What Job Positions Can Foreigners Hold in Vietnam?

Many families wonder which job positions foreigners are allowed to hold in Vietnam. Understanding the right job position for foreigners from the start can make paperwork preparation feel lighter and clearer.

Under Article 3 of Decree 219/2025/ND-CP, these positions are divided into four main groups.

📌 What are the groups of job positions for foreigners?

Decree 219/2025/ND-CP sets out four groups of job positions for foreign workers in Vietnam.

They are managers, executive directors, specialists and technical workers.

Identifying the correct position group is an important step before looking into whether foreigners working in Vietnam need a work permit or an exemption certification.

Each position group comes with different requirements for qualifications, training and work experience.

🏢 What is a manager position?

A manager is a person who manages an enterprise as prescribed in clause 24, Article 4 of the Law on Enterprises.

This group also includes the head and deputy head of an agency or organisation as prescribed by law.

This is a position group linked to management and executive responsibilities at the organisational level.

When preparing a dossier, the worker and the employer need to prove the correct management role in accordance with the relevant regulations.

💼 What conditions must an executive director meet?

An executive director falls into one of two cases prescribed in Article 3 of Decree 219/2025/ND-CP.

The first case is the head of a branch, representative office or business location of an enterprise.

The second case is the head who directly manages a field of an agency, organisation or enterprise.

In the second case, the worker needs at least 3 years of experience in a field suitable for the intended job position in Vietnam.

Experience must therefore be tied to the field of the intended position, not just general experience.

🎓 What qualifications and experience do specialists need?

Specialists are the position group that many people are most interested in when working in Vietnam.

Under Article 3 of Decree 219/2025/ND-CP, a specialist falls into one of two cases.

The first case is a person with a bachelor’s degree or above, or an equivalent qualification, and at least 2 years of work experience suitable for the intended job position in Vietnam.

The second case is a person with a bachelor’s degree or above in their trained major and at least 1 year of experience suitable for the intended job position in Vietnam.

The second case applies to specialists working in finance, science, technology, innovation, national digital transformation, or fields prioritised for socio-economic development.

These fields are determined by a ministry, a ministerial-level agency, a provincial People’s Committee, or under a cooperation agreement of the Government of Vietnam.

The key point is that the qualification must match the trained major, and the experience must match the intended position.

🔧 How are technical workers defined?

A technical worker is a position group for people with training or practical experience in a suitable technical field.

Under Article 3 of Decree 219/2025/ND-CP, a technical worker falls into one of two cases.

The first case is a person trained for at least 1 year and with at least 2 years of experience suitable for the intended job position in Vietnam.

The second case is a person with at least 3 years of work experience suitable for the intended job position in Vietnam.

This group can therefore be proven either by training combined with experience, or by work experience alone for the prescribed length of time.

🧭 How to identify the right position group for each person

To avoid confusion, the employer and the worker should start from the actual job position intended to be performed in Vietnam.

If the position is linked to managing an enterprise or heading an agency or organisation, the manager group should be considered.

If the position is linked to managing a branch, representative office, business location or a specific field, the executive director group should be considered.

If the position requires a bachelor’s degree or above and in-depth expertise, the specialist group should be considered.

If the position requires vocational training or practical technical skills, the technical worker group should be considered.

Identifying the right group from the start helps keep the dossier consistent and reduces the risk of having to add or revise documents later.

You can also refer to the article on who is considered a foreign employee working in Vietnam to better understand who this applies to.

✅ Checklist to prepare before submitting your dossier

• ☐ Clearly identify whether the intended job position in Vietnam belongs to the manager, executive director, specialist or technical worker group.
• ☐ Check qualifications, certificates or documents proving training suitable for the intended position.
• ☐ Check whether the number of years of work experience is suitable for the field and intended position.
• ☐ Prepare documents proving the management, executive or specialist role according to the position group identified.
• ☐ Review information on the form of work, workplace and intended duration of work.
• ☐ Check the contract terms and related documents before submitting the dossier to the competent authority.

Overall, the four position groups under Article 3 of Decree 219/2025/ND-CP make it clearer to identify a work role.

Workers should prepare their dossier according to the correct position group and the correct requirements for qualifications, training and experience.

If you still have questions, you can contact Website: 0347674755 – Nhanh chóng, uy tín (https://paa.vn) for further advice on related information.