Guide · Contracts

Employment contracts in Vietnam.

The two contract types Vietnamese law allows, how long they can run, what they must say, and how they are signed.

Updated 22 October 2026 · General information, not legal or tax advice

Short answer

What employment contracts does Vietnamese law allow?

Vietnam's Labour Code 2019 recognises only two types of employment contract: indefinite-term and fixed-term. A fixed-term contract may last up to 36 months and may be renewed only once; after that, continued employment must be on an indefinite-term contract. If an employee keeps working for 30 days after a fixed-term contract expires without a new one being signed, it converts to indefinite-term automatically. The contract must be in writing — on paper in two copies or electronically, with the same validity — and must state the job, workplace, term, salary and allowances, working time, social insurance and training. A foreign employee's contract cannot run longer than their work permit. The salary can never fall below the regional minimum wage of up to ₫5,310,000 a month.

Contract types

The rules in one table.

Employment contract rules in Vietnam (Labour Code 2019)
Rule	Position	Source
Contract types	Indefinite-term; fixed-term	Article 20
Maximum fixed term	36 months	Article 20
Renewals of a fixed term	One; then indefinite-term	Article 20
Working on after expiry	Converts to indefinite-term after 30 days	Article 20
Form	Written or electronic; oral only for work under one month	Article 14
Foreign employees	Term no longer than the work permit	Article 151

Required content

What every contract must say.

The names and details of employer and employee.
The job and the workplace — including remote or hybrid work.
The contract term.
Salary, payment method and date, allowances and other payments.
Pay-rise and promotion arrangements.
Working time and rest time.
Protective equipment where relevant.
Social, health and unemployment insurance.
Training and skills development.

Changes are made by a signed annex. Confidentiality of business and technology secrets can be agreed in the contract or a separate agreement. Every contract issued by Nhân Kiệt is bilingual, Vietnamese and English, so your hire and your managers read the same terms.

Sources: Labour Code 2019 (Law 45/2019/QH14), Articles 13–22 and 151.

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