Being a General Director of an enterprise in Vietnam does not a legal condition for a foreigner to be exempt from WP in Vietnam.

A foreign working in Vietnam is exempt from WP including:

  • A foreigner is a member of a limited liability company with two or more members;
  • A foreigner is the owner of a one member limited liability company;
  • A foreigner is a member of the board of management of a shareholding company;
  • A foreigner entering Vietnam to offer services (from 1 May 2013, only the case such foreigners entering Vietnam to work for a period of less than 03 months);
  • A foreigner entering Vietnam to resolve an emergency situation such as a technically or technologically complex breakdown or situation arising and affecting, or with the risk of affecting to production and business, which Vietnamese experts or foreign expert currently in Vietnam are unable to deal with, for the period of more than 03 months then after working for 03 months in Vietnam the foreigner must proceed with procedures to apply for issuance of WP;
  • A foreign lawyer to whom the Ministry of Justice has issued a certificate to practice law in Vietnam in accordance with law;
  • A foreigner who is the chief representative of a representative office or the chief of a protect office, or who is appointed by a foreign non-Governmental organization as representative of its operation in Vietnam;
  • A foreigner transferring internally within an enterprise and within the scope of 11 services listed in the List of Commitments on Services of Vietnam with the World Trade Organization comprising: business service; information services; construction services; distribution services; education services; environment services; financial services; medical services; tourism services; culture and entertainment services; and transportation services;
  • A foreigner coming to Vietnam to provide expert ad technical consultancy services or to undertake other tasks servicing research, formulation evaluation, monitoring and assessment, management and impel mentation of a program or project using official development aid (ODA) on accordance with provisions or agreements in an international treaty on ODA signed by the competent authorities of Vietnam and od the foreign country respectively;
  • A foreigner issued with an operational licence in the information and press by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in accordance with law; and
  • In other cases as stipulated by the Prime Minister.