Moving to Da Nang With Family: Job Offer Checklist (2026)

The employer files the work permit 60 to 10 days before the employee's start date. Then come the labour visa, TT visas for the spouse and children, residence cards, a rented home, registration, schools and health cover. Each step names who acts and what it costs.

By Vincent Nguyen

The employee is the worker with the job offer. The spouse and the two children come second. Each step below names who acts: the employer, the employee or the spouse.

The employee enters on an LĐ1 or LĐ2 labour visa. The spouse and each child under 18 of an LĐ1 or LĐ2 holder qualify for the TT symbol. For dependants, the TT route is covered in the spouse and children visa guide.

Step one: The employer files the work permit

For a new permit, the employer files the dossier 60 to 10 days before the employee’s start date. It files at the Public Administrative Service Center where the employee will work.

Trong thời hạn 60 ngày nhưng không ít hơn 10 ngày tính đến ngày người lao động nước ngoài dự kiến làm việc, người sử dụng lao động nộp hồ sơ đề nghị cấp giấy phép lao động

The employer files the work permit dossier within 60 days but not less than 10 days before the foreign worker is due to start.

Decree 219/2025/NĐ-CP, Điều 22 khoản 1

The employee gives the employer two papers:

• A passport that is still valid.
• A health certificate from a qualified medical facility.

A health certificate from a foreign facility counts where Vietnam and that country recognise each other’s certificates, and it must be no more than 12 months old.

The agency issues the permit within 10 working days of a complete dossier, or refuses in writing within 3 working days. A permit lasts up to 2 years and follows the term of a document such as the intended labour contract.

Working without a permit or exemption certificate costs a foreign worker a fine of VND 15,000,000 to 25,000,000. Full guide: work permit in Vietnam.

Step two: Visas for the employee, spouse and children

A permit holder is normally issued a matching LĐ1 or LĐ2 labour visa. LĐ2 is for a foreigner who is subject to the work permit requirement.

LĐ1 and LĐ2 visas are valid for up to 2 years. The spouse and children under 18 hold the TT symbol. Full guide: visa and card for a spouse and children.

Step three: Residence cards, filed by the sponsor

The inviting or sponsoring organisation or individual files the card dossier, not the foreigner. An organisation files at the immigration office where it is based.

The dossier starts with three items:

• The sponsor’s written request.
• The card declaration form with a photo attached.
• The passport.

The employee’s work permit, or a confirmation that none is needed, proves eligibility. The statutory processing time is 5 working days from a complete dossier.

An LĐ1 or LĐ2 card is valid for up to 2 years. A TT card is valid for up to 3 years. Full guide: temporary residence card in Da Nang.

Step four: Rent a home

The landlord pays the agent’s commission. The employee or spouse should not pay an agent a fee; if one asks for it, find another agent.

A rental needs the tenant’s passport as proof of identity and a valid visa. A housing contract must be made in writing.

The deposit is usually one month of rent and is refunded at the end of the contract. If the contract is concluded and performed, the deposit is returned or deducted to pay the rent.

If the landlord refuses to conclude or perform the contract, it returns the deposit plus an amount equal to the deposit, unless the parties agreed otherwise. The tenant returns the property as received, apart from natural wear and tear.

Guides: find an apartment, rental deposit rules, rental contract and where to live.

Step five: The host registers the family

Registration goes through the person who runs the accommodation, who declares it to the ward police or a police post where the accommodation is. The owner, the legal representative or someone they authorise files, not the foreign guest.

The employee and spouse show their passports and residence papers to the accommodation first. A foreigner who does not is fined VND 3,000,000 to 5,000,000.

The electronic declaration is filed the moment the foreigner arrives at the accommodation. There is no fee. Full guide: temporary residence registration.

Step six: School places for the children

St. Nicholas Primary adds a Facilities Fee of VND 20,000,000 and an Account Registration of VND 5,000,000, for VND 270,000,000 in all, before the Application Fee.

Odyssey charges more on top of tuition:

• Application Fee: VND 5,000,000, one-off and non-refundable.
• Enrolment Fee: VND 10,000,000 for Early Years or VND 20,000,000 for Grade 1 and up, one-off.
• Campus and School Development Fee: VND 25,000,000 a year.

Odyssey Early Years takes ages 3-6. The Pre-school at SIS @ Da Nang is for children from 18 months to below 6 years.

St. Nicholas starts its academic year in August and welcomes inquiries throughout the year. It works with families who need to start during the school year. Guides: international school fees and kindergartens for foreign children.

Step seven: Health cover and vaccines

A foreign employee on a fixed-term contract of 12 months or more with an employer in Vietnam must join compulsory health insurance. The exceptions are an intra-company transferee, a person already at retirement age when the contract is signed, and a case where a treaty provides otherwise.

For employees under Article 12 clause 1 points a, c, d and e of the Health Insurance Law, the monthly contribution is 4.5% of the salary. That is the salary used for compulsory social insurance. The employer pays two-thirds and the employee one-third.

For the children, the Pacific Cross Care First CF1 inpatient plan costs VND 1,920 thousand a year at ages 0-3 and VND 1,032 thousand at ages 6-18. Full guide: health insurance for foreigners.

Vaccine prices and the childhood schedule are in the vaccination guide.

What it costs the family

Visa and card fees are charged per visa and per card. Fees are in US dollars.

After the paperwork

Next: first week in Da Nang checklist, Da Nang with kids and the family hub. If a baby is on the way, read registering a birth in Vietnam.

Photos and clips uploaded to Google Maps (Da Nang Immigration Office on Google Maps (opens in a new tab), Singapore International School (Danang) on Google Maps (opens in a new tab), Odyssey International School on Google Maps (opens in a new tab)) by @Bon vivant, @Singapore International School, @Odyssey International School.

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Not confirmed: Typical rent for a larger family flat is not confirmed. The official work permit fee is not confirmed. Whether the compulsory health insurance of a foreign employee covers a spouse and children is not confirmed. Who sponsors the spouse and children, and who pays their visa and card fees, is not confirmed. The papers that prove the family relationship for the TT visa, and its processing time, are not confirmed here; see the dependant visa guide.

General information checked against the sources listed above, not legal advice for your situation. Rules and office practice change; confirm with the immigration office or a licensed adviser before you act. See how guides are checked.

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