Find Out How to Get a Job and Work in Ho Chi Minh City

Employment in Ho Chi Minh City

The Local Economy

Ho Chi Minh City is the economic hub of Vietnam, accounting for a large proportion of the country’s economy. Tourism brings in a lot of business to the city, and services account for over half of the city’s economy. Construction makes up most of the rest of the economy in the city, and less than 2% of the economy is made up of agriculture, forestry and other small industries.

Job Hunting in Ho Chi Minh City

Expatriates looking for jobs in Ho Chi Minh City will not struggle to find work teaching English, which is a popular way to experience this exciting new culture, and get some great opportunities to travel in the surrounding region. A TEFL certificate will support your application and if you have any teaching experience, this will help significantly in giving you more options about the position you select.

English teaching positions can be found online before going out to Vietnam, and there is the option of going through an agent, but beware of this because they can be very pricey, and it is not always necessary as jobs can be found online. Often, as a part of the application process, you will need to go through a video interview. The highest paid jobs will be at universities, secondary schools or international schools, and the benefits of working here are that you will get the same holidays as the students. Another option is working in a focused English training school which will teach across various schools and also after evening and weekend classes.

Work Permits for Ho Chi Minh City

Once you have found employment, a work permit is essential, and foreigners found working in Ho Chi Minh City without a work permit will be deported. You can apply from within Vietnam, providing this is done within 90 days of your arrival in the country, but the easier way to do this is from home with the help of your employer. The application will need to be sent to the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Labor – Invalids and Social Affairs, as the permit will need to be applied for in the city that you will be working, rather than for a work permit valid for the whole country.