Work permit for foreigners employed in Vietnam

I. Introduction

One of the major issues for all foreigners setting up business in Vietnam have to face is the topic of Vietnamese work permit.

Frequent questions concerning this subject are for example, in which situations one has to obtain a work permit, what are the requirements for the issuance of a work permit, or even exempt from a work permit, as well as which consequences one will encounter in case of breach with the set procedures.

The latest changes in Vietnamese law regarding the employment of foreigners have been introduced by Decree 34 (referred to as "Decree 34") providing guidelines for implementation of Labour Code regarding foreign employees in Vietnam. Circular 08 dated 10 June 2008 was issued to guide the implementation of Decree 34 (referred to as "Circular 08").