Hiring a Japanese Chef in Ho Chi Minh City: Permits and Pay

Ho Chi Minh City has the largest Japanese community in Vietnam, but it is shrinking, while the number of Japanese restaurants in the country keeps rising. That combination shapes how a restaurant in HCMC should hire: fewer Japanese cooks to recruit locally, more reliance on bringing a chef in, and a Vietnamese team that has to carry the kitchen. This guide covers what is specific to HCMC. For the national work permit rules in detail, see our Vietnam guide. Current as of September 2026.

1. Ho Chi Minh City in numbers

• 9,249 Japanese nationals lived in Ho Chi Minh City on 1 October 2025, down 5.0% on the year. It is the largest Japanese community in Vietnam (MOFA).
• Vietnam as a whole had 16,636 Japanese nationals, down 4.4%. Hanoi, the second city, grew 3.6% to 5,853.
• MAFF counted 1,820 Japanese restaurants in Vietnam in 2025, up 200 on 2023.

We found no official count of Japanese restaurants by city in Vietnam, so the split between HCMC and Hanoi cannot be given. The national trend is clear enough: more restaurants, fewer Japanese residents. In HCMC that points to a customer base that is increasingly Vietnamese, and to a thin local pool of Japanese chefs. Expect to recruit from Japan or from elsewhere in the region.

2. Who issues the permit

Decree 219/2025/ND-CP, in force since 7 August 2025, is the current rulebook for foreign workers. Its provisions that matter at city level:

• Provincial level People's Committees grant, extend and revoke work permits (Article 4). For a restaurant in HCMC, that is the city's People's Committee, working through whichever department it designates. Ask which office currently receives filings before you prepare the dossier.
• If the chef will work in more than one province, the People's Committee where the employer's headquarters is located is competent. A group with a head office in HCMC and branches in Hanoi or Da Nang files in HCMC.
• The authority must decide within 10 working days of receiving a complete dossier (Article 22). A refusal must be notified in writing within 3 working days.
• A permit lasts no more than 2 years (Article 21) and can be extended only once, for up to 2 years (Article 29). The extension request goes in between 45 and 10 days before expiry.

How the rules are applied can differ between localities and change without a new decree. Before committing to a hire, ask the HCMC authority or a local adviser how applications are being handled now.

3. Timing a start date in HCMC

Article 22(1) of Decree 219 requires the application between 60 and 10 days before the chef is expected to start work. For a chef starting on 1 March, the window opens around the start of January and closes on 19 February. With a 10 working day decision period, filing near the end of the window leaves no slack before the start date, so aim for the early part.

Most chefs will qualify as a technical worker, which Decree 219 defines as someone with at least 1 year of training and 2 years of relevant experience, or at least 3 years of experience in the job (Article 3(4)). Documenting that experience is the slow part. Ask candidates at the first interview for dated employment letters from previous restaurants, and start translations early.

Once the permit is issued, the chef still needs the visa and temporary residence card. Our Vietnam guide covers those steps and health insurance.

4. Region I pay for the Vietnamese team

Vietnam sets minimum wages by region. From 1 January 2026, under Decree 293/2025/ND-CP, the rates rose by an average of 7.2%:

JETRO points out that areas within the same province or city can fall into different regions, so check the decree's annex for your address rather than assuming Region 1. Employers already paying above the new rates are not required to raise pay.

These figures are floors for the Vietnamese cooks and service staff. A Japanese chef's pay is set by the international market, not by them. See sushi chef salary by country.

5. A kitchen model that suits the city

With the local Japanese population falling, the model that holds up in HCMC is one Japanese chef leading a Vietnamese team that is trained deliberately:

• Hire the chef as a trainer. The work permit has to justify a foreign worker, and a chef who builds Vietnamese cooks' skills is the easiest case to make. See training local staff in Japanese cuisine.
• Plan for the four year horizon. Two years plus one extension of up to two years is what Decree 219 allows on one permit. Have a Vietnamese sous chef ready to step up by then, or plan the next application early.
• Treat the chef's move properly. Housing near the restaurant, flights and a clear contract make the difference between a chef who stays and one who leaves after the first renewal. See relocation packages for chefs and retaining Japanese chefs.

6. Checklist

1. Confirm which HCMC office currently receives work permit applications.
2. Check the chef's paperwork: 3 years of documented experience, or 1 year of training plus 2 years of experience.
3. Fix the start date and file between 60 and 10 days before it, early in the window.
4. Check your address against the Region 1 list and set Vietnamese staff pay at or above VND 5,310,000 a month.
5. Diary the permit expiry and the 45 to 10 day extension window.

Also in Vietnam: hiring a Japanese chef in Hanoi. In the region: Bangkok.

General information checked in September 2026 against the text of Decree 219/2025/ND-CP, JETRO summaries and Japanese government statistics, not legal or immigration advice. Vietnamese practice varies by locality and can change without new legislation. Confirm requirements with the Ho Chi Minh City authorities or a Vietnamese lawyer before applying.