With all this collection of documents going on in preparation for work permit application and visa extensions, government approved stamps of notarization are necessary. In Danang the place to go is quite easy to find and in my experience it is one of the most well run government offices in Vietnam, so quick and easy.

To get copies of passports, degrees,certificates,police checks or any other official document notarized you need to bring your original document plus 2 clear copies to the notarization office, they will keep one of your copies. The office is on the ground floor, the first office on the right as you go through the gates, you can be in and out in as little as five minutes.

The helpful and polite staff speak a little English and seem quite accustomed to dealing with foreign customers. The fee is usually quite small, 2,000 VND per copy in my experience, it may be more depending on the document, but not much more.

The building pictured is currently under construction and is designed to house most if not all of Danang’s government departments. This in theory should make it easy and faster to get any government related paperwork sorted in one location with, hopefully improved communication and faster process times between departments.

Danang Notarization Office
270 Tran Phu Street
Danang

In order to get any kind of paperwork sorted in Danang, from visas, to work permits, marriage licences or criminal you will need to visit a number of government departments. I have already informed you about the Notarization Office at 270 Tran Phu Street, today I will let you know about the Justice Department Danang. It is housed in an old building on Bach Dang street and I am sure it will welcome the move to the new government office building currently under construction on Tran Phu street.

The Justice Department is where you will need to come to get wedding license paperwork or criminal checks, which are required as part of the work permit process. The building is not well signed in English and I advise coming along with a Vietnamese friend, although a few people do speak reasonable English. As you would expect with a justice department in any country they can be very strict about having the correct paperwork, correct stamps and doing everything in the correct order. They won’t hesitate to turn you away if something is missing or not up to their standards, be alert and organized.

The offices are well organized and in my experience i have not had to wait to long to be served, service is efficient but not so friendly. Once you have submitted your relevant documents the approval process and issuing of final documents is usually about a month. In the case of wedding licenses, you will need to attend a small signing ceremony on the fourth floor with all of the other newlyweds on that particular day, you also get your picture taken with a few officials.

Justice Department Danang
16 Bach Dang Street
Danang

Please be sympathetic, information changes quickly, some of the following information may be out of date and is only intended as a guide. If you have more relaible info please add it to the comments at the bottom of this post.

WORK PERMITS:
So if all you need to stay in Vietnam longer is a work permit what is the big deal? Paperwork is the big deal. Like so many others who have lived in Vietnam I originally came here because it was easy, I didn’t need to do anything before I got here, no visa applications, no online job search, no contracts, no accommodation to organise. I showed up in HCMC, knocked on doors, asked around and within a week or two had a job, a house and a 6 month visa. With the tightening of the regulations Vietnam will start to resemble countries, like Taiwan, Korea and Japan, which in my humble opinion isn’t a bad thing. More on my opinion later.

To get a work permit you require the following:

1. An application form: This is available from the immigration department, your employer should be able to get this for you.

2. An application letter: Needs to follow a certain format, gives similar info as the application form.

3. A Criminal Record Check: If you have been in Vietnam for more than six months from your date of application this needs to be a criminal record check from the city you are living in. If you have been in Vietnam less than 6 months the criminal record check must be from the city where you were living prior to Vietnam. In some cases a criminal record check from your home country is required regardless of how long you have been in Vietnam, this can be time consuming to obtain.

4. A certified photocopy of your university degree: Your original degree will get a stamp on the back of it from your consulate or embassy, then another stamp from the Vietnamese notary recognising your embassy’s stamp! Then you can get copies of the degree notarised to be submitted with your work permit application.

5. A Health Check from the local hospital: There is an approved list of hospitals, make sure the place you go is on the list. The price in Danang is $70 USD (2009 price, may be more now) and Hospital C on Quang Trung street is the only hospital permitted to issue health checks to foreigners in Danang.

6. Curriculum vitae with passport photo: Employment and education history with focus on the skills that you will be using while employed in Vietnam.

7. 3 new passport photos.

The first 7 documents should be collected and arranged by the applicant. Your employer is required to submit the final 4 documents, they may also be able to assist you in collecting the documents above.

8. A valid labor contract.

9. The company license (copy certified by Government authority office)

10. Work permit application form

11. The approval from the Government to use foreign labor.

So there it is simple, only 11 pieces of paper need to be collected, submitted, approved and stamped – easy! As I mentioned before the process takes about 6 or 7 months to complete. I have heard of the process taking 3 months for companies that are organised and experienced in organizing work permits for their foreign labor. The work permit will be valid for the length of your contract and can be easily extended if your contract is extended.

The process is a little more complicated for Americans as the U.S consulate or embassy won’t stamp American issued University degrees, this must be done inside the United States, making it very costly and time consuming. I am not aware of a way around this step.

You may also like to check out Getting A Visa In Danang

If you are reading this post with the hope of understanding these new visa, work permit and residence card regulations I am sorry to disappoint you but I am just as lost as you are. I have been living in Vietnam for the last 7 years and have seen regulations come and go, the current mess is as bad as it has ever been for expats living here, it seems a large number are scrambling to get organized and to get legitimate visas.

I will try to shed a little light on the situation and offer some advice about how to extend your stay in Vietnam as easy and as painlessly as possible.

VISAS:
As I understand it, anyone with a current 6 month business visa or any visa for that matter who does not posses a current work permit will not be issued with another visa or an extension for anymore than 1 month. I also think that a maximum of 3, 1 month, visas will be issued at which point leaving the country and re-entering will be required.

It is my understanding that the law hasn’t actually changed, it is just being enforced, since 2000, the law has been in place where all foreigners on a business visa were required to have a work permit and a contract with a local company, it has taken time for the issuing of the law and the enforcement of the law to catch up to each other.

This will be of the most inconvenience to anyone whose visa is due to run out soon, giving you little time to get a work permit, your 3 monthly visas will be used up quickly while waiting for Vietnamese stamps and paperwork to be issued. I am familiar with the work permit process, it can take anywhere upto 7 months to get that little blue book in your hand.

Hoa Nghiem Air Ticket Agent offers free advice and quotes and can arrange tickets at short notice. They also deliver tickets to your home or office anywhere in Danang. They can assist you in changing flights, getting refunds and can help with getting discounts for international students.

Air Ticket Agent – Hoa Nghiem
217 Nguyen Tri Phuong – Danang
Tel: 0511.3.700.466 – Fax: 0511.3.692.652
Cell: 090.533.0797 – 090.6101940
Email: nghiemdt2411@yahoo.com
Skype: phong.ve