What You Need to
Teach in Vietnam
Vietnam's legal requirements for foreign English teachers are set out in Decree 219/2025/ND-CP — among the clearest in Southeast Asia. Understanding what's mandatory, what's recommended, and what applies specifically to your situation will save you significant time and money.
The legal requirements — in full
The following are the mandatory requirements for a work permit under Decree 219/2025/ND-CP. All of these must be met to teach legally in Vietnam. There are narrow exceptions in specific circumstances — these are covered in detail below.
Bachelor's degree — any field, from an accredited institution
A four-year bachelor's degree is legally required to obtain a work permit in Vietnam. The field of study does not matter — education, science, business, arts, engineering, and all other disciplines qualify equally. Associate degrees, diplomas, and vocational qualifications do not satisfy this requirement.
Your degree certificate must be apostilled (or legalised if your country is not a Hague signatory), officially translated into Vietnamese by a certified translator, and in some cases verified by the Vietnamese Embassy in your home country.
- The name on your degree must match your passport exactly
- Certified copies are generally accepted — bring the original if possible
- Begin the apostille process at least 4–6 weeks before your planned arrival
TEFL / TESOL / CELTA certificate — minimum 120 hours
A 120-hour TEFL, TESOL, or CELTA certificate is required under Decree 219/2025 unless you hold a home-country teaching licence (e.g. QTS, state teaching certificate) or have 5+ years of verifiable teaching experience. Online TEFLs are accepted by the regulations but may be scrutinised more carefully by some employers and provincial DOLISA offices.
A Level 5 TEFL certificate with an in-class teaching practice component carries significantly more weight than an online-only qualification — both for work permit purposes and for salary negotiation with employers.
- Certificate must be apostilled and Vietnamese-translated for the work permit application
- At least 120 contact hours — certificates under this threshold are not accepted
- CELTA is accepted and highly regarded; it typically takes 4 intensive weeks
Criminal background check (police clearance)
A clean criminal record certificate from your home country — and from any country you have lived in for 12 or more months in the past 5 years — is required. The certificate must be apostilled, officially translated into Vietnamese, and dated within 6 months of the work permit submission date in Vietnam (not 6 months from when you apply at home).
- UK: DBS Enhanced Check or ACPO certificate — apply via ACRO Criminal Records Office
- USA: FBI Identity History Summary — processing time is typically 12–14 weeks online
- Australia: National Police Certificate via Australian Federal Police
- Canada: RCMP certificate
- Other countries: contact your national police authority or criminal records bureau
Medical health certificate — completed in Vietnam
A health examination at an approved Vietnamese hospital or clinic is legally required for the work permit. This can only be completed after you arrive in Vietnam — a home-country health check cannot be substituted. Most teachers complete this within their first 3–5 days in the country. The certificate is valid for 12 months and must be submitted as part of the work permit dossier by your employer.
- Includes general physical, chest X-ray, blood tests (including HIV in most provinces), and urinalysis
- Costs approximately $20–40 USD
- Takes 2–4 hours at the clinic; results typically same-day or next-day
- Your employer will direct you to an approved facility — do not go independently to an unapproved clinic
Age: between 18 and 60
Vietnamese labour law requires foreign workers to be at least 18 years old. The standard work permit is not available to applicants over 60. Teachers above this age may still be employed in some circumstances under special arrangements, but the standard legal pathway does not apply. Teachers over 55 should confirm the current situation with a specific employer before investing in the pre-departure document process.
Valid passport — minimum 6 months remaining validity
Your passport must have at least 6 months of validity remaining from your date of entry into Vietnam. Work permit and visa applications are rejected if the passport is due to expire within this window. If your passport expires within 12 months of your planned travel date, renew it before beginning the document authentication process — your apostilled documents must show the same passport number as the one you travel on.
Everything about the degree requirement
What qualifies
- Bachelor of Arts (BA), Bachelor of Science (BSc), Bachelor of Education (BEd) — all qualify
- Any subject field — the degree does not need to be in education or English
- Degrees from universities in any country, provided the institution is accredited
- Honours degrees, pass degrees, and equivalent 4-year qualifications
- Degrees obtained via distance learning from accredited institutions
What does not qualify
- Associate degrees (2-year programs)
- Higher National Certificates or Diplomas (HNC/HND)
- Foundation degrees
- Vocational qualifications (NVQ, BTEC Level 3 etc.)
- Degrees from unaccredited or unrecognised institutions
Which TEFL qualification is right for Vietnam?
Not all TEFL certificates carry equal weight in Vietnam's market. Understanding the differences will help you choose a qualification that satisfies legal requirements, impresses employers, and commands a better salary.
- Accepted for work permit purposes
- Fastest and most affordable route
- No in-class teaching practice included
- Some employers and DOLISA offices may request additional documentation
- Lower starting salary than Level 5 qualifications
- Accepted for all work permit applications
- In-class teaching practice makes it significantly more credible than online-only
- Commands $100–300/month higher starting salary at language centres
- Preferred by bilingual schools and private schools
- The qualification TEFL Heaven's Bangkok program is built around
- The gold standard TEFL qualification globally
- Highly regarded by international schools and universities
- Requires 4 intensive weeks of full-time study in person
- Highest starting salary; opens doors to premium roles
- Required by some international schools alongside a teaching licence
Getting your criminal background check right
The police clearance certificate is the document most likely to cause a delay if not handled correctly. Here's everything you need to know about getting it right first time.
Processing times by country
The 6-month rule — what it actually means
Your police clearance must be dated within 6 months of the date your work permit application is submitted in Vietnam — not 6 months from when you apply for it at home.
Example: If you apply for your background check in January and it arrives in March, and you then spend 8 weeks on document authentication and job searching, you might not submit the work permit until September — by which point the March certificate is outside the 6-month window.
Teaching in Vietnam as a non-native speaker
Vietnam does accept and hire non-native English teachers — the market is less restrictive than China, Korea, or Japan in this respect. There are additional requirements, and some employers remain native-speaker-preferential, but qualified non-native teachers find work regularly across the country.
Additional requirements for non-native speakers
- If your bachelor's degree was not taught in English, you must provide an English proficiency certificate: IELTS Band 6.5+ or TOEFL iBT 100+
- If your degree was taught in English, a proficiency certificate is usually not required — but bring documentation confirming the medium of instruction
- A Level 5 TEFL with in-class teaching practice is particularly valuable for non-native applicants — it demonstrates pedagogical competence independently of mother tongue
- Some DOLISA offices may apply additional scrutiny to non-native work permit applications. A strong TEFL certificate and a positive employer letter of support help significantly
Where non-native speakers find the best opportunities
- Language centre chains (ILA, Apollo, VUS) have increasingly diversified hiring beyond native speakers — particularly for teachers with strong TEFL qualifications
- Universities are often more focused on academic credentials than native-speaker status
- Corporate English training values professional credibility and subject knowledge; native-speaker preference is weaker in this segment
- Da Nang and secondary cities tend to have more flexible hiring practices than the highly competitive HCMC and Hanoi markets
- Being transparent about your background at the interview stage — and demonstrating your TEFL competence clearly — produces better outcomes than attempting to obscure it
What each type of school actually requires
The legal minimum and the practical employer expectations are not always the same. Here's an honest summary of what each institution type realistically requires in 2026.
| School type | Degree | TEFL 120hrs | Teaching licence | Experience | Native speaker pref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Public school (via agency) | ✓ Required | ✓ Required | ✗ Not required | ✗ Not required | ~ Preferred |
| Private language centre | ✓ Required | ✓ Required | ✗ Not required | ✗ Not required | ~ Preferred |
| Private / bilingual school | ✓ Required | ✓ Required | ~ Sometimes required | ~ 1–2 yrs preferred | ~ Often preferred |
| University | ✓ Required | ✓ Required | ✗ Usually not required | ~ Often preferred | ✗ Less important |
| International school | ✓ Required | ✓ Required | ✓ Required (QTS/PGCE/state licence) | ✓ 2–3+ yrs required | ~ Varies by school |
What if you don't meet the standard requirements?
No bachelor's degree
Without a degree, legal teaching options in Vietnam are very limited. The 5-year experience exemption exists in theory but is rarely granted. Some schools do hire without a degree — but only on cash, undocumented arrangements that carry real legal risk.
If you're working toward a degree, consider teaching in Cambodia (where requirements are currently less strictly enforced) while completing your studies. If you have relevant experience, compile thorough documentation of it before pursuing the exemption route.
No TEFL certificate yet
If you have a degree but no TEFL, you can complete a 120-hour online TEFL before travelling and satisfy the minimum requirement. A Level 5 TEFL with in-class practice (like the one run through TEFL Heaven's Bangkok program) takes 4 weeks and produces a significantly more valuable qualification.
Teachers with a recognised home-country teaching licence may be exempt from the TEFL requirement at some employers — check individually with each school.
Requirements — questions answered
Get your TEFL and guaranteed placement in one program
TEFL Heaven's Bangkok program includes 120-hour Level 5 TEFL certification with in-class teaching practice, guaranteed paid placement, full visa and work permit guidance, and ongoing in-country support. The qualification opens doors across Southeast Asia — including Vietnam's top-paying roles.