CHAPTER 2: POSTLIMINARY DOCUMENTS

Once you have gathered all the documents mentioned in Chapter 1, you can ask the school to submit for you a Work Permit (WP) application, as described here. Since that might require approximately 4-5 weeks, try to deliver the preliminary paperwork (see Chapter 1) within your first month from the arrival date. This is why having all the documents ready from your home country could be very beneficial. In my personal experience, after handing over my documents on the 10^th October, I got my Work Permit confirmed on the 15^th November.

Nevertheless, there is a crucial update I received few weeks ago (without any previous notice): although the WP SHOULD be valid for 2 years since the date of issue, it might actually end up being much shorter, as reported below:

[Your school] normally asks for approval from the Labor Department to get a new 2 years valid WP for new teachers. But there is a general QUOTA for the whole school, not for each teacher (30 new teachers in 2 years, in my case).

Thereby if the school applied and got approved, for example, for the working period 05/01/2024 – 04/01/2026, then you only obtain a validity period until 04/01/2026, even though you joined the school in September or October 2024.

In conclusion, for all teachers who received their WP in that period, the ending working date will be 04/01/2026 (each school has a different date, of course), regardless the issuance date. I got my WP valid for 13 months and 15 days, for instance, quite unbeliavable.

1 ) WORK PERMIT

A Vietnam work permit is a certificate issued by the Department of Labor, Invalid and Social Affairs, allowing foreigners to work legally in Vietnam. It must be applied for by employers or authorized agents, not directly by workers, and is necessary for obtaining a temporary residence card OR work visa. Applicants must meet age, health, and legal requirements, and qualifications based on job type, such as professional or technical expertise (3 years with a BA or 5 years + certification without BA).

To apply, employers must first gain approval for foreign worker employment, followed by document submission to local authorities at least 15 days before employment begins (theoretically yes, but practically sometimes they initiate the process after you have started). The processing involves 15 days for demand approval and 5 days for permit issuance (20 working days or 4 weeks in total).

A permit is (theoretically) valid for two years (in practice it can be much less now, see above) and can be extended once for an additional two years period. Employers must cancel the permit if the employee leaves the position, changes location or departs Vietnam permanently. They also keep the original paper and you are only left with a copy, if needed.

Should you not be able to get your WP and Work Visa on time, you will have to fulfil a “border or visa run”, that is leaving Vietnam for another country and returning later. These articles are quite interesting to better and fully grasp the topic:

• Vietnam visa run – everything you need to know

• Vietnam Visa Run: The Complete Guide

• MOC BAI VISA RUN

BORDER OR VISA RUN

Should you, your employer or any government institution be late with the Work Permit and your Visa be about to expire (please warn your HR dept. at least 3 weeks before that date), a border run is essential to avoid the following exaggerated “OVERSTAY CHARGES or FEES PER DAY” (overstay is considered quite a criminal offence in Vietnam, yes!):

• Overstaying from 1 to 15 days: 500,000 VND – 2.000.000 VNĐ (~20 – 80 USD)
• Overstaying from 16 to 29 days: 3.000.000 VND  – 5,000,000 VND (~123 – 205 USD)
• Overstaying from 30 to 59 days: 5,000,000 VND – 10,000,000 VND (~205 – 410 USD)
• Overstaying from 60 to 89 days: 10,000,000 VND – 15,000,000 VND (~410 – 613 USD)
• Overstaying more than 90 days: 15,000,000 VND – 20,000,000 VND (~613 – 818 USD)

However, multiple problems could arise here:

• You have to pay for your transportation, accommodation and Visa expenses (around 200-300 € a friend of mine told me for a Saigon or Bien Hoa – Cambodia round trip) unless the school refunds you, much later and before taxes, a part of them (avoid travel agencies please : )
• My school asserted that they could only sponsor Business Visa(s) up to 6 months (3 + 3).
• You are giving up days or weeks of salary (so it is actually a cost). Holidays are unpaid in Vietnam, apart from an insignificant lump sum after 6 months : )
• Normally schools want to have at least 1 month holidays notice period to manage teachers’ schedules and cover lessons.
• According to your specific native country, you might or might NOT (Visa exemption) require a new Visa (Business with pre-approved letter or E-Visa normally). Italy and other countries have up to 45 days Visa exemption.
• Because of the visa processing time (up to 7 working days for a Multiple Entry 90 days E-Visa + 50 USD OR 5-7 working days for a Business Visa to be collected at the Viet embassy, same prices, more expensive for urgency), generally 5-10 days have to go by to be able to enter again Vietnam. Check the best course of action with your employer maybe.
• Only if you re-enter with a Visa-exemption (or Work Visa) you can do it on the same day. But you are technically unable to work (perhaps you can for some short time while waiting for your Work Permit). E-Visa is quite quick but not suitable for working either. Business Visa is legit instead, and it is the only option that can be apparently converted into a Work Visa without needing to leave Vietnam again.

This is why it is vital to have everything fixed within your first 3 months.

2) WORK VISA AND TRC

Once the Work Permit has been released, you have two options:

1. Accept the 1 year Work Visa (renewable for another 1) sponsored by the school. This might take 2 additional weeks. After presenting the WP on 15th November 2024, the Work Visa arrived on 29th November, exactly 14 days later (without passport at disposal meanwhile, be advised). As a  matter of fact, my Work Visa will expire in less than one year from the issuance date, as you may notice in the picture above. I heard instead stories of other employees getting Work Visas longer than 1 year, all very random and chaotic!
2. Ask your employer or Apply yourself for a TRC (Temporary Residence Card), valid for 2 to 5 years but indeed much more difficult to obtain.

1. A Vietnam work visa (LD visa) allows foreigners to work legally in Vietnam and comes in two types: LD1 for those exempt from work permits and LD2 for those requiring them.

This visa is valid for up to two years (1 + 1 generally), based on the duration of the work permit, and can be extended. The application process includes five steps: (1) the employer prepares necessary documents, (2) submits them to the Immigration Department, (3) receives a visa approval letter, (4) informs the foreign worker, and (5) the worker obtains the visa at a Vietnamese embassy.

Processing typically takes five business days since documents are fully received. A work visa (LD visa) differs from a business visa (DN visa) as it requires a work permit, has a potentially longer validity, and allows for temporary residency, while the business visa does not.

2. A Vietnam Temporary Residence Card (TRC) allows foreigners to reside in Vietnam for an extended period without frequent visa renewals. It is issued by the Vietnamese Immigration Authority and offers benefits, such as the ability to buy property, conduct business or get married.

Eligibility includes foreign employees with work permits, diplomats, and family members of certain visa holders. The application process involves document submission and takes about five working days, costing $145–$155 (normally paid by the employer), depending on validity (up to five years). TRCs are renewable and can be replaced if lost or damaged. Extensions require specific forms and documents, with a processing fee of $10.

Schools normally will rarely support you for the second option, as your contract is only valid for 1 year or so. Few of them yes maybe (not my case). You just get the minimum, no free meals in Vietnam : )

Be also reminded that your certified copies for which you have already paid a fortune, will be kept by the Vietnamese Department of Labor, Invalid and Social Affairs. You will thus need to re-arrange everything after your WP expires (1-2 years later)!

Long story short and bottom line: you have 1 year time to decide whether you wish to renew your work contract with the same centre or to move somewhere else in Vietnam or abroad, with the same institution (another branch within the country perhaps) or another one. Exceptions to change location (within Vietnam) are possible after 6 months in some cases (internal positions), within the same language center (but you have already signed maybe a 1 year contract and paid 2 months deposit for your apartment).

Be informed, however, that should you wish to change location before your WP expires, a new WP must be issued with all expensive and annoying consequences! Schools will pay for that only at the beginning, after natural expiry date (if you stay) or if they are in desperate need (you move to remote places).

Visa renewals (1 more year) are quite automatic after 1 year. Notwithstanding, if your WP expires after 13 or 14 months for example, then you should apply for a new one and go through all the unwanted hassle again. After 1 year, then, you should really know if you like that school, city and country. At that stage it actually starts to become a long-term, formal commitment.

Letting aside this endless (from 3 to 4 months for everything) and annoying paperwork, why would you then choose Vietnam and why not instead?

What else do you need to know about this country and ESL teaching jobs?

We will try to thoroughly answer these and other questions in the next chapter available here. Feel free to leave your comments below, thanks.

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