EOR by country · Australia
Hiring in Vietnam from Australia.
How Australian companies employ people in Vietnam without an entity: tax, payments, time zone, staff and cost.
Updated 22 October 2026 · Written and checked by Nhân Kiệt's payroll and employment-law team (labour leasing licence 029/LĐTBXH-GP, employing people in Vietnam since 2009) · About 4 min read · General information, not legal or tax advice
Short answer
How can a Australian company hire employees in Vietnam?
An Australian company can build a team in Vietnam without a Vietnamese entity by using an employer of record such as Nhân Kiệt, which signs the labour contract, runs payroll in dong, pays social insurance and income tax, and charges US$99–199 per employee a month plus VAT. Australia and Vietnam have a double tax agreement in force. Staff employed in Vietnam join Vietnamese social insurance; the Australian superannuation guarantee does not apply to them. Sydney is three hours ahead of Vietnam, four during Australian daylight saving, and Perth one hour. Australian firms often hire bookkeepers, accountants, customer service, digital marketing and software staff this way, and should note that annual leave in Vietnam is 12 working days rather than four weeks.
Key takeaways
- Nhân Kiệt employs your Vietnam team for US$99–199 per employee a month plus VAT, with no entity needed.
- Australia and Vietnam have a double tax agreement in force.
- Superannuation does not apply; staff join Vietnamese social insurance.
- Sydney is three or four hours ahead of Vietnam; Perth one hour.
- Annual leave in Vietnam is 12 working days, plus 12 paid public holidays in 2026.
How it works
Hiring in Vietnam from Australia through an EOR.
Your company in Australia signs one service agreement with Nhân Kiệt. Nhân Kiệt signs a bilingual Vietnamese–English labour contract with each person, runs payroll in dong, pays social insurance and personal income tax, and applies for work permits for foreign hires. You choose the people, set salaries and direct their daily work, and pay one monthly invoice covering salary, statutory contributions and the service fee. Nothing is registered in Vietnam in your company’s name.
Tax
Tax treaty and tax exposure.
Australia and Vietnam have a double tax agreement in force, which sets the permanent establishment test for Australian companies: keep contract signing and pricing in Australia. Offshore teams that only serve the Australian business — bookkeeping, support, marketing, development — rarely raise the question, but staff who sell to Vietnamese clients should not conclude contracts locally. Employees resident in Vietnam pay Vietnamese income tax at 5% to 35%, withheld monthly by Nhân Kiệt.
Paying
Paying from Australia.
Nhân Kiệt sends one invoice a month covering salary, statutory contributions and the fee, and Australian clients usually pay by international transfer in the currency agreed in the service agreement. Employees are paid in dong and join Vietnamese social, health and unemployment insurance; superannuation guarantee contributions do not apply to them.
Working together
Time zone and holidays.
Sydney and Melbourne are three hours ahead of Vietnam, four during Australian daylight saving; Perth is one hour ahead. A 9:00 start in Vietnam is noon or 13:00 on the east coast, so most teams overlap for the Australian afternoon. Christmas, Boxing Day, Easter and Australia Day are working days in Vietnam, while Tết, from 16 to 20 February in 2026, is not an Australian holiday.
People
Staff, contracts and work permits.
Annual leave in Vietnam is 12 working days, plus one day for every five years with the same employer, and there is no leave loading; there are 12 paid public holidays in 2026. Employment ends on lawful grounds with notice, and probation is capped — 60 days for jobs needing a college-level qualification. Bookkeepers working on Australian ledgers, support agents on Australian hours and developers are the most common hires.
See also social insurance 2026, personal income tax 2026 and work permits.
Worked example
What one hire costs.
A bookkeeper on ₫18,000,000 a month. Employer contributions for a Vietnamese employee are 23.5% — 21.5% social, health and unemployment insurance plus the 2% trade-union fee — or ₫4,230,000, so the monthly employment cost is ₫22,230,000. Add Nhân Kiệt’s fee of US$99–199 plus VAT. The salary is illustrative; use the employer cost calculator for your own figures.
Common mistakes
Mistakes Australian companies make in Vietnam.
- Adding superannuation to Vietnamese payslips, where it does not apply.
- Scheduling Vietnam staff fully on Australian hours without agreeing working time and night-work rules in the contract.
- Paying people as contractors when the work looks like employment under Vietnam’s Labour Code.
- Copying home-country contracts and policies instead of a Vietnamese labour contract.
- Letting Vietnam staff conclude sales contracts, which can create a permanent establishment.
Questions
Hiring in Vietnam from Australia: FAQ
Do Australia and Vietnam have a tax treaty?
Yes. A double tax agreement between Australia and Vietnam is in force.
Do we pay superannuation for staff in Vietnam?
No. Staff employed in Vietnam by a Vietnamese employer join Vietnamese social insurance instead.
How much annual leave do Vietnam staff get?
12 working days a year, plus one day for every five years with the same employer, and 12 paid public holidays in 2026.
What is the time difference with Sydney?
Sydney is three hours ahead of Vietnam, or four during Australian daylight saving.
Does a Australian company need a Vietnamese entity to hire in Vietnam?
No. Nhân Kiệt employs your staff in Vietnam under one service agreement with your company.
How much does it cost a Australian company to employ someone in Vietnam?
Salary, employer contributions of about 23.5% for a Vietnamese employee, and Nhân Kiệt’s fee of US$99–199 per employee a month plus VAT.
How quickly can we hire in Vietnam?
A Vietnamese national can start once the service agreement and labour contract are signed; a foreign hire typically takes four to eight weeks for the work permit.
Hiring in Vietnam? We handle all of this as your employer.
Nhân Kiệt employs your team, runs payroll, insurance, tax and work permits. Fee: US$99–199 per employee a month, plus VAT.
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