VN Foreigner Brief exists to solve a familiar problem for foreigners living and working in Vietnam.

This newsletter was created to provide something more stable. Its purpose is simple: to track policy and regulatory changes that affect foreign teachers and long-term residents, explain them clearly, and link directly to original sources whenever possible. The goal is not speed or headlines, but understanding.

Before regular issues begin, it is useful to look back. 2025 was a year of quiet but meaningful regulatory shifts that shaped how foreigners live and work in Vietnam today.

Estimated reading time: 7 minutes

Across 2025, Vietnam did not introduce a wave of dramatic new legislation affecting foreigners. Instead, authorities focused on tightening how existing frameworks were applied. Visa, work permit, labor, and education regulations were enforced more consistently, with less tolerance for informal practices that had previously been overlooked.

For many foreigners, the challenge was not a lack of legal pathways, but uncertainty. Rules that existed on paper for years began to matter more in practice. Documentation, sponsorship, job alignment, and compliance became central to maintaining legal status, especially in education and other skilled professions.

Vietnam issued Decree 219/2025/NĐ-CP, which took effect on 7 August 2025, updating how work permits are issued and administered for foreign workers.

One of the most significant changes was the integration of foreign labor demand reporting directly into the work permit application. This reduced duplication and clarified administrative responsibility. Vietnam News summarized the decree and its intent here.

Under the decree, employers are now required to demonstrate more clearly why a role requires a foreign worker, and how that role aligns with the applicant’s qualifications.

Further clarification issued under Decree 219 confirmed that provincial People’s Committees are responsible for issuing and renewing work permits. Authorities also clarified expanded exemption categories for workers who do not require a permit, provided the exemption is formally confirmed.

A notable procedural improvement is the defined processing timeline. Work permit applications are now subject to a ten working day review period, with authorities required to issue approval or provide written reasons for refusal. This enforcement feature was outlined in government guidance published by Bao Chinh Phu.

While this does not guarantee approval, it does provide applicants with more predictable timelines and clearer outcomes.

Throughout 2025, legal publications circulated more detailed explanations of work permit exemption mechanisms. These guides confirmed that certain categories of foreign workers may legally work without a permit if they meet defined conditions and provide the appropriate certifications.

Vietnam Law and Legal Forum published summaries clarifying how exemption criteria should be interpreted and applied here.

This represents a shift away from informal assumptions about exemptions and toward documented, authority confirmed eligibility.

In the education sector, authorities applied expert class requirements more strictly to foreign teachers. Reports from school operators and education focused platforms in 2025 showed that degree recognition, experience verification, and job title alignment were enforced more carefully than in previous years.

While these requirements were not new, many teachers and schools struggled to meet them in practice, highlighting a gap between long standing regulations and actual compliance.

This stricter application reflects a broader push toward professionalizing foreign teaching roles and reducing ambiguity around who qualifies to teach legally.

By late 2025, draft policies in the education sector began outlining clearer qualification and professional requirements for foreigners in academic, managerial, and specialist roles. While not yet enacted, these drafts reflect a consistent direction toward formalizing standards before they become binding law.

Vietnam Law and Legal Forum reported on these draft discussions as part of a broader effort to align education staffing with national development goals.

Taken together, 2025 marked a shift toward a more procedural and regulated environment. Vietnam is not closing itself to foreign workers, particularly in education and skilled professions, but it is narrowing tolerance for informal practices and incomplete documentation.

For foreign teachers and professionals working with reputable employers and holding appropriate qualifications, the system is becoming clearer and more predictable. For those relying on loose interpretations or outdated assumptions, the environment is becoming less forgiving.

Knowledge, preparation, and documentation are now more important than ever.