Work Permit regulations and obtain one in advance to avoid incurring costs.
Below is a detailed table listing the expenses for obtaining a Vietnam Work Permit in all provinces and cities in Vietnam. You can refer to this table to match the name of the province or city with the corresponding fee you must pay.
| No. | Provinces & cities | Rates (VND) |
| 1 | An Giang | 600,000 |
| 2 | Bà Rịa – Vũng Tàu | 600,000 |
| 3 | Bắc Giang | 600,000 |
| 4 | Bắc Kạn | 600,000 |
| 5 | Bạc Liêu | 400,000 |
| 6 | Bắc Ninh | 600,000 |
| 7 | Bến Tre | 600,000 |
| 8 | Bình Định | 400,000 |
| 9 | Bình Dương | 600,000 |
| 10 | Bình Phước | 600,000 |
| 11 | Bình Thuận | 600,000 |
| 12 | Cà Mau | 600,000 |
| 13 | Cần Thơ | 400,000 |
| 14 | Cao Bằng | 600,000 |
| 15 | Đà Nẵng | 600,000 |
| 16 | Đắk Lắk | 600,000 |
| 17 | Đắk Nông | 500,000 |
| 18 | Điện Biên | 500,000 |
| 19 | Đồng Nai | 600,000 |
| 20 | Đồng Tháp | 600,000 |
| 21 | Gia Lai | 400,000 |
| 22 | Hà Giang | 600,000 |
| 23 | Hà Nam | 600,000 |
| 24 | Hà Nội | 400,000 |
| 25 | Hà Tĩnh | 480,000 |
| 26 | Hải Dương | 600,000 |
| 27 | Hải Phòng | 600,000 |
| 28 | Hậu Giang | 600,000 |
| 29 | Hòa Bình | 600,000 |
| 30 | TP Hồ Chí Minh | 600,000 |
| 31 | Hưng Yên | 600,000 |
| 32 | Khánh Hòa | 600,000 |
| 33 | Kiên Giang | 600,000 |
| 34 | Kon Tum | 600,000 |
| 35 | Lai Châu | 400,000 |
| 36 | Lâm Đồng | 1,000,000 |
| 37 | Lạng Sơn | 600,000 |
| 38 | Lào Cai | 500,000 |
| 39 | Long An | 600,000 |
| 40 | Nam Định | 600,000 |
| 41 | Nghệ An | 600,000 |
| 42 | Ninh Bình | 600,000 |
| 43 | Ninh Thuận | 400,000 |
| 44 | Phú Thọ | 600,000 |
| 45 | Phú Yên | 600,000 |
| 46 | Quảng Bình | 600,000 |
| 47 | Quảng Nam | 600,000 |
| 48 | Quảng Ngãi | 600,000 |
| 49 | Quảng Ninh | 480,000 |
| 50 | Quảng Trị | 500,000 |
| 51 | Sóc Trăng | 600,000 |
| 52 | Sơn La | 600,000 |
| 53 | Tây Ninh | 600,000 |
| 54 | Thái Bình | 400,000 |
| 55 | Thái Nguyên | 600,000 |
| 56 | Thanh Hóa | 500,000 |
| 57 | Thừa Thiên Huế | 600,000 |
| 58 | Tiền Giang | 600,000 |
| 59 | Trà Vinh | 600,000 |
| 60 | Tuyên Quang | 600,000 |
| 61 | Vĩnh Long | 400,000 |
| 62 | Vĩnh Phúc | 600,000 |
| 63 | Yên Bái | 400,000 |
In addition to the notarized translation fee, there are other expenses to consider, such as photocopying, printing, and transportation fees for submitting documents, etc.
Specifically, you need to visit a notary public for document notarization, send the documents for translation, and make at least two visits to submit the Vietnam Work Permit application. If you do not want to go in person, you will need to budget for an additional fee for courier service.
Even if you have prepared all the necessary documents, unexpected complications can still occur. For example, obtaining a criminal record check is often challenging and may require redoing the paperwork multiple times.
Therefore, to ensure a smooth Vietnam Work Permit application process, it is essential to research the information thoroughly or engage the services of a reputable agency. By doing so, you can prevent the possibility of being “overcharged” multiple times and avoid wasting time and effort due to a lack of experience.
It is also important to remember not to prioritize cost-saving over quality. For example, it’s crucial to exercise caution when choosing a trustworthy notarized translation agency. A small typing error or inaccurate translation can result in the rejection of your documents. It would then require you to spend more time, effort, and money to travel and redo the paperwork.
If you are looking for a notarized translation service agency that offers reasonable prices and prioritizes quality, we encourage you to consider our services. At Thao & Co., our expert linguists are dedicated to delivering precise, professional, and swift translations. You can enjoy complete peace of mind, knowing that your translations will be precise, thereby averting potential complications in the future.
Find more information about our notarized and certified translation services.
The information above covers all you need to know about the costs of obtaining a Vietnam Work Permit and relevant considerations. We hope this information will be helpful for your Vietnam Work Permit application process.
