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Trade agreements with Vietnam
The UK has 2 Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) with Vietnam:
- the UK-Vietnam FTA which entered into force on 1 January 2021
- the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), a trade agreement including 12 countries (Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, the UK and Vietnam), which entered into force between the UK and Vietnam on 15 December 2024
The UK-Vietnam FTA should be read in conjunction with the EU-Vietnam FTA because the UK-Vietnam FTA incorporates provisions of the EU-Vietnam FTA.
The following Parliamentary report provides information about significant differences between the two.
The UK-Vietnam FTA will remain in force alongside CPTPP. At times, you will need to specify which agreement you choose to trade under (notably when applying rules of origin), but benefits from either agreement will mostly apply automatically. Our guides attempt to highlight where businesses may need to make an explicit decision.
CPTPP entry into force and ratification
As of 15 December 2024, CPTPP is in force between the UK and:
- Brunei
- Chile
- Japan
- Malaysia
- New Zealand
- Peru
- Singapore
- Vietnam
This means that the UK can access CPTPP provisions with said countries.
On 24 December 2024, CPTPP will enter into force between the UK and Australia; this means that the UK will be able to access CPTPP provisions with Australia from and including 24 December 2024.
The following countries have not yet ratified the terms of the UK’s accession:
Canada and Mexico.
This means that the UK cannot yet access CPTPP provisions with those countries.
This guidance will be updated following each of the remaining countries’ ratification of the terms of the UK’s accession to CPTPP and will include when CPTPP will enter in force between the UK and the relevant remaining country.
This guidance is an explanation of both the UK-Vietnam FTA Chapter 8: Liberalisation of investment, trade in services and electronic commerce (Article 8.13: temporary presence of natural persons) and CPTPP Chapter 12: Temporary Entry for Business Persons. Key documents include Vietnam’s schedule of commitments for temporary entry for business persons in accordance with Article 12.4 of the CPTPP agreement.
This guidance outlines how the temporary entry provisions in these agreements support the movement of skilled UK business professionals to Vietnam to facilitate trade in goods and services, as well as investment. CPTPP is now in force with Vietnam, and UK professionals can now benefit from the agreement. Please note, when applying for temporary entry to Vietnam, you will not need to specify that you are entering under a particular FTA.
Please be aware that entry into Vietnam is subject to meeting the relevant immigration and employment requirements set out in Vietnamese legislation. For more details, visit the UK government guidance on living in Vietnam.
Temporary entry
Temporary entry provisions in FTAs help provide greater certainty and access for the temporary movement of professionals to:
- deliver services
- negotiate the sale of goods
- invest in businesses in person
The movement of skilled UK professionals supports economic growth, innovation, and collaboration between the UK and its international partners.
These commitments do not afford legal rights to business persons directly. They apply to British citizens only, and not to foreign nationals who reside in the UK. For example, they do not allow British citizens to enter a CPTPP country to look for employment, nor do they apply to measures regarding citizenship, nationality, residence or permanent employment.
FTA commitments on temporary entry do not necessarily lead to improvements in domestic legislation of CPTPP countries. However, they guarantee that CPTPP countries will treat covered business persons no less favourably than what is set out in the FTA. The domestic law of each CPTPP country remains the authoritative source of rights and obligations on temporary entry. Each CPTPP country must ensure that its domestic law conforms with its FTA commitments. If there is an inconsistency between the country’s FTA commitments and its domestic law (the latter is less favourable than the former), this needs to be brought to the attention of the UK government. See the contacts in the support section on this page.
Categories of business person
CPTPP provisions on temporary entry generally provide improved access compared to the provisions in the UK-Vietnam FTA. Therefore, categories and lengths of stay for business people below are as described in the CPTPP text. Please read the full CPTPP definitions in Chapter 12-A Vietnam Temporary Entry for Business Persons for each category to ensure you meet the criteria, including applicable sectors.
Please note that final visa names are set by the destination country and may vary from the FTA text. Prospective visa applicants should check the living in Vietnam guidance for visa details and other immigration requirements.
Find information for:
- Services Sales Persons
- Intra-Corporate Transferees
- Persons Responsible for Setting up a Commercial Presence
- Other Personnel
- Contractual Service Suppliers
In addition, for some categories of business person, Vietnam may allow accompanying spouses and dependents to enter Vietnam for the same length of time as the covered business person, subject to meeting the relevant requirements. Accompanying spouses and dependents may also apply for temporary residence cards, subject to meeting the relevant requirements.
Services Sales Persons
Services Sales Persons (otherwise known as Business Visitors) are business persons who are paid from a source outside of Vietnam, not making sales to the general public, and not directly involved in supplying the service. They should be seeking to travel to Vietnam for a relatively short amount of time and for the purpose of negotiating the sale of the services of a UK service provider.
Services Sales Persons can stay in Vietnam for up to 6 months, subject to meeting the relevant immigration requirements.
Example: Are you a representative of a service supplier, planning to travel to Vietnam to negotiate the sale of a service? UK Service Sales Persons in this category have certainty that they can stay in Vietnam for up to 6 months, subject to meeting the relevant immigration requirements.
Intra-Corporate Transferees
Intra-Corporate Transferees are business persons who have been employed by an enterprise of the UK for at least one year and who are being temporarily transferred to a commercial presence in Vietnam.
Vietnam’s CPTPP commitments extend to 2 types of Intra-Corporate Transferees.
The first are managers or executives who are business persons who:
- primarily direct the management of the enterprises which have established a commercial presence in Vietnam
- receive only general supervision or direction from the board of directors or stockholders of the business or their equivalent
- direct the establishment or a department or subdivision of the establishment
- supervise and control the work of other supervisory, professional, or managerial employees
- have the authority to hire and fire or recommend hiring, firing, or other personnel actions
- do not directly perform the task of supplying the service
The second are specialists who have knowledge and expertise of the organisation’s services, research equipment, techniques, or management. Alternatively, they must have 5 years of experience in the same role as the one they will be holding in Vietnam. Assessment of such knowledge will take into account whether the person has significant skills or qualifications related to a type of work requiring specific technical knowledge. Specialists may include, but are not limited to, members of licensed professions.
Please note that under CPTPP, for any commercial presence established in Vietnam by an enterprise of the UK, at least 20% of all managers, executives, or specialists must be Vietnamese nationals. However, a minimum of 3 non-Vietnamese managers, executives, or specialists shall be permitted.
Under CPTPP, Intra-Corporate Transferees can stay in Vietnam for up to 3 years initially, subject to meeting the relevant immigration requirements, after which the stay may be extended.
Upon application, Vietnam may allow the accompanying spouse and children of Intra-Corporate Transferees to enter and stay in Vietnam for the same period as the Intra-Corporate Transferee, subject to meeting the relevant immigration requirements.
Under the UK-Vietnam FTA, one additional type of Intra-Corporate Transferee is included:
- trainee employees are business people who have been employed by the business for at least one year, have a university degree, and are transferred for career development purposes or to obtain training in business techniques or methods
Under the UK-Vietnam FTA, trainee employees can stay in Vietnam for up to one year, subject to meeting the relevant immigration requirements.
Example: Are you a UK based business looking to transfer a specialist to a branch office in Vietnam? That employee could benefit from Intra-corporate Transferee provisions within the FTAs that will mean they can stay in Vietnam initially for 3 years, possibly longer, subject to meeting the relevant immigration requirements. Additionally, upon a successful application their spouse and any children may accompany them for the same duration, subject to meeting the relevant immigration requirements.
Persons Responsible for Setting up a Commercial Presence
Persons Responsible for Setting up a Commercial Presence are business persons who are responsible for setting up the first commercial presence of a UK business in Vietnam. These business people are managers or executives as described within the section on Intra-Corporate Transferees above. They must not be making sales to the general public in Vietnam or be directly involved in supplying the service.
Persons Responsible for Setting up a Commercial Presence can stay in Vietnam for up to one year, subject to meeting the relevant immigration requirements.
Upon application, Vietnam may allow the accompanying spouse and children of Persons Responsible for Setting up a Commercial Presence the ability to enter and stay in Vietnam for the same period as the Persons Responsible for Setting up a Commercial Presence, subject to meeting the relevant immigration requirements.
Example: are you a UK business who wants to set up a commercial presence in Vietnam? You can send a manager from your business to Vietnam to set up that presence for one year alongside their spouse and children, subject to meeting the relevant immigration requirements.
Other Personnel
Other Personnel are business people employed by a UK enterprise operating in Vietnam who aim to participate in that enterprise’s activities in Vietnam but who cannot be substituted for Vietnamese employees. These business people are managers, executives, or specialists as described under the heading of Intra-Corporate Transferees above.
Other Personnel may stay in Vietnam for an initial period of 3 years or the duration of their employment contract, whichever is shorter, which may be extended and is subject to meeting the relevant immigration requirements.
Contractual Service Suppliers
Contractual Service Suppliers are UK nationals who have been employed by a UK enterprise to fulfil a service contract in Vietnam. The UK business must not have a commercial presence in Vietnam.
The Contractual Service Supplier must have either:
- a university degree or technical qualification demonstrating knowledge of an equivalent level
- where required by Vietnamese laws and regulations, professional qualifications in the sector concerned, or
- at least 5 years of professional experience in the sector
In addition, they must:
- be a specialist, defined as someone who has advanced knowledge and continued expertise of the business management, their services, research equipment or techniques
- alternatively, have 5 years of experience in the same role as the one they will be holding in Vietnam, and have worked for the UK enterprise for at least 2 years
Contractual Service Suppliers can stay in Vietnam for up to 6 months or the duration of their contract, whichever is less, subject to meeting the relevant immigration requirements. The stay may be extended.
Upon application, Vietnam may allow the accompanying spouse and children of Contractual Service Suppliers the ability to enter and stay in Vietnam for the same period, subject to meeting the relevant immigration requirements.
Entry of Contractual Service Suppliers covers a range of sectors.
Some of these sectors include:
- construction and engineering services
- professional services (including banking, insurance, legal and accounting)
- computer-related services
- telecommunications services
- financial services
- educational services
See Annex 12-A Vietnam Temporary Entry for the full list of sectors covered.
Example: Are you an architect at a UK architecture firm with a contract to provide architectural services to a client in Vietnam? As a Contractual Services Supplier you will have the certainty that you can stay in Vietnam for up to 6 months and may be able to bring you spouse and children with you, subject to meeting the relevant immigration requirements.
Additional information for temporary business travel
As set out in CPTPP, Vietnam has committed to ensuring all relevant information related to visas for business people is publicly available. Vietnam has also committed to ensuring that visa applications are processed quickly, with reasonable fees, and that applicants can receive updates on the status of their applications.
Entry to Vietnam is subject to applicants meeting the relevant immigration requirements set by Vietnam.
Check out the UK government’s travel advice for Vietnam to find out more about Vietnam’s laws, entry requirements and customs.
Department for Business and Trade support
The Department for Business and Trade (DBT) helps businesses export, drives inward and outward investment, negotiates market access and trade agreements, and champions free trade. Helpful links, tools and services available from DBT and wider government include:
Export Support Service (ESS) team
Get support on how to do business abroad. You may also be eligible for 1-2-1 support from a local International Trade Adviser. Businesses in Wales can also access support from Business Wales.
Export Support Service – International Markets (ESS-IM)
DBT's overseas in-market export support service for SMEs with high-export potential. Our International Market Advisers provide tailored support and market introduction information to new and current UK exporters looking to enter or expand into new markets. The service may be accessed globally with International Markets teams in South Asia, China, the Middle East, Africa, Eastern Europe, North America and Latin America.
Sign up to access free training on how to grow your international sales.
Information on finance and insurance for UK exports.
Trade and investment factsheets
The latest statistics on trade and investment between the UK and individual overseas partners.
Overseas business risk profiles
Information for UK businesses on political, economic and security risks when trading overseas.
Advice and warnings about travel abroad, including entry requirements, safety and security, health risks and legal differences.
Check or report a trade barrier
If you encounter an issue when exporting to any country – report the issue and UK government officials will be able to assess the issue and consider the options we have open to addressing it as appropriate
Search for your specific product to find applicable tariffs for each market, explore rules of origin and step-by-step help on customs procedures
Check import duties and allows you to check the status of available tariff rate quotas
Useful resources
You can find more information about export opportunities, business culture and any existing trade barriers on our Vietnam market guide.
Prior to export, you must be aware of local regulations and import conditions in Vietnam that apply to your goods or services. This can include tax considerations, labour laws, intellectual property rules, labelling and packaging regulations, among others. The export guide above provides an introduction to Vietnam’s tax system.
To seek further information related to local regulations, business culture, or to find a local lawyer, translator, importer or distributor, you can use the following contacts:
- DBT’s Export Support Service International Markets team
- get in touch with DBT at the local British Embassy
- get in touch with the British Chamber of Commerce in Vietnam
To see information on political, economic and security risks when trading with Vietnam, please see: