It took a 25-year logistics expert more than six months to gain entry.

According to EuroCham, the shortcomings of work permits for foreigners in Vietnam cause many difficulties, in one case a logistics expert with 25 years of experience took six months to enter the country.

Tourists check in at the airport - Photo: THANH HIEP

The European Chamber of Commerce in Vietnam (EuroCham) has just spoken out about the shortcomings in regulations on granting work permits to foreigners, causing administrative burdens and slowing down the process of business innovation.

With the draft replacing Decree 152/2020/ND-CP, EuroCham said it is in dialogue with the Ministry of Home Affairs and relevant units to promote business environment reform.

The focus of EuroCham’s recommendations is the mandatory requirement of a formal academic degree when applying for a work permit for professionals. This is considered a barrier, especially for personnel in new fields that have not previously had a corresponding training major.

According to EuroCham, businesses, especially in the fields of semiconductors and artificial intelligence, are calling for more flexibility in recognizing work experience in place of academic degrees.

“It takes more than six months to bring a logistics expert with 25 years of experience into Vietnam, just because he has a degree in biology. This is not only a cost burden, but also slows down innovation and hinders business operations,” Bruno Jaspaert, chairman of EuroCham, said at the recent launch of the 2025 White Book.

Nguyen Hai Minh, vice chairman of EuroCham, said it was becoming increasingly common for professionals to study one field but develop their careers in another. In today’s interdisciplinary world, practical experience should be valued on par with formaleducation .

According to EuroCham's White Book 2025, regulations on work permits for foreigners in Vietnam, including Decree 152/2020/ND-CP and Decree 70/2021/ND-CP, still have many shortcomings.

To simplify the work permit process in Vietnam, EuroCham believes that it is necessary to clearly stipulate that technical workers with at least 5 years of work experience do not have to provide "diplomas or certificates or certifications".

In addition, it is necessary to remove the requirement to submit company charters or operating regulations for representative offices and branches of foreign enterprises; clarify the definitions of "work" and "business" as well as the conditions for exemption from work permits for foreign workers on short-term business trips to Vietnam.

For foreign workers entering the country to handle production and business incidents (not subject to work permit issuance), it is necessary to extend the working period from 6-12 months or remove the requirement for procedures to confirm that the worker is not subject to work permit issuance.

HONG PHUC

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/mot-chuyen-gia-logistics-25-nam-kinh-nghiem-mat-hon-sau-thang-de-duoc-nhap-canh-20250527171303855.htm