In short: Since 7 August 2025, Vietnam work permits follow Decree 219/2025/ND-CP. Your employer files the application, the authority has 10 working days to decide once the file is complete, and a permit lasts up to 2 years with one renewal. To rent in Ho Chi Minh City, landlords mainly need your passport and a valid visa or temporary residence card, because they must register you with the local police. You can sign a lease before the permit arrives, as long as your visa covers the start of the lease.

Moving here for work means two clocks run at once: HR’s paperwork and your apartment search. Here is how they fit together.

What a Vietnam work permit is, and the rules in force now

A work permit lets a foreign employee work legally in Vietnam. The employer applies, and the permit is tied to that employer and job.

The current rules come from Decree 219/2025/ND-CP, issued and effective on 7 August 2025. It replaced Decree 152/2020/ND-CP and its 2023 amendment, Decree 70/2023/ND-CP. Provincial People’s Committees now issue, extend and revoke permits.

A permit is valid for up to 2 years, and never longer than your labour contract or assignment. It can be extended once, for up to 2 more years. After that, your employer files a new application.

Person signing a document at a desk beside a judge's gavel and two small wooden house models

Who needs one and who is exempt

Managers, executive directors, experts and technical workers employed in Vietnam generally need a permit.

Common exemption cases include:

  1. Owners or capital contributors of at least VND 3 billion in a limited liability company.
  2. Managers, experts and technical workers who work in Vietnam for less than 90 days in a calendar year.
  3. Foreign students and interns with an internship agreement.
  4. Foreigners married to a Vietnamese citizen and living in Vietnam.

Exempt does not mean no paperwork. Usually the employer obtains a work permit exemption certificate, issued in about 5 working days, valid up to 2 years and extendable once.

Vietnam work permit documents and timeline

The employer files one combined dossier online through the National Public Service Portal:

DocumentWhat to check
Application form (Form 03)Signed by the employer, includes the reason for hiring a foreigner where required
Health certificateIssued no more than 12 months before filing
Criminal record certificateIssued no more than 6 months before filing; can be requested together with the permit
Degree and experience lettersMust match the job title and category
Passport copyCertified copy, valid passport
Photos2 colour photos, 4×6 cm, white background
Contract or assignment letterThe permit cannot run longer than this

Foreign documents need certified Vietnamese translations. Since the Apostille Convention took effect for Vietnam on 11 September 2026, documents from member countries need an apostille instead of consular legalisation.

The authority has 10 working days after a complete dossier to issue the permit, or 3 working days to explain a refusal in writing. Collecting and authenticating home-country documents is the slow part, so ask HR for a realistic date before fixing a move-in date.

The permit lets you work. Your visa or temporary residence card (TRC) lets you stay, and that is what a landlord looks at.

LD1 visas are for workers who are exempt from a permit, and LD2 visas are for permit holders. A DN business visa is for business activity such as meetings, not for taking up a job. Many people arrive on a short-term visa while the employer files, then switch once the permit is issued.

With a permit of at least 1 year, most employees then apply for a TRC. For LD2 it is valid for up to 2 years and must expire at least 30 days before your passport does. Our guide on getting a Vietnam temporary residence card covers that step in detail.

Tablet screen showing a resident card application form with photo and personal detail fields

Here is where renting matters: the TRC file includes proof of your registered address from the local police. That proof comes from your landlord’s temporary residence declaration, so an informal rental that is never registered can hold up your card.

What landlords and agents ask for

Under Article 33 of the Law on Entry, Exit, Transit and Residence of Foreigners, the landlord must declare a foreign tenant’s stay to local police within 12 hours of arrival. To do it, they need your passport and your current visa or TRC. That is why these two documents come up first in almost every lease.

Your situationWhat a landlord or agent usually asks for
Work permit issuedPassport, LD2 visa or TRC, sometimes a work permit copy or labour contract as proof of income
Exempt (certificate or 90-day rule)Passport, current visa (usually LD1), exemption certificate or employer letter if asked
Permit still processingPassport, current visa, offer letter or contract; lease start within visa validity
Company is the tenantCompany business registration, authorised signatory, your passport and visa as the occupant, red invoice requirements

For company leases, ask early whether the company needs a VAT red invoice. Not every individual landlord can issue one, and if the landlord asks the tenant to cover the tax, it adds about 10% to the rent. Our breakdown of hidden costs of renting in Ho Chi Minh City explains how that works.

For the full general checklist, see documents needed to rent an apartment in Vietnam.

Agent handing apartment keys to a smiling couple while holding a clipboard with the handover form

Renting while your permit is still processing

You do not have to wait for the permit to sign. Three options work well:

  1. Match the lease to your visa. Start the lease while your current visa is valid, then send the landlord your new visa or TRC so they can update the police registration.
  2. Ask for a diplomatic clause. It lets you end the lease early with 30–60 days’ notice and get your deposit back, useful if the job falls through.
  3. Let the company sign. If your employer is leasing for you, the company is the lessee and your own permit status matters less to the landlord.

Budget for move-in costs either way: a typical lease needs a 2-month deposit plus the first month’s rent upfront.

Where work permit holders usually rent

Working tenants usually choose by office location and school. Here are typical 1-bedroom rents for furnished apartments on 12-month leases:

Area1BR monthly rentWho it suits
District 1$1,000 – $1,800+Short walk to CBD offices
Thao Dien$900 – $1,200+Families near international schools
Thu Thiem$1,000 – $1,500+Newer towers, quick bridge to District 1
Binh Thanh$850 – $1,100Value close to the centre
Wooden work desk by a wide high-floor window in a 2-bedroom apartment at Vinhomes Central Park, Binh Thanh

From Visreal’s experience

The first step of our process is your brief: budget, move-in date, and office or school. If you are relocating for work, add two things: the visa you will hold on move-in day, and who signs the lease, you or your company.

At the sign-and-handover step, we prepare a three-party draft contract and explain it in English. Before you commit, we also check whether the landlord can issue a red invoice if your company pays the rent. After you move in, we help with temporary residence registration at the local police for free.

Our agents’ tip: send a clear photo of your passport and current visa before viewing day. If the company is the tenant, ask HR now for its business registration copy and the signatory, so a good apartment does not slip away while papers are collected.

Real estate agent showing an empty bright apartment to a smiling couple at the front door

Jarrod wrote on Google: “Nancy was fantastic. All the utilities and paperwork were organised so the process of finding an apartment and getting moved in was easy and stress free.”

Abhishek Agarwal wrote on Google about Helen, who “has also helped my colleagues find apartments of choice within their budgets.” Visreal is rated 4.9/5 from 34 Google reviews.

FAQ

Can I rent an apartment in Vietnam without a work permit? Yes. Landlords need your passport and a valid visa or TRC to register you with the police. A work permit or labour contract mainly helps as proof of income.

How long does a Vietnam work permit take? The authority has 10 working days after receiving a complete dossier. Gathering and authenticating home-country documents usually takes longer than that, so plan with HR.

How long is a work permit valid in Vietnam? Up to 2 years, and no longer than your contract or assignment. It can be extended once for up to 2 more years.

Can I work on a business visa or e-visa? No. A business visa covers activities such as meetings, not employment. Work needs a permit or an exemption, followed by an LD visa or TRC.

Who registers my temporary residence when I rent? The landlord or property manager, with your passport and visa. Ask for confirmation, because you will need it for your TRC.

Visreal is free for tenants. Send your budget, move-in date, office location and visa status by Zalo or WhatsApp on +84 903 004 226, or browse apartments for rent in Ho Chi Minh City to start a shortlist.