Many are the people who through web pages and social networks have commented that the demand for English teachers in Vietnam is very large and it is easy to find a job in this country. Often, however, the information on what requirements you have to meet in order to get a work permit is not easy to find, and so I decided to write this article.

What qualifications are necessary to work as a teacher in Vietnam legally?

To be able to work legally in Vietnam as a teacher it is necessary to have:

1. A college career. Any race is valid, even though it is not related to the field of linguistics or education. However, to teach in international schools it is necessary to have a career related to the subject in which you are going to teach.
2. A teacher title. This title may be from a career of teaching or a master of teaching (which you may qualify to be a professor in your country) until a certificate such as TEFL, TESOL or CELTA, that could be out in about a month, and even online. (Notice, it is preferable not to remove a title for a Uk company, since for a few years, the Uk embassy in Vietnam refuses to legalize titles).
3. A certificate of your level of English. Is necessary to be able to prove a C1 level, through certificates recognized internationally as the TOEFL, IELTS, etc. This requirement requires only to people who are not from countries where it is considered that the English is spoken as a native language (Canada, USA, Uk, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand), and that do not have a university degree in English or English teaching.
4. Certificate of work experience demonstrating at least 3 years working in the relevant field for the job for which you are expected to work the foreign worker in Vietnam. This requirement has begun to require more strict in 2021 and I have applied for a certificate of this type for my work permit. This certificate may cause the company for which you work, and you must include your name, number of passport, date of birth, the position held, dates on which desempeñaste that work. In addition, the document must have a date, name and title of the person signing, and the seal of the organization that produces the certificate. Finally, these 3 years of experience may have been gained in various ventures, in which case it should be a certificate from each company.

NOTICE! For that these documents are accepted by the government of Vietnam, it is necessary that they are notarized. In some cases it is possible to perform the legalization once in Vietnam, but it is wise to legalize the titles in your own country before you come to Vietnam. A good strategy would be to contact the embassy of your country in Vietnam by e-mail or phone to find out how to legalize the titles so that they are accepted in Vietnam, a country that is not part of The Hague Convention.

What other requirements must be met to obtain a work permit of teacher in Vietnam?

There are some other requirements that you need to meet to be able to work as a teacher legally in Vietnam:

How is the teacher’s day in Vietnam?

1. To be of age.
2. To have good health. This will be checked by a medical examination and the report will be attached to the application for the work permit (usually the different companies are in charge of organizing the visit to a hospital before you apply for the work permit).
3. Not have a criminal record. in order To certify this point, it is advisable to apply for your certificate of criminal record in your country.

Final advice: get as much as you can

First teaching job in Vietnam (ends BADLY)

After almost 4 years of living and working as a teacher in Vietnam, my biggest advice is that you try to not only meet the academic requirements required by the government of Vietnam, but to do everything possible to overcome them, by getting a resume as strong as possible before you come in.

For example, you have a C2 English is better than having a C1; have a certificate from a teacher face-to-face is preferable to take a degree online; and have experience even if it is as a volunteer in your own country is better than not having taught never.

How is it to live in Vietnam?

The reason why I advise to be prepared as much as possible before you come is because the best companies hire and offer the best wages and working conditions for teachers with a better level of English, better trained and more experienced. After many years living in Vietnam, and, I, myself, go through an unpleasant situation for a company without scruples, I say unto you work for someone else you trust is priceless.