Decree 219 took effect on 7 August 2025
Decree No. 219/2025/ND-CP took effect on 7 August 2025. It now regulates the conditions and procedures for issuing, reissuing, extending and revoking work permits, and for confirming work-permit exemptions, for foreign workers in Vietnam. That means any foreigner who needs a work permit, or an employer hiring one, must follow this decree rather than the older rules. The decree covers the full lifecycle of a work permit, from first application to revocation. For long-stay renters who plan to work, this sits alongside the visa rules covered in the Vietnam visa guide for long-term renters.
It replaces the earlier Decree 152 and Decree 70 framework
Decree No. 219/2025/ND-CP replaces the previous work-permit framework under Decree No. 152/2020/ND-CP and Decree No. 70/2023/ND-CP. From 7 August 2025, new applications, reissues and extensions are handled under Decree 219 rather than those earlier decrees. Anyone preparing an application should check that they are using the forms and procedures from Decree 219, not older templates. Article 35(2) ends the effect of the foreign-worker provisions of Decree 152/2020 (as amended by Decree 70/2023) on 7 August 2025, while Article 34 keeps permits issued under the old rules valid until they expire and leaves applications filed before 7 August 2025 to be decided under the old rules.
The employer's hiring explanation now sits inside the same dossier
Under Decree 219, the employer's written explanation of the need to hire a foreign worker is part of the work-permit application dossier itself, using Form No. 03. The demand explanation and the work-permit request are no longer two separate procedures; they sit inside one consolidated dossier. This removes a step that used to happen before the formal application. In practice, the employer submits one set of documents that includes the hiring justification and the permit request. For a foreigner already in Vietnam on a long-term rental, this affects how quickly a job offer can turn into legal work status; see the lump-sum social insurance withdrawal guide for related employment paperwork.
The authority must decide within 10 working days
Once the competent authority receives a valid dossier, it has 10 working days to decide whether to issue a work permit. If the authority refuses, it must provide a written explanation within three working days. This timing is a hard deadline, not a target. Employers and workers should count working days, not calendar days, when tracking an application. Nothing in the reviewed material records what happens if the authority misses the deadline, but the three-working-day refusal explanation is a specific requirement.
Provincial People's Committees hold the issuing authority
Short answer: provincial-level People's Committees issue, reissue, extend and revoke work permits for foreign workers in Vietnam, and the decree lets them delegate these tasks to other agencies. Decree No. 219/2025/ND-CP assigns the authority at provincial level (Article 4(1)); a People's Committee decides whether to pass the issuing, reissuing, extension and revocation work to another agency (Article 4(2)). Nothing in the reviewed material records which agencies typically receive that delegation or how an employer finds the right office in a given province. For the broader residence picture that sits alongside a work permit, see The Honest Visa Guide for Renting Long-Term in Vietnam (2026).
Advertising is required in three stated situations, including ordinary employment
Short answer: employers must advertise vacancies before submitting a work-permit application in three stated situations, and the advertising period is at least five days. The rule sits in Part II of Form No. 03 attached to the decree and applies to the working forms in Article 2(1)(a), (i) and (m): employment under a labour contract, taking part in bids and projects in Vietnam, and employment under a labour contract with a foreign diplomatic mission or foreign organisation in Vietnam. The notice must have been published at least five days before the dossier is filed, and the rule covers both new permits and extensions. In practice an employer should check the current official text or ask a licensed labour agent before skipping or running an advertisement, because Form No. 03 asks the employer to state that the notice was published and that no Vietnamese worker could be recruited for the position.
Exemption categories expanded; the list is in Article 7
Short answer: Decree No. 219/2025/ND-CP expands the categories of foreign workers who may be exempt from obtaining a work permit, and the categories are listed in Article 7 of the decree and Article 154 of the Labour Code. The list differs from the old Decree 152 framework, so do not assume a category carries over unchanged. Employers and workers should obtain the official consolidated text or advice from a licensed labour firm before relying on an exemption. For foreign workers who later leave Vietnam, the social insurance withdrawal position is covered in Lump-Sum Social Insurance Withdrawal for Foreign Workers in Vietnam: What the Rules Actually Say.
Frequently asked questions
- When did Decree No. 219/2025/ND-CP take effect?
- Short answer: it took effect on 2025-08-07. That is the date the new work permit framework for foreign workers in Vietnam became applicable.
- What work permit rules did Decree 219 replace?
- Short answer: it replaced the previous work permit framework under Decree No. 152/2020/ND-CP and Decree No. 70/2023/ND-CP.
- How long does a work permit decision take under Decree 219?
- Short answer: the competent authority must decide within 10 working days after receiving a valid dossier. If it refuses, it must give a written explanation within three working days.
- Do employers still need a separate explanation for hiring a foreign worker?
- Short answer: no separate explanation procedure is required. The employer's written explanation of the need to hire a foreign worker and request for a work permit is part of the same application dossier, using Form No. 03, rather than a separate step.
- Which authority issues work permits under the new decree?
- Short answer: provincial-level People's Committees are assigned authority to issue, reissue, extend and revoke work permits. They may delegate these responsibilities to other agencies.
- Does Decree 219 expand work permit exemptions?
- Short answer: yes. Decree No. 219/2025/ND-CP expands the categories of foreign workers who may be exempt from obtaining a work permit.
Updated: 2026-10-13