Vietnam’s government issued Decree No. 393/2026/ND-CP on October 20, 2026, replacing the previous Decree No. 219/2025/ND-CP on foreign workers. The new rules take effect on December 5, 2026, and set out 18 categories of foreign nationals who can work in Vietnam without a standard work permit, along with the conditions and procedures for issuing, reissuing, extending and revoking both work permits and work-permit exemption certificates.
The exemption list is most relevant to investors and company directors already active in Vietnam. Owners or capital-contributing members of a limited liability company qualify if they have contributed at least VND 3 billion; board chairpersons or members of a joint-stock company qualify under the same VND 3 billion threshold. Also covered: intra-corporate transferees moving within the 11 service sectors under Vietnam’s WTO commitments, experts in designated strategic technology fields (and their relatives), individuals admitted under the Prime Minister’s national programme for developing AI talent, and holders of special visa-exemption cards issued under a related decree, Decree No. 221/2025/ND-CP. Several other categories cover specified education activities, volunteers and international cooperation programmes.
A short stay in Vietnam does not automatically qualify for an exemption. For managers, executive directors, experts and technical workers, the decree caps qualifying short-term work at no more than 90 cumulative days in a calendar year — and if the arrangement involves being hired, employed and paid wages in Vietnam, a full work permit under the employment-contract route is required regardless of how few days are worked. Existing work permits and exemption certificates remain valid until they expire, and applications submitted before December 5 will generally continue to be processed under the outgoing Decree 219.
