Decree 219/2025: What the New Vietnam Work Permit Rules Actually Mean for Non-Native Teachers

Vietnam passed Decree 219/2025 in late 2025. It replaced the previous work permit framework for foreign workers, including English teachers, and several requirements changed in ways that matter a great deal if you are not from a native English-speaking country.

The problem right now is that most of the English-language content about Vietnamese work permits was written before December 2025. If you have been researching this on forums, Facebook groups, or competing agency sites, there is a reasonable chance you are looking at outdated information. This guide covers what Decree 219 actually says as of April 2026, with specific attention to the requirements non-native teachers have to meet.

What Changed Under Decree 219/2025

The previous framework, Decree 152/2020, set experience requirements that newer applicants found difficult to meet. Decree 219 loosened the threshold in one important area while tightening language proficiency requirements in another. Here is the comparison.

The experience drop from three years to two is meaningful. Under Decree 152, teachers who completed their TEFL certification and taught for two years were stuck — they had two years logged but not three. Decree 219 removes that barrier. If you have been teaching for two full years, you are now eligible.

The TOEFL Score Confusion — and Where Competitors Are Getting It Wrong

This is where the outdated information causes real problems. At the time of writing, at least one well-trafficked competitor site — teast.co — lists the TOEFL iBT requirement as 90+. That figure was accurate under the previous framework. Under Decree 219/2025, the minimum is 100.

A teacher who scores 92 on the TOEFL iBT and reads that they meet Vietnam's requirements is going to have a bad time at the work permit stage. The 90+ figure is wrong for 2026. It has not been updated to reflect Decree 219. The correct threshold is 100.

If you are building toward the TOEFL route, plan for 100 as your target. Anything below that does not satisfy the Decree 219 standard, regardless of what older sources say. The IELTS equivalent is 6.5, which corresponds to C1 level on the Common European Framework of Reference.

The Full Requirements for Non-Native Teachers in 2026

These are the standard requirements your sponsoring employer will submit to the Department of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs (DOLISA) when applying for your work permit. Meeting all of them does not guarantee approval — the application still needs to be processed — but missing any one of them will get you rejected.

• University degree (any field) — bachelor's level minimum
• TEFL, TESOL, or CELTA certificate of at least 120 hours
• Minimum 2 years of documented English teaching experience
• English language proof: IELTS 6.5+ OR TOEFL iBT 100+ (waived if your degree is in English language or linguistics)
• Clean criminal background check apostilled from your home country
• Notarized and apostilled degree certificate
• Valid passport with at least 6 months remaining
• Health certificate issued in Vietnam (arranged after arrival)

The degree exemption on language testing is worth flagging separately. If you studied English literature, English linguistics, TESOL, or a related discipline at university, Decree 219 does not require you to submit IELTS or TOEFL scores. Your degree itself demonstrates language competence. This applies to non-native speakers the same as anyone else — your nationality is irrelevant here. What matters is your credential.

What Counts as Teaching Experience

Two years of experience sounds clear until you start trying to document it. DOLISA requires proof that your teaching happened in a formal instructional context. This is not just a matter of having taught — it is a matter of being able to show it.

Accepted documentation typically includes employment contracts from schools, official reference letters on school letterhead, pay stubs or bank records showing salary from a teaching employer, and in some cases tax records. Online tutoring experience through platforms like Preply or iTalki is generally not accepted unless it can be accompanied by documentation showing it as formal employment rather than freelance work.

If you have been teaching at a private school, language center, university, or public school for two years and can produce paperwork from that employer, you are in a strong position. If your experience is primarily platform-based, you will need to supplement it with in-person teaching before applying.

Salary Context: What the Work Permit Gets You Access To

A work permit is paperwork. What it opens the door to is a legal contract at a real school with a real monthly salary. Here is what the market looks like in 2026 for teachers holding a valid work permit.

The spread within each category is wide because it depends on your qualifications, your location within Vietnam, and how many hours you are contracted for. Teachers in Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi generally earn at the top of the range. Teachers in secondary cities like Da Nang, Can Tho, or Bien Hoa earn slightly less but also pay significantly less in rent.

The Work Permit Process Step by Step

The work permit is not something you apply for yourself. In Vietnam, the sponsoring employer applies on your behalf. You provide the documents; the school or language center submits them to DOLISA. This means you need a job offer before you can begin the permit process — and you typically need to be in Vietnam to complete the health certificate step.

1. Receive a job offer from a licensed Vietnamese employer
2. Prepare and apostille all documents before departure (degree, background check, TEFL certificate)
3. Arrive in Vietnam on a business visa (DN or E-visa depending on your nationality)
4. Complete the health certificate at an approved clinic in Vietnam
5. Employer submits full application package to DOLISA
6. Processing takes 3–6 weeks; you teach on your business visa during this period
7. Receive work permit card and convert to a DN work permit visa

The apostille step trips up most first-timers. An apostille is a form of international authentication that verifies a document is genuine. Not every country calls it the same thing, and the process varies — some countries issue apostilles at a national level, others at a regional level. Budget at least 3 to 4 weeks for this step, possibly longer depending on your country's bureaucracy.

Nationality and English Proficiency — The Real Picture

Vietnam's work permit law does not distinguish between native and non-native English speakers at the document level. The IELTS 6.5 / TOEFL iBT 100 requirement applies regardless of passport. A teacher from the United Kingdom and a teacher from Morocco face the same formal requirement — though in practice, UK nationals rarely need to prove proficiency because they qualify under an exemption pathway.

For non-native speakers, the IELTS route is typically the most accessible. IELTS test centres are available in most countries, the marking is standardised, and 6.5 is achievable with preparation. TOEFL iBT 100 is a higher bar — the equivalent of a strong B2 to C1 performance across all four skills. If you are close to the boundary, IELTS 6.5 is usually the more forgiving target.

Teachers who studied English at university — even in a non-English-speaking country — should check whether their degree qualifies for the language test exemption. A degree in English language education from a Moroccan, Colombian, or Georgian university can satisfy the requirement. What matters is the degree subject, not the country.

What Happens If You Do Not Have a Degree

Decree 219 does require a university degree for the standard work permit pathway. This is not a new requirement — it existed under previous frameworks too. However, the degree requirement applies to the work permit, not to whether a school will interview you or offer you a contract.

Some language centers in Vietnam hire teachers on short-term or project-based arrangements that do not go through the DOLISA work permit process. These positions carry legal risk for both the school and the teacher. UP2U does not place teachers into arrangements that bypass the permit system, but it is worth understanding that the market operates in layers. Schools that offer legal, permit-backed contracts require the degree. Schools that do not verify the paperwork often do not either.

If you do not have a degree and are serious about teaching in Vietnam legally, the path is to obtain one — or to explore whether an alternative credential pathway exists for your situation. That is a conversation worth having before you book flights.