Teaching English in Saigon: the legal way

Short answer: a bachelor's degree, a 120-hour TEFL and a clean AFP check get an Australian a legal teaching job in Saigon; skipping any one of them gets you a cash job with no protection.

The short version

You need a bachelor's degree in any subject to work legally as a teacher in Vietnam. Australians are counted as native speakers, so no IELTS is needed [1].
Most employers want an accredited TEFL or TESOL of at least 120 hours, plus a police check from home and a notarised, legalised copy of your degree [1].
Language centres typically pay about US$1,700–2,000 a month full time in 2026; international schools pay US$2,000–5,000 but want a teaching licence [1].
Your employer sponsors the work permit. Under Decree 219/2025 it can take about three weeks once the file is complete, and the permit lasts up to two years [2][3].
Smartraveller says disputes with English-teaching employers are common. Never hand over your passport and read the contract before you fly [4].

Who hires English teachers in Saigon

Ho Chi Minh City has the biggest English-teaching market in Vietnam. Jobs fall into four broad types, and they differ a lot in hours, pay and paperwork.

Employer type	Typical full-time pay (2026)	What they usually want	What the week looks like
Language centres	US$1,700–2,000 a month, or US$17–20 an hour part time	Degree, 120-hour TEFL	Evenings and weekends, kids and teens [1]
Public schools (often via an agency)	US$1,200–2,000 a month	Degree, TEFL	Daytime classes, big groups [1]
International schools	US$2,000–5,000 a month, often with housing and flights	Teaching licence or master's, experience	Full school day, school terms [1]
Universities	About US$1,700–2,000 a month	Higher degrees, competitive	Fewer contact hours, more prep [1]

These are national ranges from a 2026 teaching guide, not HCMC-only figures [1]. In practice Saigon sits at the upper end because of demand and living costs. Full-time contracts are usually 20 to 30 classroom hours a week, with at least one day off, and run from three months to two years [1].

The Australian teacher advantage

If you're a registered teacher in Australia, you're in a different market. International schools in Thao Dien, Thu Thiem and District 7 recruit qualified teachers, often a year ahead, and packages can include housing, flights and school fees for your own kids [1]. Our guide to international schools in Saigon lists the main ones. Keep your Australian registration current while you're away; letting it lapse makes coming home harder.

Private tutoring

One-on-one tutoring pays about US$12–25 an hour [1], but your work permit is tied to your employer. Check your visa and contract before you take private students; tutoring on the side can breach both.

The paperwork, and why it starts in Australia

The biggest mistake Australians make is arriving with nothing but a passport and a TEFL PDF. Several documents are much easier to sort before you leave.

What employers ask for

Degree certificate. A notarised copy, legalised for use in Vietnam [1]. Vietnam generally wants foreign documents to go through consular legalisation, which usually means a notary, then authentication by DFAT, then legalisation by the Vietnamese Embassy in Canberra or a Vietnamese consulate. Ask your employer for their exact chain before you pay for anything.
TEFL or TESOL certificate. Accredited, at least 120 hours, ideally with observed teaching practice [1]. Bring the original.
Police check. The AFP's National Police Certificate costs A$57 online, or A$114 with fingerprints, and most are posted within 48 hours [5]. Fingerprint checks take 15 to 30 business days [5]. Since Decree 219, your employer can also apply for a Vietnamese criminal record certificate alongside the permit through the National Public Service Portal [3].
Health check. Usually done in Vietnam at a clinic your employer nominates, and often paid by them [1].
Photos and copies. Bring several passport photos and multiple copies of everything [1].

The Australian Consulate-General in Ho Chi Minh City provides a limited range of notarial services for some documents needed for a work permit [4]. That helps if you're already here, but it's slower than sorting the papers at home.

How the work permit works

Your employer, not you, applies. Decree 219/2025 took effect on 7 August 2025 and replaced the old Decree 152/2020 rules [3]. The main points:

The employer posts a recruitment notice at least five days before filing, then lodges one combined dossier 10 to 60 days before your start date [2].
Provincial People's Committees now issue permits, and they have 10 working days from a complete file to decide. End to end, it's about three weeks [2].
The permit lasts a maximum of two years and is tied to your contract [2].

For experts, the decree asks for a university degree and at least two years of relevant experience, or one year in a priority sector [3]. How each teaching job is classified is your employer's call, so ask them which category they'll use and what experience letters they need from you.

Once the permit is issued, you apply for a temporary residence card. See our guide to Vietnam's temporary residence card.

Arriving before the job

Many teachers come in on a 90-day e-visa, interview, and then have the employer convert their status [1]. It works, but it's tight. If the job and permit aren't sorted before the e-visa runs out, you may need to leave the country and come back [1].

Red flags in a teaching contract

Smartraveller is blunt about this: disputes over misrepresented working and living conditions are common, especially for English teachers [4]. Watch for:

Passport retention. Never hand your passport to an employer, even "for safekeeping". Reputable businesses won't ask [4].
Early-exit penalties. Clauses that make you forfeit your return airfare, or pay a large penalty, if you leave early [4].
Withheld pay. "Bonus" money held back until the end of the contract is a common way to keep teachers from leaving [4].
No work permit. If the school wants you to start on a tourist or business visa "while we sort it", you're the one exposed. Working without a permit can mean fines, detention and an exit ban [4].
Vague housing. If accommodation is included, ask for photos and the address [4].

Get the contract in English, check the hours (contact hours vs office hours), the pay date, the notice period and who pays for the permit, health check and legalisation. Smartraveller recommends legal advice before you sign [4].

Tax and money

On a Vietnamese contract your employer withholds personal income tax. Stay 183 days or more in a calendar year and you're a Vietnamese tax resident, taxed on a sliding scale; non-residents pay a flat 20% on Vietnamese employment income. Our guide to filing tax in Vietnam covers the annual finalisation and the Australia–Vietnam tax treaty.

On the Australian side, moving to Vietnam doesn't automatically end your Australian tax residency. If you keep a home, a partner or a clear plan to return within a year or two, the ATO may still treat you as a resident. Read Australian tax residency after moving before your first July.

A couple of other things Australians forget:

HECS-HELP. Your overseas income still counts towards compulsory repayments, and you must update your contact details with the ATO within seven days of leaving.
Super. Your Vietnamese employer won't pay Australian super. Factor that into what a "good" salary is.
Getting paid. You'll need a Vietnamese bank account to receive salary in VND. See SIMs, bank apps and biometrics.

A realistic plan

Do the TEFL in Australia (or online) and make sure it's at least 120 hours and accredited.
Order the AFP check and get your degree notarised and legalised while you're still home.
Apply from Australia to two or three employers, and ask each one, in writing, whether they'll sponsor the work permit and TRC.
Compare contracts, not just salaries. A US$1,800 job with a permit beats a US$2,200 cash job.
Arrive with a buffer. Two months of living costs covers the gap between landing and first pay. Our cost of living guide helps you size it.
Register with Smartraveller so the consulate can reach you in an emergency [4].

For honest reviews of schools and centres from people who've worked there, join Cooee Vietnam, our Facebook group for Australians in Vietnam.

Teaching English in Saigon: qualifications, pay and doing it legally