Can a foreigner work for two companies in Vietnam at the same time? Yes — but each employment relationship needs its own work permit sponsored by each company. There is no “one permit for two workplaces” under Decree 219/2025/ND-CP (effective 07/08/2025).
The rule: a permit per employer
The work permit names the employer, the job title, and the workplace. So when a foreigner signs with a second company (full-time, part-time, or concurrent), that company must complete the full procedure independently: foreign-labor demand approval (15-day posting + 10 working days approval) and the Article 18 issuance dossier.
Working for the second company without a permit in its name is a violation — the same as working with no permit at all.
Same employer, multiple locations: relaxed
Conversely, Decree 219/2025 significantly relaxes the same-employer case: a foreign worker serving one company in multiple provinces need not update the permit/confirmation for each additional workplace — a novelty compared with Decree 152/2020.
Keep the two situations apart: one company – many locations (no extra procedure) is entirely different from two companies – two employment relationships (two independent procedures).
Practice: synchronize validity and obligations
With two permits from two companies, synchronize: each permit’s validity with its labor contract; personal income tax (withholding at each payer, consolidated finalization); compulsory social insurance (under each definite-term contract of 1 month or more). The LD2 visa and temporary residence card usually attach to the longer permit or the main employer — seek case-specific advice.
Can one work permit cover two companies?
No — the permit is tied to the specific employer named on it. Each company must run its own permit procedure for the worker.
Does side or part-time work for a second company need its own permit?
Yes — any employment relationship (including part-time or concurrent roles) with a different legal entity needs a separate permit in that entity’s name.
What about two branches of the same company in two provinces?
With the same employer (same legal entity/tax code), multi-province work needs no permit update — the new relaxation under Decree 219/2025 applies.
Can the two companies share one dossier?
No — each company needs its own demand approval and issuance dossier. However, still-valid personal documents (legalized degrees, criminal record ≤6 months, health certificate ≤12 months) may be reused across both dossiers.
What are the penalties for working for a second company without a permit?
Both the worker (working without a permit) and the employer (employing a foreigner without a permit) face administrative fines, existing permits may be revoked, and the worker risks deportation.
For detailed advice on working for multiple employers, contact FLAT Law Firm.
This article has been quality-reviewed by the FLAW AI Legal Council. Content was prepared by the FLAT Law Firm AI Legal Council and has not been reviewed by a human lawyer.