To hire employees in Vietnam, first establish who will employ the worker, confirm the worker’s nationality and work location, then prepare an employment agreement, check the applicable regional minimum wage, and set up compliant payroll. Insurance and personal income tax obligations depend on the worker and arrangement; verify current rules before the first payroll run. This guide reflects official information available as of October 4, 2026, and is general orientation, not individualized legal or tax advice.
How do you hire employees in Vietnam?
Start by deciding whether your business has a Vietnam employing entity or needs local employment and payroll support. The employing arrangement affects who signs the agreement and handles obligations. The applicable steps can also depend on the worker’s nationality, role, location, and contract duration, so settle those facts before onboarding.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
- Choose the employment route. Confirm whether a local entity will employ the worker or whether you need locally supported employment and payroll services. Establish who will be responsible for the contract, payroll, tax, insurance, and records.
- Classify the worker and role. Record nationality, job, work location, expected contract duration, and whether the person will work in Vietnam. Foreign-worker authorization requirements depend on the arrangement and job category.
- Draft the employment terms. Cover the parties, work and workplace, duration, salary and payment terms, working and rest time, protective equipment, insurance, and training, as applicable.
- Check the wage floor. Identify the applicable minimum-wage region using the official locality list, then compare the planned pay structure with the regional monthly or hourly floor.
- Configure payroll before the first pay run. Verify which insurance schemes apply, the contribution bases and ceilings, tax withholding, and filing deadlines under current rules for the specific worker.
- Confirm administration and records. Check current requirements for contract form and signatures, storage, any required registration, payslips, and employee records. Do not assume electronic filing or a particular platform is sufficient without checking the applicable rules.
Where the business lacks local HR or payroll capacity, local employment or payroll support may be an option. Before choosing a provider, establish who is legally responsible for the employment agreement, payroll and insurance administration, tax handling, worker support, and exit process; no particular provider or arrangement is established here as suitable for every employer.
What should a Vietnam employment contract include?
The Government of Vietnam’s consolidated Labor Code document 18/VBHN-VPQH, dated February 12, 2026, is a current starting point for checking contract requirements. Its listed core topics include the employer’s and employee’s identities; work and location; contract duration; salary, allowances and additional payments; payment method and timing; salary advancement or review; working and rest time; protective equipment; insurance; and training. Read the official consolidated Labor Code document and applicable implementing rules before finalizing clause wording.
#1 Best Overall
- Identify the parties and job: state who employs the worker, the work to be performed, and the workplace.
- Make duration and pay terms clear: specify the contract term, salary, payment method and timing, and applicable allowances or additional payments.
- Set out working arrangements: record working and rest time, along with relevant protective equipment and training provisions.
- Address insurance: include the applicable insurance terms and confirm how they will be administered.
These topics are a drafting orientation, not a substitute for checking the exact statutory clauses. Contract form, signatures, and duration rules may vary by employment relationship; do not apply one template to every hire without checking the law.
What is the minimum wage in Vietnam in 2026?
Vietnam’s regional minimum wages under Government Decree 293/2025/NĐ-CP apply from January 1, 2026. The decree was issued on November 10, 2025. It sets separate monthly and hourly floors:
Rank #2
| Region | Monthly minimum wage | Hourly minimum wage |
|---|---|---|
| Region I | VND 5,310,000 | VND 25,500 |
| Region II | VND 4,730,000 | VND 22,700 |
| Region III | VND 4,140,000 | VND 20,000 |
| Region IV | VND 3,700,000 | VND 17,800 |
These are statutory regional floors, not a statement of typical market pay or total employer cost. The employer’s operating locality determines the applicable region, and the decree provides rules for multiple locations and industrial zones. Check the locality list in the official Decree 293/2025/NĐ-CP record before assigning a region; do not infer it from a city name alone.
What’s actually slowing this PC down?
Pick the symptom - the matching free tool is one click away.
What payroll taxes and social insurance does an employer pay?
Before calculating payroll, determine which insurance schemes apply to the employee category, what pay forms enter the contribution base, and which ceilings or exceptions govern the case. Employer and employee contributions, eligibility, and treatment of allowances can depend on the worker and arrangement. No complete, authoritative 2026 rate table, contribution-base and ceiling schedule, or monthly filing calendar is established here, so do not rely on a generic percentage as a final calculation.
Personal income tax withholding, employer tax registration and declaration schedules, and year-end reconciliation also need to be checked against current official tax rules. Confirm the current obligations and deadlines for the relevant hiring arrangement before processing wages; this guide does not provide unverified rates or filing dates.
Unemployment-insurance guidance deserves particular review: Employment Law No. 74/2025/QH15 took effect on January 1, 2026, replacing the 2013 law subject to transition provisions. Check the official Employment Law text and current implementing rules rather than carrying forward an older summary unchanged.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Do foreign employees need a work permit in Vietnam?
Do not assume that every foreign employee follows the same permit process—or that an exemption applies. Official regulations address multiple forms of work, including labor contracts, intra-company transfers, service contracts, and managerial, specialist, or technical roles. The applicable authorization can depend on the worker’s role and employment arrangement.
Decree 152/2020/NĐ-CP is one relevant official text, but its currentness against later amendments and current filing rules is not established here. Check the latest rules and the responsible local authority for the specific worker’s route before work begins. This guide does not establish a current permit-or-exemption matrix, filing deadline, or fee. The Ministry of Justice legal database’s Decree 152/2020 record is a starting reference, not confirmation that its original text alone is sufficient.
Quick Recap
What should an employer verify before onboarding?
- The employing entity or locally supported arrangement, and the party responsible for employment obligations.
- The worker’s nationality, job, location, contract duration, and any foreign-worker authorization route.
- The current Labor Code requirements for contract terms, form, signatures, and recordkeeping.
- The wage region determined from the official locality list, plus the relevant monthly or hourly floor.
- Current insurance eligibility, contribution bases and ceilings, exceptions, tax treatment, and filing deadlines.
- For unemployment insurance, rules under the Employment Law effective January 1, 2026, including any relevant transition provisions.
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
