The new plant is built, the new line is installed — and 20-30 Chinese specialists need to come for installation, trial runs and handover over 2–6 months. This is the classic scenario for every manufacturing FDI project. The challenge: processing 30 people fast, in sync and lawfully — not 30 ad-hoc cases. This article shows how to organise group sponsorship.
1. Two procedure layers: entry and labour
- Layer 1 — Entry: visas — the Vietnamese company sponsors the specialists’ entry;
- Layer 2 — Labour: work permits — or work-permit exemption where eligible;
- Principle: a visa alone isn’t enough — working in Vietnam needs a labour-law basis (permit or exemption);
- For big groups: standardise one process for the whole delegation — not person-by-person improvisation.
2. Group entry sponsorship: the fast way
- Corporate sponsor: the Vietnamese company (project owner) sponsors entry for the entire group — one counterpart for immigration;
- Group file: the roster (names, passport numbers, titles, dates), the company’s invitation/sponsorship letter, company legal papers;
- Visa type: business/work visas (not tourist) — matching the installation-and-handover purpose;
- Synchronise: file one batch for the whole group — avoid half the team arriving while others wait on visas;
- Timing: build in buffer — don’t book flights before visas are certain.
3. Work permits for specialists: conditions
- Framework: Decree 152/2020/ND-CP (amended by Decree 70/2023/ND-CP) on foreign workers;
- Demand approval: before individual permits, the company needs approval to employ foreign workers — justifying why foreigners are needed (positions, headcount);
- Specialist criteria: a university degree plus experience in the relevant field (or proven expert status per regulations);
- Per-person file: passport, degrees (legalised), experience confirmations, criminal record, health check, photos;
- For 30 people: prepare a unified file checklist — one incomplete file delays the group.
4. Work-permit exemptions
- Short-term experts: some cases entering Vietnam for under 30 days (within annual visit limits) for troubleshooting or tech handover may skip the work permit;
- Tight conditions: exemptions have specific conditions (duration, visit count, purpose) — check current rules before relying on them;
- Don’t self-certify: don’t “decide” you qualify — get written confirmation from the labour authority;
- For installation teams: 2–6-month stays usually require full work permits.
5. A realistic timeline for 20–30 people
- 8–10 weeks out: finalise the roster; collect personal files (passports, degrees, criminal records — legalisation takes longest);
- 6 weeks out: file the foreign-worker demand approval;
- 4 weeks out: file entry sponsorship (visas) for the group;
- 2–3 weeks out: file work permits per person;
- On arrival: temporary-residence declaration; collect work permits; start work;
- Golden rule: nobody works without complete papers — labour violations are punished severely.
6. Document legalisation: the time bottleneck
- Issue: Vietnam is not in the Hague Apostille Convention — Chinese documents need consular legalisation (notarisation → Chinese MFA → Vietnamese embassy);
- Duration: this takes weeks — the longest link in the chain;
- Fix: start legalisation the moment the roster is final — in parallel with everything else;
- Translation: Chinese documents need notarised Vietnamese translations.
7. Managing the group in Vietnam
- Owner: appoint one coordinator (HR or admin) for the group’s entire paperwork;
- Residence: declare temporary residence per person — renew on time;
- Extensions: if the project runs long — extend visas and work permits before expiry;
- Replacements: a specialist flies home, a replacement arrives — redo procedures for the newcomer (permits don’t “transfer”);
- Discipline: brief the group on company rules and Vietnamese law — one person’s violation hits the whole company.
8. Costs: budgeting for 20–30 people
- State fees: visas, work permits, residence — per head;
- Legalisation + translation: significant for 30 file sets;
- Travel and stay: flights, hotels/rentals, domestic transport — 2–6 months;
- Insurance: medical/accident cover for foreign experts;
- Contingency: add 15–20% for extensions, replacements, supplementary files.
9. Legal risks to avoid
- Working without permits: heavy administrative fines — for both company and individual;
- Wrong visa purpose: entering on tourist visas to install production lines — a violation;
- Overstaying residence: poisons the company’s future visa applications;
- Unreported employment: using foreign labour without reporting — a breach of duty;
- Principle: with big groups, one small violation multiplies by 30 — doing it right first time is far cheaper.
10. Master checklist for the specialist group
- Roster finalised — 8–10 weeks before arrival?
- Chinese document legalisation — started?
- Foreign-worker demand approval — filed?
- Entry sponsorship (visas) — one batch for the group?
- Work permits — each person’s file complete?
- Exemptions (if used) — confirmed in writing?
- Residence, insurance — arranged?
- Group coordinator — appointed?
- Cost estimate + 15–20% contingency?
11. Work permits vs temporary residence cards
- Work permit: authorises employment – issued per position, tied to the employer;
- Temporary residence card (TRC): authorises stay – typically 1-2 years, replaces repeated visa runs;
- Sequence: work permit first, then the TRC – the TRC application needs the permit;
- For 2-6-month assignments: a TRC may be optional – multi-entry business visas can suffice;
- Decide per person: assignment length determines the right combination – don’t TRC everyone by default.
12. Tax residence of the specialists
- Vietnamese tax: specialists staying 183+ days become Vietnamese tax residents – worldwide income taxable;
- Short stays: under 183 days – typically only Vietnamese-source income taxed, treaty relief may apply;
- Split payroll: part paid in China, part in Vietnam – declare the full economic salary to avoid trouble;
- Home-country filing: remind specialists of their Chinese tax obligations – the company should brief, not file for them;
- Equalisation: consider tax equalisation policies for long assignments – standard multinational practice.
13. Health, safety and insurance
- Health checks: work-permit files need health certificates – arrange approved clinics before arrival;
- Medical insurance: international cover for 20-30 people – negotiate a group policy;
- Workplace safety: installation work is high-risk – safety training in Chinese before site access;
- Emergency plan: nearest international hospital, emergency contacts, evacuation procedure – documented per site;
- COVID-style lessons: keep a health contingency plan – quarantine rules can return.
14. Handover: from specialists to local team
- Plan the exit at entry: the specialists’ real job is making themselves unnecessary;
- Shadow programme: every specialist trains a Vietnamese counterpart – pair them from week one;
- Documentation: operating manuals, troubleshooting guides – in Vietnamese, not just Chinese;
- Phased withdrawal: reduce the team in waves – keep a core few for the first production months;
- Remote support: agree post-departure support terms – video troubleshooting, return visits – in writing.
15. Common pitfalls with big groups
- Passport expiry: check every passport’s validity before starting – renewals from Vietnam are slow;
- Name mismatches: Chinese names transliterated differently across documents – standardise one spelling everywhere;
- Criminal records: obtain from the correct Chinese authority – wrong-issuer records get rejected;
- Photo specs: Vietnamese ID photos have exact specs – batch-shoot the group to one standard;
- One tracker: a single spreadsheet – 30 people × 6 documents = 180 items to chase.
16. Quick answers
- Can the group enter on e-visas? E-visas suit tourists – work purposes need sponsored visas;
- What if the project extends? Extend permits before expiry – overstays poison future applications;
- Cheapest mistake to avoid? Letting anyone work before papers are complete – fines multiply by headcount.
Contact us
FLAT Law Firm advises Chinese investors throughout the Vietnam investment cycle — from deal structuring and licensing to operations and compliance. Contact us for advice tailored to your project.
This article has been quality-reviewed by the FLAW AI Legal Council