TEFL Requirements in Vietnam: Visa, Degree & Certification
Last updated: 2026-08-05 · Data source: aggregated live research (government/consular guidance, industry TEFL guides), see sources below
Bachelor's degree and a work permit are legally required; a 120-hour TEFL certificate (online is fine) is the accepted legal minimum, though schools prefer 150-hour+ courses with a practicum.
Visa / work permit route
Foreign teachers need a work permit issued by the provincial labour authority, followed by a temporary residence card (TRC). A tourist visa does not authorise paid work — teaching on one is an unauthorised, legally risky grey-market practice, not a real pathway, however common it is informally.
Degree requirement
A bachelor's degree in any subject is a legal requirement for the work permit. Claims that you can "teach in Vietnam without a degree" almost always refer to unauthorised tutoring, not legitimate work-permit employment.
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120 hours is the recognised legal minimum for a work permit application, and it does not have to be in-person — Vietnamese labour authorities accept accredited online TEFL courses for the legal minimum. 150+ hour courses with a live teaching practicum aren't legally required but are a real edge for international-school applications, where employers often say they prefer them.
Background checks & document legalisation
A police clearance / criminal record certificate from your home country, issued within roughly the last 6 months, needs to be apostilled or embassy-legalised, translated into Vietnamese by a certified translator, and notarised in Vietnam before it goes to the provincial labour department.
Recent rule changes to know about
Decree 219/2025/ND-CP, effective 7 August 2025, replaced the older Decree 152/2020/ND-CP: processing time was cut from roughly 5 weeks to 3, the job-posting requirement was dropped, permit-issuing authority moved to Provincial People's Committees, and the experience bar for the "expert" category (the one most TEFL teachers are processed under) was reduced. Provincial fees and exact processing times still vary — check with the relevant provincial labour office (DoLISA) before you commit to a start date.
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This page is general information, not immigration or legal advice — always confirm current visa and work permit requirements with the relevant embassy, consulate, or a licensed immigration adviser before booking travel.
FAQs
Do I need a degree to teach English in Vietnam?
A bachelor's degree in any subject is a legal requirement for the work permit. Claims that you can "teach in Vietnam without a degree" almost always refer to unauthorised tutoring, not legitimate work-permit employment.
How many TEFL certification hours do I need for Vietnam?
120 hours is the recognised legal minimum for a work permit application, and it does not have to be in-person — Vietnamese labour authorities accept accredited online TEFL courses for the legal minimum. 150+ hour courses with a live teaching practicum aren't legally required but are a real edge for international-school applications, where employers often say they prefer them.
What visa do I need to teach English in Vietnam?
Foreign teachers need a work permit issued by the provincial labour authority, followed by a temporary residence card (TRC). A tourist visa does not authorise paid work — teaching on one is an unauthorised, legally risky grey-market practice, not a real pathway, however common it is informally.
Is a background check required to teach in Vietnam?
A police clearance / criminal record certificate from your home country, issued within roughly the last 6 months, needs to be apostilled or embassy-legalised, translated into Vietnamese by a certified translator, and notarised in Vietnam before it goes to the provincial labour department.