Health Check, Passport, and Other Documents for a Work Permit Application

Many families and employers feel unsure when preparing an application, especially for the health check for a work permit and the documents that go with it.

Just one missing document, or one that does not meet the requirements, can mean your application has to be supplemented and your work plans are delayed.

This article brings together the documents you need to prepare under Article 18 of Decree No. 219/2025/ND-CP, so you can review everything easily before you submit your application.

📋 What Requirements Must a Health Check for a Work Permit Meet?

A health check is one of the important documents in an application for a work permit.

Under the regulations, the health check must be issued by a medical examination and treatment facility that meets the required conditions.

There is one case where you do not need to submit a separate paper copy: when the health check results have already been connected and shared on the Information System on the Management of Medical Examination and Treatment Activities or the National Health Data Database.

If you use a health check issued by a competent medical authority abroad, you also need to pay attention to the condition on mutual recognition.

• Vietnam and the country or territory that issued the health check must have a treaty or agreement on mutual recognition.
• The validity period of that health check must not exceed 12 months from the date it was issued.

So, before submitting your application, you should carefully check the issue date and the origin of your health check.

If this document was issued abroad, also review the requirements for consular legalization and certified translation where applicable.

You can see a general overview of the application in What Documents Are Needed for a Work Permit Application?

🛂 How to Prepare Your Passport, Photos and Judicial Record Certificate

As well as the health check, a passport that is still valid is a mandatory document in the application.

A foreign worker needs to prepare a passport that is still valid at the time of submitting the application.

Photos in the application also have specific requirements, so please do not use photos that do not meet the specifications.

• 02 colour photos.
• Size 4 cm x 6 cm.
• White background.
• Looking straight ahead, head uncovered, no glasses.

Another document to pay attention to is the judicial record certificate or a written confirmation of criminal record status.

Under Article 18, this document must prove that the foreign worker is not a person who is serving a sentence, has not yet had their criminal record expunged, or is under criminal investigation in a foreign country or in Vietnam.

The validity period of this document is also very important to check before submitting.

• It must have been issued no more than 6 months before, calculated from the issue date to the application submission date.
• Except where the administrative procedure for issuing a Judicial Record Certificate and issuing a work permit has been handled through an interlinked process.

If your application has passed this time limit, you should prepare a new document following the guidance of the competent authority.

To understand more clearly which cases need a work permit, you can refer to Do Foreigners Working in Vietnam Need a Work Permit or an Exemption Certification?

📑 Explanation Report on Demand and Documents Proving the Form of Work

The application also needs a written report from the employer explaining the demand for foreign workers and requesting a work permit.

This document is made using Form No. 03 issued together with Decree 219/2025/ND-CP.

This is the part that clearly shows the reason why a business, agency or organisation is requesting to employ a foreign worker for the intended position.

In addition, the employer needs to prepare documents proving the form of work of the foreign worker.

This group of documents depends on the specific form of work, for example working under a labour contract, intra-company transfer, performing a contract or agreement, service supplier, service provider, or transfer from abroad to Vietnam.

Some commonly seen documents in this group include:

• A written document from the employer abroad assigning the worker to work for a limited period at a commercial presence in Vietnam, together with confirmation that the worker was recruited at least 12 consecutive months immediately before coming to work in Vietnam, for an intra-company transfer.
• A written document from the employer assigning the worker, together with the signed contract or agreement, for certain forms of performing a contract, agreement, or participating in a bidding package or project.
• A service supply contract between the Vietnamese and foreign partners, together with a document proving the period of work for the foreign business, for a service supplier under a contract.
• A written document from the service provider assigning the worker to Vietnam to negotiate the supply of services, for a service provider.
• A written document from the employer abroad assigning the worker to work in Vietnam in a position suitable for the intended job, for a transfer case.
• Documents proving the person is a manager as prescribed, for the case of a chairman of the board of directors, board member, owner, or member of a limited liability company with capital contribution value under VND 3 billion.

You should compare your form of work with the list in Article 2 of Decree 219/2025/ND-CP to prepare the right type of document.

Information about these forms of work is also mentioned in Who Is Considered a Foreign Employee Working in Vietnam?

🏢 Documents Proving the Job Position: Manager, Executive Director, Expert, Technical Worker

As well as the form of work, the application also needs documents proving that the foreign worker falls into one of the four job positions prescribed.

These are manager, executive director, expert, or technical worker.

Each position has different requirements for proving qualifications, experience, or appointment decisions.

For a manager, proof may be the company charter and documents proving the person is a manager, or an appointment or transfer document, or a licence establishing the agency or organisation and an appointment or transfer document for the head and deputy head.

For an executive director, documents are needed to prove the role of head of a branch, representative office, or business location, or a written confirmation of direct experience managing a suitable field.

For an expert, a diploma or certificate proving graduation from university or above, or equivalent, and a written confirmation of the number of years of suitable experience are needed.

Some specialised fields such as finance, science, technology, innovation, national digital transformation, or fields prioritised for socio-economic development also have their own requirements on training major and experience.

For a technical worker, you need to prove training of at least 1 year and at least 2 years of suitable experience, or at least 3 years of suitable experience for the intended position.

In many cases, if the worker has already worked in Vietnam, a work permit or a certificate of exemption from a work permit that has already been issued can be used to replace documents proving the number of years of experience, as prescribed in Article 19.

To understand these positions more clearly, you can read What Job Positions Can Foreigners Hold in Vietnam?

✅ Checklist of Documents to Prepare Before Submitting Your Application

Before submitting your application, you should review each group of documents yourself to avoid missing anything.

• ☐ A written report explaining the demand for foreign workers and requesting a work permit, using Form No. 03.
• ☐ A health check issued by a facility that meets the required conditions, or a health check issued abroad that meets the mutual recognition condition and is no more than 12 months from the issue date.
• ☐ A passport that is still valid.
• ☐ A judicial record certificate or a written confirmation of sentence execution, criminal record expungement, and criminal investigation status, issued no more than 6 months before the application submission date, except in an interlinked procedure case.
• ☐ 02 colour photos, 4 cm x 6 cm, white background, looking straight ahead, head uncovered, no glasses.
• ☐ Documents proving the form of work that suit the specific case, under Clause 6 of Article 18 of Decree 219/2025/ND-CP.
• ☐ Documents proving the person is a manager, executive director, expert, or technical worker, under Article 19 of Decree 219/2025/ND-CP.

For documents from abroad, you also need to check the requirements for consular legalization, translation into Vietnamese, and certification as prescribed by law, except where exempted under an international treaty, the principle of reciprocity, or legal regulations.

The validity period of a work permit after it is issued is also something families should understand clearly. You can refer to What Is the Maximum Duration of a Work Permit?

The information in this article is compiled from Decree 219/2025/ND-CP, particularly Article 18, and is for general reference only.

Before submitting your application, you should check the latest provisions, forms and requirements with the competent authority in the locality where the foreign worker is expected to work.

If you need support to learn more, you can contact Website: 0347674755 – Fast, reliable at https://paa.vn for further guidance on preparing your application.