Vietnam’s Work & Holiday Visa for Australians
If you’re an Australian aged between 18 and 30 years old and have completed at least two years of university education, you could apply for a Vietnamese Work and Holiday visa. This allows you to live and work anywhere in Vietnam for up to 12 months!
This page contains information about Vietnam’s working holiday visa for Australian citizens. It was last updated on 6 October 2022.
Key facts about Vietnam
- Population: Approx. 99 million
- Official language: Vietnamese
- Capital city: Hanoi
- Largest cities: Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), Hanoi, Da Nang, Haiphong, Biên Hòa
- Currency: Vietnamese Dong (VND)
Vietnam Work and Holiday visa requirements for Australians
In addition to Australians, Vietnam offers working holiday visas to citizens of New Zealand.
The information on this page applies to Australian citizens. Please check with the Vietnamese embassy in Wellington for information applicable to New Zealand citizens.
To apply for a Vietnamese Work and Holiday visa as an Australian citizen, you must meet the following requirements:
- Aged between 18-30 years old (inclusive) at the time of application
- Have a university degree or successfully completed at least two years of undergraduate university study
- Have at least AUD5,000 in savings to support yourself in Vietnam
- Have a return ticket to Vietnam and/or enough money to buy one
- Be in good health
You cannot apply for this visa if you:
- Will be accompanied by dependent children
- Are already in Vietnam
- Have a criminal record
- Have already participated in Vietnam’s working holiday programme
Documents needed to apply for this visa
When applying for a Vietnamese Work and Holiday Visa, you will need to provide the following documents:
- Completed application form (PDF)
- Copy of your Australian passport with at least six months of validity from the date you intend to arrive in Vietnam
- Proof of sufficient funds (i.e. bank statement/s showing you have access to at least AUD5,000)
- Copy of your return flight ticket or proof of enough money to buy one
- A health certificate from a qualified doctor for a standard health check from the past 12 months
- National Police Clearance certificate issued by the AFP (if you currently live in Australia) from the past six months
- Evidence of tertiary qualifications and/or at least two years of undergraduate university study
You can choose to provide both the original documents and a copy of each, or a certified copy of any document for which the original is not submitted.
Australian applicants were previously required to obtain a letter of Australian government support. The checklist provided on the Vietnamese embassy’s website still lists this as a requirement. But that document appears to be out-of-date as the Australian government no longer lists Vietnam as a country for which this is required. Please check with the Vietnamese embassy if in doubt.
There is a visa application fee. There is also a fee of VND600,000 (approx. AUD39) for the issuance of a work permit. Amounts are subject to change.
More information is available on the Vietnamese Embassy in Australia website (see “Procedures to apply for holiday working permit in Vietnam for Australian citizens”).
How to apply for a Vietnam Work and Holiday Visa
You must apply for a Vietnamese Work and Holiday Visa at least one month before your intended arrival date in Vietnam. This can be done either in person or by mail through any of the following Vietnamese consular missions in Australia:
- Vietnamese Embassy in Canberra (ACT, VIC & SA residents)
- Vietnamese Consulate General in Sydney (NSW, QLD & TAS residents)
- Vietnamese Consulate General in Perth (WA & NT residents)
After you’ve been granted a visa and travelled to Vietnam, you’ll need to collect your work permit in person from the Labour Management Division or an Employment Services Centre in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Da Nang or Can Tho.
For detailed information about the visa application process, please consult the “Work and Holiday program for Australian citizens application process and checklist” PDF document provided on the Vietnamese embassy website. We cannot guarantee this document is 100% up-to-date, but it provides the most detailed instructions available online. If you have any questions, please contact your nearest Vietnamese Embassy or Consulate General in Australia.
While best efforts are made to keep this information updated, we do not guarantee its accuracy. If you spot an error, would like to suggest new information to be added or simply have a question, please let us know in the comments and we’ll endeavour to respond or update the article as quickly as possible!
