60 DAY TEFL · GUIDES THAT ACTUALLY ANSWER THE QUESTION

the paperwork question, answered honestly

What visa do you need to teach English in Vietnam?

VISA
Teacher with students in a classroom on a teaching placement abroad
2026 update

the short answer

Legal teaching work in Vietnam typically runs through an employer-sponsored work permit, which then supports a temporary residence card (TRC) or a business/work visa. The chain usually needs a legalised degree, a criminal record check, and a health check, all inside validity windows set by immigration. Rules and required documents shift, so confirm the current list with your specific employer or the local immigration office before committing to any job or flight.

Key facts

Core routeEmployer-sponsored work permit + visa/TRC
DegreeLegalised copy usually required, confirm locally
Criminal checkHome-country certificate, often needs recent issue date
Health checkOften required in Vietnam or before arrival
Typical validityWork permit commonly 1-2 years, confirm current terms
SponsorThe hiring school or centre, not the teacher directly
RenewalTied to contract renewal with the same or new employer

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typical, not guaranteed

Your timeline

  1. 1

    Get job offer

    A signed offer letter is usually the trigger for the paperwork chain.

    1-4 weeks
  2. 2

    Legalise degree

    Consular legalisation or apostille-equivalent process, done in your home country ideally.

    2-6 weeks
  3. 3

    Obtain criminal record check

    Get it recently issued; older certificates are often rejected.

    1-4 weeks
  4. 4

    Submit work permit application

    Employer typically files this with the provincial labour authority.

    3-6 weeks
  5. 5

    Health check

    Often completed locally at an approved clinic once you arrive.

    1-3 days
  6. 6

    Visa/TRC issued

    Business visa or TRC follows the approved work permit.

    1-4 weeks
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The general shape of the process

Vietnam's system for foreign teachers is built around the work permit as the anchor document. Once a school agrees to sponsor you, they typically file for the permit with your legalised degree, criminal record check, health certificate and passport copies. Only once that's approved does a longer-term visa or temporary residence card usually follow.

None of this is something you can complete alone from a hotel room in Hanoi. It runs through the employer's HR or an agent they use, and provincial offices can interpret national rules slightly differently, which is part of why identical-looking job ads sometimes have different document asks.

The document chain, in practical terms

Your degree usually needs to be legalised — this can mean notarisation plus authentication at your home country's foreign ministry and the Vietnamese embassy, or an apostille-equivalent step depending on your country's treaty status. Start this before you fly if you can, because it is far slower once you're already in Vietnam and away from your original documents.

The criminal record check almost always has to be recently issued — many employers won't accept one older than six months by the time it's submitted. Photos, passport copies and a health check (often done locally) round out the file. Keep physical and scanned copies of everything; provincial offices sometimes ask for originals unexpectedly.

Where applications get delayed or refused

The most common snag is a degree that isn't in a shape the labour authority recognises — wrong legalisation chain, missing translation, or a certificate that doesn't match the subject taught. A second is an outdated criminal record check submitted too long after issue. A third is switching employers mid-contract without properly transferring the permit, which can leave you working on the wrong basis without realising it.

None of this is fixed advice for every province or every year — Vietnam's provincial-level administration means requirements can differ by city, and national policy on foreign labour changes periodically. Treat any specific number or document list here as a starting point, not a guarantee, and verify with the school's HR or the local immigration office before you rely on it.

what people actually ask

FAQs

Can I teach in Vietnam on a tourist visa?

This isn't a safe long-term plan — legal teaching work is meant to run through an employer-sponsored work permit and appropriate visa or TRC. Some teachers start on a tourist visa while paperwork processes, but confirm with your specific employer what's actually compliant before agreeing to it.

Do I need my degree legalised before I arrive?

It's strongly recommended, since legalisation chains involving your home country's authorities are far slower to arrange once you're already abroad. Start the notarisation and authentication process before you fly, and check the current requirement with your employer or the Vietnamese embassy in your country.

How recent does my criminal record check need to be?

Many employers want one issued within roughly six months of submission, but this window isn't fixed everywhere or forever. Ask your specific employer for their current cutoff before ordering the certificate, so it doesn't expire while other documents are being prepared.

Can I switch schools without leaving the country?

Often yes, but the work permit and visa typically need to be transferred or reissued under the new employer, not just carried over informally. Confirm the transfer process with the new school's HR or the local immigration office rather than assuming continuity.

What happens if my work permit application is refused?

It usually means a document didn't meet the required standard — often the degree legalisation or an outdated background check. Ask the employer or their agent exactly which part failed, fix that item, and resubmit; a refusal isn't usually the end of the process, just a delay.

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Read next

Vietnam TEFL overview →Get your documents sorted →TEFL documents checklist →
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