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.

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.

Decree No. 219/2025/NĐ-CP: Vietnam's Work Permit Rules for Foreign Workers

Short answer: Decree No. 219/2025/ND-CP took effect on 7 August 2025 and now governs work permits, reissuance, extensions, revocations and work-permit-exemption confirmations for foreign workers in Vietnam; it replaces Decree No. 152/2020/ND-CP and Decree No. 70/2023/ND-CP. In practice, the employer's written explanation of the need to hire a foreigner is part of the same application dossier, and the competent authority must decide within 10 working days of receiving a valid dossier.

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, employers and foreign workers no longer rely on those earlier decrees for work-permit matters. Anyone preparing an application should check that they are using the forms and procedures from Decree 219, not older templates. The change is not a simple amendment; it is a new framework that consolidates and adjusts the 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 rather than centralising it; a People's Committee can pass the issuing, reissuing, extension and revocation work to another agency if it chooses. 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 only three stated situations

Short answer: employers must advertise vacancies before submitting a work-permit application in only three stated situations, and the advertising period is at least five days; the reviewed material does not record what those three situations are. The rule appears in reporting by KPMG and Allen & Gledhill, but the source set for this guide stops short of naming the situations, so treat the list as unconfirmed here. In practice an employer should check the current official text or ask a licensed labour agent before skipping or running an advertisement, because getting this wrong can delay the dossier.

Exemption categories expanded, but the full list is not in the reviewed material

Short answer: Decree No. 219/2025/ND-CP expands the categories of foreign workers who may be exempt from obtaining a work permit, but nothing in the reviewed material records the complete list of those categories. The expansion is confirmed by LuatVietnam and Vietnam Social Security, yet the source set reviewed for this guide does not enumerate the exempt categories, so do not assume a category from the old Decree 152 framework 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: 2026-09-20