Decree 219/2025/NĐ-CP, effective from August 7, 2025, brings 4 breakthrough changes: reducing permit processing time to 10 working days, simplifying documentation to a single integrated document, expanding to 15 cases exempt from work permits, and transferring complete authority to provincial People’s Committees instead of distributing among multiple agencies.

According to the new Decree 219/2025/NĐ-CP, it comprises 5 chapters and 36 articles, reflecting the national strategy to attract high-quality human resources in the context of global competition for talent.

Vietnam is positioning itself as an attractive destination for international experts, especially in the fields of technology, innovation, and digital transformation.

Understanding procedures for reissuing temporary residence cards for foreigners when lost or expired is equally important, creating a comprehensive legal ecosystem for managing foreign residence and labor.

Nội dung:

How simplified are work permit procedures under Decree 219/2025/NĐ-CP compared to before?

Procedures are significantly simplified through the integration of labor demand justification reports into the permit process, with documentation reduced to a single form (Form No. 03), and fixed processing time of 10 working days with a commitment to respond within 3 days if rejected.

Reform of work permit application documents

According to Article 18 of Decree 219/2025/NĐ-CP, complete documentation includes 7 components:

Integrated document: Report explaining the need for foreign labor and application for work permit according to Form No. 03 Appendix
Health certificate: Issued by qualified medical examination and treatment facilities (except when connected through the system)
- Special note: Foreign health certificates can only be used when Vietnam and that country have mutual recognition treaties/agreements
- Validity: Not exceeding 12 months from the date of issuance
Passport: Still valid for use
Criminal record certificate: Or document confirming not currently serving a sentence, issued no more than 6 months from issuance date to application submission date (except in cases of system integration)
02 color photos: Size 4cm x 6cm, white background, looking straight ahead, bareheaded, without glasses
Documents proving work form: Depending on each type of employment Important note: Chairman of the Board of Directors, Board members of joint-stock companies, or owners and members of limited liability companies with capital contribution value UNDER 3 billion VND must have documents proving they are managers according to regulations.
Documents proving: Being a manager, executive director, expert, or technical worker according to regulations

Compared to old regulations: Previously, labor demand justification reports and permit applications had to be done separately, creating waste of time and resources.

Optimized processing time

Criteria	Decree 152/2020	Decree 219/2025	Improvement
Application submission time	At least 15 days in advance	Not specifically regulated	Increased flexibility
Permit processing time	5 working days	10 working days	More realistic, avoiding delays
Response if rejected	Not clearly specified	3 working days	Transparent and accountable

Reason for increased processing time: The increase from 5 to 10 days is not a step backward but a realistic adjustment. In practice, implementing Decree 152/2020, processing within 5 days was often not feasible due to the need for coordination among multiple units.

Digital transformation and process integration

Major breakthrough: Simultaneous integration process for issuing work permits and criminal record certificates on the National Public Service Portal.

Specific benefits:

Online submission for both procedures simultaneously
Receiving electronic results at the same time
Significant time and cost savings

Which cases are exempt from work permits under new regulations?

Decree 219/2025/NĐ-CP expands to 15 cases exempt from work permits, including priority fields such as finance, science and technology, innovation, national digital transformation, owners/members with capital contribution of 3 billion VND or more, and people working less than 90 days/year.

Newly added priority fields

New fields exempt from work permits:

Finance: Fintech experts, banking professionals, investment managers
Science and technology: Researchers, software engineers, data experts
Innovation: Startup founders, innovation consultants
National digital transformation: Digital transformation experts, IT architects
Application conditions: Confirmed by ministries, ministry-level agencies, or provincial People’s Committees.

Understanding new regulations on foreign language teaching from September 25: Minimum standards that teachers must meet shows that improving the quality of educational human resources is also receiving special attention.

Expansion of exempt subjects according to economic logic

15 cases not requiring work permits under Decree 219/2025/NĐ-CP:

Group 1 – By economic contribution value:

1. Cases specified in clauses 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 of Article 154 of the Labor Code
2. Owners or members with capital contribution value of 3 billion VND or more in limited liability companies
3. Chairman of the Board of Directors or Board members with capital contribution value of 3 billion VND or more in joint-stock companies

Group 2 – By priority fields and international cooperation:

4. Providing professional and technical consulting services for ODA programs and projects
5. Foreign correspondents confirmed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
6. Sent by foreign agencies to teach or serve as managers at educational institutions established at the request of diplomatic representative agencies
7. Foreign students, pupils, trainees doing internships or marine trainees on Vietnamese ships
8. Family members of foreign representative agency members permitted to work under international treaties
9. Holders of official passports working for state agencies, political organizations, socio-political organizations
10. Persons responsible for establishing commercial presence
11. Volunteers working without salary under international treaties
12. Implementing international agreements signed by central or provincial agencies

Group 3 – By time and special conditions:

13. Managers, executive directors, experts, technical workers in one of the following cases (Full details of sub-items a, b, c see clause 13, Article 7 of Decree 219/2025/NĐ-CP)
14. Confirmed by the Ministry of Education and Training to enter Vietnam to perform the following tasks (Full details of sub-items a, b see clause 14, Article 7 of Decree 219/2025/NĐ-CP)
15. NEW: Confirmed by ministries, ministry-level agencies, or provincial People’s Committees to work in fields: finance, science, technology, innovation, national digital transformation, priority fields for socio-economic development

Simplified notification procedures

For some cases exempt from work permits: Only need to notify the competent authority at least 3 working days in advance.

Required information:

Full name, date of birth, nationality, passport number
Name of foreign labor user
Workplace and working period

Significance: The change from “applying for confirmation” to “notification” represents a cooperative approach rather than control.

How is work permit issuance authority decentralized?

Provincial People’s Committees have full authority in issuing, reissuing, extending, and revoking work permits and certificates confirming non-requirement for work permits, completely replacing the complex division of powers between the Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs and Departments of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs.

Territorial decentralization principle

New regulations apply the principle of “workplace, decision place”: Provincial People’s Committees have authority over foreign workers working for labor users with:

Head office in the locality
Branch in the locality
Representative office in the locality
Business location in the locality

Special case: Working in multiple provinces → Provincial People’s Committee where the head office is located decides

Flexibility in decentralization

Provincial People’s Committees can:

Authorize Departments of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs to perform specific procedures
Retain decision-making power at the provincial People’s Committee level if necessary
Depending on local capacity and conditions

In the context of increasingly developing foreign teacher supply, clear authority decentralization is particularly significant. EIV Education pioneers in supplying high-quality foreign teachers with a strict 6-step selection process and professional management system, ensuring each teacher possesses excellent professional qualifications and adaptability to Vietnamese culture.

Truly one-stop mechanism

Processing at Administrative Service Centers:

One-stop, integrated one-stop mechanism
“Documents follow people” instead of the reverse
Electronic integration system

Other important changes to know

The Decree also eliminates the 3-year experience requirement for experts in some cases, stipulates that permits can only be extended once for a maximum of 2 years, and takes effect immediately from August 7, 2025, completely replacing previous decrees.

Flexible permit condition adjustments

Eliminating the 3-year experience requirement in some cases, suitable for the technology era when “experience” is measured not only by years but also by professional quality.

Particularly important in fields:

Artificial intelligence and machine learning
Blockchain and cryptocurrency
Digital marketing and social media

Clarifying definitions of labor types (experts, managers, technical workers), standardizing criteria nationwide.

Important details about capital contribution threshold:

UNDER 3 billion VND: Chairman of the Board of Directors, Board members of joint-stock companies, or owners and members of limited liability companies must complete work permit procedures
FROM 3 billion VND or more: Exempt from work permits

Special conditions to note:

Workers must have full civil capacity
Not subject to entry ban to Vietnam
Have health suitable for job requirements

Standardized work permit extension regulations

Work permit validity:

New issuance: Maximum 2 years
Extension: Only once, maximum 2 years
After extension: Must complete new issuance procedures

Timeline for extension application submission: At least 10 days but no more than 45 days before expiration.

Fee issues

Decree 219/2025/NĐ-CP does not specifically regulate fees. According to information from localities, current fee levels range:

New issuance: 400,000 – 600,000 VND/permit
Reissuance/extension: 450,000 VND/permit
50% reduction when submitting online (until December 31, 2025)

Enterprises should contact provincial People’s Committees where they work directly to know exact fee levels according to local regulations.

IMPORTANT RECOMMENDATION: To fully and accurately understand 100% of the regulations, enterprises and individuals should:

Refer to the full text of Decree 219/2025/NĐ-CP
Contact competent authorities for specific guidance
Follow supplementary circulars from the Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs

Impact and significance of Decree 219/2025/NĐ-CP

Decree 219/2025/NĐ-CP marks a transition from “control management” to “supportive management,” creating a modern, transparent, and competitive legal environment aimed at attracting high-quality human resources to serve economic development in the digital age.

The Decree is not just a legal document but a signal about Vietnam’s orientation in integrating into the global value chain.

Attracting experts in the semiconductor industry, artificial intelligence, and digital transformation will create large spillover effects, not only contributing directly but also transferring knowledge and building domestic capacity.

FAQ – Frequently Asked Questions

When does Decree 219/2025/NĐ-CP take effect and who is affected?

The Decree takes effect from August 7, 2025, applying to all foreign workers wanting to work in Vietnam and enterprises/organizations using foreign labor nationwide.

The Decree completely replaces Decree 152/2020/NĐ-CP and Decree 70/2023/NĐ-CP, with no transition period. All applications submitted from August 7, 2025, must comply with new regulations.

How long is the current work permit processing time?

Work permit processing time is 10 working days from receiving complete and valid documents, with a commitment to respond within 3 working days if not approved.

The process is significantly simplified through integrating demand justification reports into the permit procedure. Particularly, integration with criminal record certificate issuance helps receive both types of documents simultaneously.

Which cases are exempt from work permits and what are the procedures?

Decree 219/2025 expands to 15 exempt cases, including owners/members with capital contribution of 3 billion VND or more, people working less than 90 days/year, and experts in finance, science and technology, innovation, and national digital transformation.

Some cases only need notification to competent authorities at least 3 working days in advance. Other cases need confirmation from ministries, ministry-level agencies, or provincial People’s Committees.

News

Decree 219/2025/NĐ-CP: What Are the New Regulations Regarding Foreign Labor Work Permit Issuance?