Vietnam is a Southeast Asian country that is now in its third decade of economic growth. Every year, huge foreign investments pour into the economy of this new Asian tiger, all the leading transnational companies are present on its market, and tourism is developing at a frantic pace.
It is therefore logical that for millions of foreigners finding work in this country is not a problem. There will also be vacancies in Vietnam for Russians.
About the country and unemployment
In recent years, Vietnam's economy has grown significantly, and not only due to tourism. The growth of industry is increased and the former dependence on agriculture is reduced - the country becomes industrialized.
The country is inhabited by about 95.3 million people, and this number continues to increase. At the same time, the level of poverty and unemployment is systematically decreasing - the maximum unemployment rate in the country is 2%.
In the wake of a favorable economic climate, investments are attracted to the country and foreign specialists are invited. In short, a foreigner can always find a place in the Vietnamese labor market.
How much can you really earn in Vietnam?
Finding a job in Vietnam will not take much time. Over the past few decades, the country has experienced a real economic miracle. Earnings in all areas of the economy have increased significantly. Although they are still inferior to incomes in the most developed countries of the region (South Korea and Japan). However, Vietnam has a much lower cost of living than these countries. This factor is quite significant.
How much can you earn in Vietnam? Currently, an income of 700-1200 euros per month is quite realistic in the country. The most profitable places can be found in the branches of multinational companies. The following places enjoy special prestige:
- managers (senior level). They earn around $1,500-$3,000;
- doctors (especially dentists). They receive on average $1000-1500.
However, to achieve such success, you will need appropriate education and knowledge of languages - English, Vietnamese.
Work in Nha Trang
One of the main jobs in Vietnam for the Vietnamese: repairing bikes and bicycles.
In this blog I will talk specifically about Nha Trang, since I have lived here for a long time and have information; I don’t have a complete picture for other Vietnamese cities, so I will tactfully remain silent.
In fact, there are a lot of options for working in Nha Trang: it all depends on the ingenuity and desire of a particular person who wants to settle or stay for a long time in Vietnam.
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True, in recent years (2018-2019), more and more people are leaving Nha Trang with nothing, having never realized themselves as a full-fledged emigrant or having not found a worthy place in the sun for themselves.
All this is happening due to the fact that the flow of tourists from Russia to Vietnam has decreased, and many companies work with Russians, so they decided to protect themselves and reduce staff.
Immigration laws, policies and attitudes towards Russian migrants
To obtain a Vietnamese residence permit, you need to be officially employed. You can also stay in the territory for many months on a tourist visa, but you cannot work on it. A residence permit gives a foreigner the right to purchase real estate and visit the country without obtaining a permit.
Marriage to a Vietnamese does not give the foreigner the right to citizenship. It can be issued only after five years of residence in the state. However, many foreign citizens refuse this idea and prefer to have only a residence permit. The reason is that a Vietnamese local is not eligible for dual citizenship.
The country has a positive attitude towards foreign investors and businessmen and tries to create preferential conditions for them. The Vietnamese also welcome Russian migrants. They can always count on help and acceptable working conditions.
Professions in demand
- English teachers;
- water sports instructors (diving, kitesurfing);
- tour guides;
- hotel and restaurant business managers;
- entertainment workers (DJs, dancers, bartenders);
- senior managers;
- IT specialists;
- engineers;
- mining workers;
- energy specialists.
The largest number of vacancies for foreigners are provided by international companies and organizations.
Wage level
| Job title | Average monthly salary, US dollars |
| HR Manager | 1500—4500 |
| Software Developer | 900–1200 |
| Doctor | 1100 |
| Secretary | 800 |
| Engineer (construction) | 750 |
| Bus driver | 500 |
| Mechanic | 500 |
| Seamstress | 250—350 |
| Accountant | 250—350 |
| Guide | 200—350 |
Qualified personnel are highly valued in Vietnam, but the average salary of a specialist will be noticeably lower than in neighboring China or Hong Kong.
Obtaining a visa to enter the country
Applying for a visa to Vietnam is not a difficult task. This can be done either through an embassy or consular mission in Russia, or “on the spot”, in the country itself. When registering through the embassy, you will only have to pay a small fee (15-30 dollars). This is not the cost of the visa, but the payment for the so-called “Approval Letter”. You can get the right to visit Vietnam for one, 3 or 6 months. For this purpose, several copies of documents are provided, including:
- international passport (must be valid for at least another six months);
- several color photos of myself taken recently;
- a copy of the ticket to this country with the date of departure.
Also, if a person has already found a job, he needs to provide a visa application. This document is sent by the employer. He confirms that a person in Vietnam will have a legal job, and it is guaranteed to him. The visa application form contains all the main information about the future place where you will work (position, name of the company or enterprise, etc.).
A work visa to Vietnam is also available to persons who have not yet found a specific field of application for their work in Vietnam.
Documents are reviewed within 5-7 days.
Obtaining a visa “on the spot”
“On the spot” is at one of the airports in Hanoi, Da Nang or Ho Chi Minh City (there is no such practice in other cities). In this case, a certain amount is paid. If the visa is for a month – 60 euros, if for 3 – 85 euros. It is also necessary to pay a migration fee (from 30 to 60 dollars).
Business in Vietnam
To open a business in Vietnam, Russians do not need a work permit. Instead, you must provide a business plan to obtain a visa. In addition, the package of documents required to obtain a visa for entrepreneurs must include:
- International passport.
- A copy of the OGRNIP and TIN certificate.
- Medical insurance.
- Financial documentation confirming the availability of funds for living in the country and for opening a company. There are no strict requirements for the amount of starting capital in Vietnam, but the most optimal amount would be $10,000.
- Return tickets.
Within 30 days after entering the country, you must register a legal entity. A temporary residence permit for Russian entrepreneurs is issued for 2 years.
State assistance
The Vietnamese authorities welcome the opening of business in their country by citizens of other countries. The government actively encourages foreign investment and assists businessmen in everything. The investor receives a special investment license from the state for 50 years with the possibility of its subsequent extension.
For this document, contact the Foreign Investment Agency.
This license gives the right to:
- VAT deferment;
- benefits for renting or purchasing industrial real estate and land;
- a reduced corporate tax rate or a complete exemption from it;
- exemption from trade duties on certain goods.
There are other positive aspects of doing business in Vietnam:
- no restrictions on the amount of capital (practice shows that it is effective to start with $10,000);
- cheap labor.
Traditionally profitable sectors of business activity are hairdressing services, catering and retail trade. In the catering sector, you can inexpensively buy a ready-made business. This applies to small and medium-sized businesses. Among foreign businessmen with great financial capabilities, there are now many vacant niches in production. For example, there are few weaving or furniture factories in the country.
Registration of a company consisting entirely of foreign capital may take from several months to six months. If a certain percentage is owned by a Vietnamese citizen, the registration procedure lasts no more than 7 days.
It is important for aspiring entrepreneurs to consider that:
- For each type of activity you will need to obtain a license;
- opening a company will have to be done with the help of a law office;
- Each employee must obtain a separate permit.
The main difficulty in doing business for our compatriots is taxes. In some cases they account for up to 40% of profits. On average, income tax is 22%.
Permanent work permit in Vietnam
To obtain permission to work longer than 3 months (maximum 3 years), you must have a permit issued by the Vietnamese Ministry of Labor. You can also apply for it in Russia. This requires that:
- the person was 18 years old (adult);
- he has already found a job or has been offered one;
- the person had no serious health problems or criminal record;
- the job applicant had a university degree or at least 5 years of work experience in a field in which there is a labor shortage in Vietnam.
You also need to fill out a special form (this can be done in English). You will also need a copy of your passport, as well as several color photos that were taken a maximum of six months ago.
All this data should be sent to the Vietnamese Ministry of Labor several months before the person intends to start working. If everything goes well, a person will receive permission to work in the south-eastern country in 5-7 days.
Remember! The permit must be renewed a maximum of one month before the expiration of the period for which it was issued.
Work permit and work visa
Foreigners who want to work in Vietnam must obtain a work visa. It can be issued at the Vietnamese embassy or consulate. For this purpose the following documents are submitted:
- international passport;
- 2 photos;
- tickets;
- letter from the employer.
The latter must indicate in detail where and under what conditions the applicant is hired.
You can fly to look for a job without an invitation from an employer. Then a passport, photo, tickets and a notification are submitted to the diplomatic mission that you need work in Vietnam and you intend to look for it. The immigration department then decides whether to issue an entry permit. The visa is issued for one or three months. Russians do not need to pay for a visa (only a fee of $40).
You can apply for an entry permit upon arrival at the airport. Here you will have to pay a migration fee of $40-65, as well as a fee of $60 or $85. The same papers are needed to obtain a visa on the spot.
If a foreigner did not break the law during his stay in Vietnam, his visa will be extended without any problems. To do this, you need to contact the department of the country's Ministry of Public Security.
To work for more than three months in an Asian country, you will need a special permit. It is not received by the employee, but by the employer in the Ministry of Labor. He submits there copies of employment contracts and personal data of employees. The permit is issued for three years with the right of extension. The main requirement for its issuance is that the employee must be at least 18 years old.
Who does not need a work permit?
Persons whom the company sent to its Vietnamese branch will be able to do without a work permit. However, only if this organization is represented in the field:
- high or information technologies;
- medical or educational;
- provides financial and business services;
- is engaged in construction;
- works in the tourism market or in the entertainment sector;
- is engaged in environmental protection;
- covers a niche in the transport services market;
Also, a work permit is not required:
- persons who are the owners of a company registered in Vietnam or are on its board of directors;
- those who provide legal services and have the appropriate license;
- correspondents of foreign media;
- teachers;
- employees who were invited to work by Vietnamese government agencies;
- workers of international voluntary organizations (like the Red Cross).
People who have completed their studies to a bachelor's degree (or higher) and have at least three years of experience in the field in which they plan to work will not need permission. However, they can only obtain a “short-term” visa (for a maximum of 3 months)
Official employment procedure
It is not difficult to obtain official employment in Vietnam. This can be done both from Russia and while already in the country. If an employer has already been found, a visa application form filled out from the company is submitted along with all the usual list of documents. In the case where the workplace has not yet been determined, you should simply notify the purpose of your visit to the state.
If you apply for a visa in Russia, the application will be free, you will only have to pay a state fee.
The foreign applicant will need to enter into a work contract with the Vietnamese employer. If the term is 3 months or more, then before conclusion you must obtain a work permit from the local department of the Ministry of Labor at the request of the employer for a period of no more than 3 years. Then the period can be extended at the request of the employer.
But if the period of future work is less than three months, then permission is not required. There are exceptions for long-term contracts:
- if a foreign citizen becomes the founder of an LLC;
- if a foreign citizen is a member of the board of directors of the joint-stock company;
- the foreigner is a highly qualified invited specialist;
- some emergency cases.
In this case, the employer is obliged to submit a list of foreign workers to the local department of the Ministry of Labor. Copies of employment contracts are also sent there.
Search for vacancies: with and without an intermediary
Foreigners manage to find work on specialized websites and forums. There are many such sites with advertisements on the Internet. Here you can read reviews from our compatriots about working in Vietnam.
Agencies help you find vacancies. A foreigner enters on a tourist visa and looks for work through intermediaries. A foreigner has three months to find an employer, acclimatize and learn the basics of Vietnamese.
To successfully search for a job in Vietnam for Russians, Ukrainians, Belarusians and other foreigners from the CIS countries, it is very important to visit the country in advance on a tourist visa. This will allow you to feel the atmosphere of local life, understand the cultural values and traditions of the Vietnamese. For example, many Europeans are shocked by tens of thousands of motorcycles on city streets, noise and general bustle. Pay attention to language skills. The official language in the country is Vietnamese, but English is widely used.
In general, local authorities allow foreigners to stay in Vietnam for up to 3 months in order to find an employer. This time may be quite enough, but without knowledge of the Vietnamese language and connections, the task becomes much more difficult. If you are in your country, you will need patience and activity on the Internet. Look for like-minded people on forums and specialized websites, ask questions to experienced labor migrants with experience working in Vietnam. Register on a professional social network - linkedin.com.
See also: New rules for staying in Schengen countries
Most often, work in Vietnam for foreigners, including Russians, is available in international companies that open representative offices and branches in this Asian country. First of all, aim for employment in large and economically developed Vietnamese regions - the capital Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. Next, we will consider the main ways to find work in Vietnam without intermediaries.
Types of employment
The most popular job for foreigners in Vietnam is teaching English. But even for those who do not speak the language, there are job opportunities.
Work without knowledge of the language
Russian-speaking guides, kitesurfing and diving instructors are in demand. The cities of Nha Trang and Mui Ne are home to Russians and Ukrainians who have small and medium-sized businesses in Vietnam and are ready to hire their compatriots.
- cook;
- waiter;
- masseur;
- dancer;
- au pair (nanny, gardener).
Among the Vietnamese themselves there are also people who know Russian. In this case, it is possible to get a job with them, for example, as an auxiliary worker.
Seasonal work
- water sports instructors;
- fitness trainers;
- massage therapists;
- cooks;
- waiters;
- photographers.
The greatest influx of tourists is observed from December to April.
Temporary job
- administrators of a restaurant, hotel, spa;
- waiters;
- guides;
- animators;
- souvenir sellers.
Temporary activities in Vietnam are likely to be unofficial.
Other options
Another popular, albeit illegal, way to make money in Vietnam is to look for possible ways to work independently. For example, organizing shopping tours, gastronomic tours, working part-time as a street performer.
Shift and contract methods of work involve living on the employer’s territory, that is, he himself looks for a place of residence for future employees. Most often, he also pays for accommodation and food for employees.
Opening a business officially
As for legal business, the authorities only welcome its opening. An equally loyal policy is observed towards both native citizens and immigrants. Traditionally profitable industries include hairdressing services, retail trade and catering.
In the catering sector, you can inexpensively buy a ready-made business. Small and medium-sized entrepreneurs are also provided with certain benefits from the authorities. Business in Vietnam is a separate topic, with its own pitfalls, and we will not discuss it in this article.
Opportunities in the tourism sector
The vacancies for employees who want to work in tourism are striking in their diversity.
One of the most popular professions is that of a bartender.
They are required in hotels, bars, restaurants, beach establishments. The requirements for applicants are somewhat higher than for waiters, sellers and guides. In addition to languages - Russian and English - you need to have some experience in such activities. Despite this, many people apply for similar vacancies and do not regret it. The bartender's salary is quite high for Nha Trang, ranging from 250 to 500 US dollars. To this is added a commission, the size of which is not limited by anyone.
The vacancies of receptionist, waiter, promoter, dancer, and animator are also in high demand. Features of these types of employment include:
- Having an attractive appearance and knowledge of English, which is especially important for those who want to work as receptionists and waiters.
Similar work in Nha Trang attracts visiting migrants due to the simplicity of functional duties and the opportunity to receive free housing and food. The salary of those who will work at the reception will be 700 dollars, but waiters - from 200 and above. - Promoters are required in various food establishments, most often in bars and restaurants. Those who do not have a high level of qualifications in their specialty, but can become a promoter for a while, should look for recruitment advertisements near cafes or restaurants. The monthly payment will be equal to the waiter's earnings - $200, so visitors try to combine their employment.
- Those who have a music and dance education have higher incomes. In this case, it is worth looking through advertisements for dance clubs, where DJs and dancers for show ballets are constantly required.
Dancers at Zima Club, Nha Trang
The work is quite difficult because it involves maintaining physical fitness and the need to follow a diet. Pay will start at $500, which is the minimum, since it all depends on the level of the club or restaurant.
- There is a constant need for specialists such as cooks and animators, who are needed in hotels, inns, hostels, bars and restaurants. Especially those located on the coast itself. Russian cuisine is very popular among European and Asian vacationers, so qualified chefs are needed everywhere, and their salaries start from $300. Applicants for animator vacancies must undergo a special selection, since they have to demonstrate a whole range of skills. Given the difficult working conditions, artistic and sociable people are hired for such work. For their abilities, they can receive from $450, although it all depends on the level of the hotel and the number of stars that were assigned to it.
Animator's work
Russian workers who come to Nha Trang are willingly accepted into companies as guides, sellers of tours and various goods. The main task of guides is to conduct trips and organize interesting tours to interest vacationers. To do this, you need to have a broad outlook, knowledge of history, culture and national traditions. You can earn from 450 to 1 thousand US dollars for work.
You can work as salespeople in branches of companies at hotels, selling travel services and programs, or on the streets, boutiques, or jewelry stores. You can trade absolutely everything - clothing, jewelry, cosmetics, fabrics, traditional goods, pearls, latex products, medicines. A fixed rate is set for employees - about $200, and the amount of commissions from the sale of goods and services is also stipulated.
