Hiring a Japanese Chef in Vietnam: Work Permits Under Decree 219

Vietnam's Japanese restaurant count keeps rising, and the work permit system changed in August 2025. Advice that refers only to Decree 152/2020 is now partly out of date. This guide explains how a restaurant brings in a Japanese chef under the current rules, as of September 2026.

1. Vietnam in numbers

• MAFF counted 1,820 Japanese restaurants in Vietnam in 2025, up 200 on 2023.
• The Japanese community is moving the other way. 16,636 Japanese nationals lived in Vietnam on 1 October 2025, down 4.4% on the year and down from 21,819 in 2022. Nearly all (16,086) were long term residents rather than permanent residents (MOFA).
• By city: Ho Chi Minh City 9,249 (down 5.0%) and Hanoi 5,853 (up 3.6%).

More restaurants and fewer Japanese residents suggests that more of the demand for Japanese food now comes from Vietnamese diners. It certainly means a smaller pool of Japanese cooks already in the country. Most Japanese chefs will have to be brought in.

2. Which rules apply now: Decree 219/2025

The framework, as JETRO summarises it:

• Labour Code 45/2019/QH14, in force from 1 January 2021, sets the basic rules on foreign workers.
• Decree 152/2020/ND-CP implemented them from 15 February 2021, and was amended by Decree 70/2023/ND-CP from 18 September 2023.
• Decree 219/2025/ND-CP on foreign workers in Vietnam was issued on 7 August 2025 and took effect the same day. The provisions of Decree 152 dealing with foreign workers ceased to apply.

If a consultant quotes you the old two stage process (approval of labour demand, then the permit), ask whether their advice predates August 2025.

3. Fitting a chef into a work permit category

A foreign worker must be at least 18, have the professional or technical ability and experience for the job, meet health requirements and have no criminal record. Decree 219 then defines the positions a foreigner can hold. For a chef, two are realistic:

The technical worker route is the one that suits a traditionally trained Japanese chef without a degree. What the authorities see is paper, so the chef's experience needs documenting: letters from previous restaurants with dates, positions and duties. For a graduate of a culinary school course lasting at least a year, the school certificate supports the "1 year of training" limb.

Some people are exempt from work permits altogether, for example the owner or capital contributor of a limited liability company with capital of at least VND 3 billion, or a foreigner married to a Vietnamese citizen and working in Vietnam. Depending on the exemption, the employer must either report the worker or apply for confirmation of the exemption before work starts.

4. The labour demand explanation and local recruitment notice

Before Decree 219, an employer had to advertise the job to Vietnamese workers for at least 15 days, submit a report explaining its need for foreign workers at least 15 days before the start date, and wait for written approval before applying for the permit.

Decree 219 merged these steps. There is now one application form that combines the explanation of the need to use foreign workers with the work permit application. For the "performing a labour contract" form of work (which is what a restaurant hiring a chef uses), the employer must:

• include the explanation of labour demand in the form: why the position needs a foreign worker; and
• announce the recruitment of Vietnamese workers at least 5 days before submitting the application, in line with Article 11(1) of the Labour Code. The notice must state the position (with details and field), the form of work, the location, the duration and any technical expertise required.

The explanation should be specific. "We need a sushi chef" is weak. "The position requires preparation of Edomae sushi including fish ageing and preparation techniques; we advertised for 5 days and no Vietnamese applicant had the required experience" is the kind of reasoning the form is asking for.

5. Timeline and documents

The employer must submit the work permit application at least 10 days and no more than 60 days before the chef is due to start work in Vietnam. Working backwards for a chef starting on 1 March:

1. Collect the chef's documents in Japan: experience letters, any culinary qualifications, criminal record certificate, health check, passport and photos. Allow several weeks, since translations and certifications take time.
2. Publish the Vietnamese recruitment notice at least 5 days before filing.
3. File the combined application no earlier than 60 days and no later than 10 days before 1 March (so from about the start of January to 19 February).
4. Once the permit is issued, arrange the work visa and then the temporary residence card.

Japanese nationals can enter Vietnam without a visa for stays of up to 45 days, which helps for a pre-employment visit, but any work requires the permit.

6. Residence, insurance and renewals

• Temporary residence card. Workers on labour visas can get a temporary residence card; for the LD1, LD2 and PV1 categories it cannot exceed 2 years, and it replaces the need for a visa while valid.
• Health insurance. From 1 July 2025, foreign workers on a contract of 12 months or more with a Vietnamese employer are covered by compulsory health insurance, with limited exceptions such as intra-company transferees. The current rate is 4.5% of the salary used for social insurance, of which the employer pays two thirds.
• Plan renewals early. Treat each renewal as a new check of the chef's documents and the position.

7. Practical advice for restaurants

• Use the experience route deliberately. Ask candidates at the first interview whether they can document 3 years of kitchen work. Without paperwork, the technical worker category is hard to prove.
• Write the recruitment notice properly. It is now short, but it is still a legal step. Keep proof of when and where you published it.
• Train Vietnamese cooks around the Japanese chef. With a shrinking Japanese community, one sponsored head chef plus a trained local team is a more durable model than several foreign cooks. See training local staff in Japanese cuisine.
• Budget for housing and a clear contract. See relocation packages for chefs and the contract checklist.

Neighbouring markets: Thailand, the Philippines and Indonesia.

General information checked in September 2026 against JETRO's summaries of Vietnamese law and Japanese government statistics, not legal or immigration advice. Vietnamese practice varies by province. Confirm requirements with the provincial labour authority or a Vietnamese lawyer before applying.