Can foreigners get a legal job or work visa in Da Nang, Vietnam?

From messages by 3 participants in 2 sources · Last activity: 81 days ago

TL;DR

Legal employment is very hard to get: work visas are rarely issued, and only for office "white-collar" jobs requiring English, not for service jobs, tour guides, or boat captains — Vietnamese workers fill those roles for much less. Remote work is the realistic option.

What the community said

Getting hired in Da Nang is possible, but only in office ('white-collar') roles with strong English skills. There's almost no chance in service or manual labor jobs — there are plenty of local workers for those, and getting a work visa is difficult. Many expats opt for remote work instead.

Office jobs only

Working as a licensed tour guide isn't legal without a Vietnamese guide license, and foreigners without fluent Vietnamese aren't eligible to get one.

Tour guide license unavailable to foreigners

Getting hired as a legal boat captain is nearly impossible: for the salary of one foreigner, a boat owner can hire 3-4 experienced Vietnamese captains instead. Local captains know the waters, communicate easily with the coast guard, and don't require extra paperwork with the transport ministry.

Hiring cost: 1 foreigner = 3-4 local captains