Work Permit Requirements for Foreign English Teachers in Vietnam (2021)

Are you considering teaching English in Vietnam?

Applying for a work permit in Vietnam can be overwhelming at first!

So I summarized everything you need to know based on my experience, on how to prepare your legal documents for your work permit application.

Please be reminded that all kinds of documents issued outside of Vietnam must be notarized and authenticated by the Vietnamese consulate.

Also, if your documents are not written in English, they must be translated to Vietnamese.

Lastly, you must keep all your original documents. The employer must only have a scanned copy of your legalized documents.

COVID-19 Update: The government has tasked relevant agencies to streamline entry procedures for foreign employees to enter Vietnam as well as the recognition of a vaccine passport. The government is likely to issue further guidance on these issues. You can ask your employer for further information about this.

1. Teaching Certificate (TEFL / TESOL)

Your certificate must be notarized and authenticated in the country where it was issued.

For example, TEFL courses back home were too pricey, and I needed to take the course somewhere convenient for me too, so I enrolled with mytefl.com, which is based in British Columbia, Canada.

After the course, they sent a PDF copy of my TEFL Certificate. This certificate can’t be notarized even if you print it. You must request a hard copy of the certificate WITH SEAL, for only $10 with postage.

Mytefl.com recommended an agent that would help me get everything sorted out. They sent my certificate directly to the agent, authenticatedocs.ca, and then the agent emailed all the necessary information I needed to know to process my certificate (from notarization, legalization in the Vietnam Embassy, down to the postage of my documents to Vietnam) – everything was smooth and easy on my part.

I chose the Vietnamese Authentication Package + from $5 shipping fee

In summary: Your certificate must be notarized as a certified true copy, must be authenticated by the issuers’ embassy, and must be authenticated and stamped by the Vietnamese Embassy.

Do you want to teach English in Vietnam or anywhere in the world? Readers of this blog receive 35% discount on all courses on mytefl.com

2. Bachelor’s Degree Certificate or Higher

Bachelor’s Degree = University degree, 4-5 year college degree / special courses equivalent to bachelor’s degree (check with your embassies as some countries vary)

IMPORTANT: The labor regulation requires at least 3 years of teaching experience. Although most English centers wouldn’t ask for it, some universities and international schools in Vietnam would require it as well as a Master’s Degree in English, so clarify this requirement with the school you want to apply to.

Same as your TEFL certificate, your bachelor’s degree certificate must be notarized and authenticated in the country where it was issued.

Better do this process in your home country, but if you are already in Vietnam, check with your embassies if they can notarize and authenticate your diploma, otherwise, you need to send your documents back to your country and have someone process them for you (thanks, Mom!).

I recommend posting your documents through EMS, it’s an international postal Express Mail Service for documents and merchandise. EMS is at all Vietnam Post outlets.

After that, you can have it authenticated in the Vietnam Embassy (in your country or in Vietnam).

In summary: Your certificate must be notarized, must be authenticated by your embassy, and must be authenticated and stamped by the Vietnamese Embassy.

3. Health Check

Your health check result is only valid for 6 months.

If you’ve performed your health check in your home country, it must be translated to Vietnamese and legalized.

I’d personally recommend doing it in Vietnam to skip the translation and legalization process. Ask your employer for their hospital recommendation.

Bring along your passport and Two (2) 4x6cm ID pictures (white background, no glasses) at the hospital.

4. Police Check

One of these two police checks will be accepted by the MoLISA (Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affair)

A. Police check from your home country (valid for 180 days)

If it’s not written in English, it must be translated to Vietnamese and legalized.

B. Police check in Vietnam (valid for 6 months)

You must register for a police check based on the location of your residence in Vietnam.

Go to the Department of Justice and submit the following:

1. Physical Residence Letter (1 original + 1 photocopy) – to be provided by your landlord and stamped by the police

2. Application Form – register online, have it printed and signed (you can also ask your employer to help you do this for you).

For Hanoi (Click Here)

For Ho Chi Minh City (Click here)  

For Da Nang City (Click Here)

3. Passport + 1 copy of the first page of passport and your current visa

You need to pay 200,000 VND. The process will take about a month. You will be given an appointment letter with the date to claim your police check clearance.

Location:

Hanoi: 221 Trần Phú, P. Văn Quán, Hà Đông

(Mon-Fri 8am-4:30 pm / Sat 8-11am / Sun – Closed)

Ho Chi Minh: 143 Pasteur, Phường 6, Quận 3

(Mon-Fri 7:30am-5pm / Sat 7:30-11:30am / Sun – Closed)

Da Nang: 24 Trần Phú, Thạch Thang, Hải Châu

(Mon-Fri 7:30am-5pm / Sat 7:30-11:30am / Sunday – Closed)

5. English Proficiency Test (Non-native English Speakers)

IELTS, Vstep with a score equivalent of C1 or above are accepted.

Countries considered as Native English Speakers are:

United Kingdom, United States, Canada, New Zealand, Australia, and Ireland

If you are a non-native English teacher with a University Degree majoring in English, you won’t need to take an English proficiency test.

CELTA-certified teachers still need to take the English Proficiency Test.

The English Proficiency Test is currently implemented in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Quang Ninh, and Bac Ninh.

This requirement hasn’t been applied to Da Nang, Hai Phong, Binh Duong, Bien Hoa, and Vinh.

If there would be a nationwide change, you should be always ready to obtain your English Proficiency Test!

For IELTS Test (Renew every 2 years):

If your IELTS certificate was issued in another country, you need to have it notarized by the local notary public in that country, and legalized by the Vietnamese Consular / Embassy.

If your certificate is issued in Vietnam, you only have to notarize it.  The IELTS test costs 4,750,000 VND ($210) in Vietnam.

You can register at the British Council (Click Here)

For Vstep test (No renewal needed):

Vstep is an English proficiency test in Vietnam.

Visit their website for more information (Click Here) or Email: vstep@vnu.edu.vn

Location: 6th floor, Building A1 – University of Foreign Languages ​​- VNU, No. 2 Pham Van Dong Street – Cau Giay – Hanoi

Work Permit Renewal

Work permits should be renewed at least 5 days but not more than 45 days before the expiry date.

No need to have your diploma and teaching certificate authenticated again. However, you need to obtain a new health check and renew your police check.

Also, remember that your IELTS Test certificate must be renewed every 2 years.

Related: Quick Expat Guide: How to Calculate Personal Income Tax in Vietnam (2021)

Readers of this blog receive 35% discount (Promo code: PINKPACK35) on 120-hr TEFL course online on mytefl.com

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