How to Apply for a Work Permit When Replacing or Changing Jobs?

If you already have a work permit but your actual job changes, do you need to complete the procedure again? For a change in job position on a work permit, the answer is yes — you must apply for a new work permit, even if the employer does not change.

This requirement is set out in Article 20 of Decree 219/2025/ND-CP. The article below will help families, foreign individuals, and employers understand the documents they need to prepare.

📋 When do you need to apply for a new work permit?

Under Article 20 of Decree 219/2025/ND-CP, if a foreign employee who has been issued a valid work permit wishes to change the job position or form of work stated in the work permit but does not change employers, they must apply for a new work permit.

An important point is that the existing work permit must still be valid. If the permit has expired, it will be handled differently and you will need to check the current regulations.

A change in job position here needs to relate to the positions foreigners are allowed to hold in Vietnam. You can refer to What Job Positions Can Foreigners Hold in Vietnam? to check this before preparing your application.

Distinguishing this from other cases in Article 20

Article 20 does not only cover changes in job position. The Decree also lists other cases, such as working for a different employer in the same position and field, or continuing to work after a work permit has been extended.

Therefore, before submitting your application, the employer needs to identify the correct situation. Each situation will have a different set of documents, even though they are all under the same article.

The table above is only for quick reference. The specific documents must still be based on the corresponding clause in Article 20.

🧾 Documents for a work permit application when changing job position

For a change in job position, the application for a new work permit includes four main groups of documents under Article 20 of Decree 219/2025/ND-CP.

The first group consists of the documents specified in Clauses 1, 3, and 5 of Article 18 of this Decree. These are the general documents the employer needs to prepare.

• ☐ A written report from the employer explaining the need to employ a foreign worker and requesting a work permit, using Form No. 03.
• ☐ A valid passport of the foreign employee.
• ☐ 02 colour photos, 4 cm x 6 cm, with a white background, facing the camera, head uncovered, and no glasses.

The second group is the documents proving the job position under Article 19 of this Decree, applicable when changing job position.

The third group is a copy of the work permit that has been issued. This document allows the competent authority to compare it with the employee’s current permit.

Thus, the application does not only include documents proving the new position, but also a request letter, passport, photos, and a copy of the issued work permit.

🔍 Documents proving the new job position under Article 19

Documents proving a job position need to match the intended position, such as a manager, executive director, expert, or technical worker.

For a manager, the proving documents may relate to the company charter, documents proving the person is a manager, or a decision on appointment or transfer. For an agency or organisation, the documents may relate to an establishment licence or a decision appointing or transferring the head or deputy head.

For an executive director, documents are needed to prove the head of a branch, representative office, or business location. In other cases, the company charter or a document on the organisational structure is required, along with a written confirmation of the number of years of experience suitable for the intended position.

For an expert, a university degree or higher, or an equivalent qualification, is required, along with a written confirmation of relevant years of work experience. Some specialised fields, such as culture, sports, aviation, education, and training, have separate proving documents under the guidance of the relevant sector management agency.

For a technical worker, a diploma, certificate, or other document proving at least 01 year of training is required, along with a written confirmation of years of experience. If the person has at least 03 years of relevant experience, a written confirmation from the foreign employer is needed for those years of experience.

In many cases, an employee who has already worked in Vietnam may use a work permit or a confirmation of not being subject to a work permit that has already been issued to replace the document proving years of experience, as provided in Article 19.

To better understand the general application for a new permit, you can also refer to What Documents Are Needed for a Work Permit Application?.

📈 If both the position and form of work change, what should you do?

If the form of work stated in the work permit changes but the employer does not, you must also apply for a new work permit.

The application in this case includes the documents specified in Clauses 1, 3, and 5 of Article 18, documents proving the form of work under Clause 6 of Article 18, and a copy of the issued work permit.

Documents proving the form of work need to match the intended form, for example performing a labour contract, intra-company transfer, performing a contract or agreement on economics or society, a service provider, offering services, volunteering, and other forms as prescribed.

Therefore, the employer needs to determine clearly whether they are changing the job position, the form of work, or both. Identifying this correctly will help you prepare the right group of proving documents.

⏰ Notes on the duration and validity of the permit

The duration of an issued work permit follows the duration of one of the cases specified in Article 21 of Decree 219/2025/ND-CP, but must not exceed 02 years.

This duration may be linked to the intended labour contract, a decision sending the employee to work, a contract or agreement between the parties, or other cases as prescribed. You can refer to What Is the Maximum Duration of a Work Permit? for more details.

Employers also need to note that foreign documents must be consularly legalised and translated into Vietnamese and certified as prescribed, except where exempted under an international treaty or the law.

Before submitting the application, you should re-check the information on the current work permit, the intended job position, the form of work, and the working duration to ensure consistency throughout the application.

✅ Checklist for preparing an application to change job position

To avoid missing documents, the employer can review the application using the checklist below before submitting it.

• ☐ Confirm the correct case: changing job position, with no change of employer.
• ☐ Prepare a written report explaining the need to employ a foreign worker and requesting a work permit, using Form No. 03.
• ☐ Prepare the foreign employee’s valid passport.
• ☐ Prepare 02 colour photos, 4 cm x 6 cm, as required.
• ☐ Prepare documents proving the new job position under Article 19.
• ☐ Prepare a copy of the issued work permit.
• ☐ Check consular legalisation, translation, and certification of foreign documents if needed.
• ☐ Compare the job position, form of work, and working duration in the application.

This checklist is for reference only when preparing the application. Regulations and forms may change over time, so readers should check the current legal documents or contact the competent authority for specific guidance.

If you are preparing an application for a foreign family member or employee, please take time to carefully review each document. Preparing everything fully from the start will help the process go smoothly and reduce the risk of having to supplement the application.

To learn more useful information for families and foreign individuals in Vietnam, you can visit https://paa.vn or contact us at 0347674755 for support in looking up information as needed.