What Vietnam employee benefits must you provide in 2026?

Note on sick pay: the 75% rate is confirmed in the Social Insurance Law. The number of days available per year varies with how long the employee has contributed to the SI fund (30, 40, or 60 days per year). A new hire with under 15 years of contributions is entitled to 30 days per year.

Model your loaded benefit cost on the Employer Cost Calculator to see the full picture including social contributions for a specific salary level.

The employer social contribution breaks down into three components:

• Retirement and long-term disability (Social Insurance): 17.5% employer rate, 8% employee rate. This is the retirement pillar.
• Health Insurance (HI): 3% employer rate, 1.5% employee rate.
• Unemployment Insurance (UI): 1% employer rate, 1% employee rate.

The contribution ceiling transitions during 2026. Until 30 June 2026 the cap is 20 times the base salary of VND 2,340,000 per month (approximately VND 46.8 million per month). From 1 July 2026 the cap rises to 20 times VND 2,530,000 per month (approximately VND 50.6 million). Contributions on salary above the cap are not required.

Employees accrue pension entitlement after 20 years of social insurance contributions. Market practice in the tech and professional services sectors does not layer a separate employer-funded pension on top of the state scheme. Voluntary pension products exist in Vietnam but employer matching is rare and not a standard hiring expectation.

The 13th-month bonus is typically equivalent to one month's base salary. It is paid before the Lunar New Year (Tet), which falls in January or February. Some employers pay it in two instalments: half before Tet, half after.

For tech and professional services roles in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, the expectation has shifted. A single 13th-month payment is the minimum. Competitive employers offer a performance-linked 14th or 15th month, especially for senior roles. This is especially common in foreign-invested enterprises.

Tax treatment: the Tet bonus is employment income and is fully subject to personal income tax. It is also included in the social insurance contribution base up to the applicable cap.

How the Tet bonus interacts with EOR employment

Teamed administers the Tet bonus as part of the standard payroll cycle. The amount is agreed at onboarding and reflected in the employment contract. It passes through on the invoice at cost, itemised, with no mark-up.

The competitive shift over 2024 to 2026 in Vietnam's tech hiring market:

• International health cover. Local VND-denominated health plans are no longer enough for senior engineering hires. International-grade cover, including overseas treatment and English-language support, has moved from executive perk to mid-level expectation.
• Remote and hybrid working. Post-pandemic, full five-day office attendance is a red flag for many tech candidates. Hybrid models (two to three days in office) are standard in Hanoi and HCMC.
• Learning and development budgets. Fast-moving tech roles demand continuous upskilling. A named budget of 300 to 800 USD per year signals commitment and reduces attrition.
• Mental health support. Still emerging in Vietnam compared to the UK or Singapore, but growing. An Employee Assistance Programme or mental-health helpline costs under 50 USD per employee per year and lands well with candidates who have worked for international firms.
• ESOP and profit-sharing. Equity programmes are rare in Vietnamese-domiciled companies but common in foreign-invested tech businesses. Candidates who have worked at multinationals expect them at senior levels.

The cost of the full competitive package in HCMC and Hanoi for a mid-senior tech hire runs 15 to 25 percent of base salary above the statutory floor. The 13th-month bonus alone accounts for roughly 8 percent of that figure.

Real HR and legal experts set up and administer social insurance enrolment, manage the contribution ceiling changes, and handle payroll through the July 2026 base salary uplift. An actual person, not a chatbot or a pooled queue. There is no setup fee and no exit fee. Every employer cost passes through at cost, itemised on every invoice.

Vietnam is easy to enter and easy to graduate from. The EOR structure works from day one, and it works until it isn't the right vehicle any more. When you are ready to move to a local entity, there is no exit fee and no lock-in.

What is included in Teamed's standard EOR fee for Vietnam:

• Social insurance enrolment and monthly contribution filing (SI + HI + UI)
• Maternity, paternity, and sick-leave administration with the social insurance fund
• Annual leave tracking
• 13th-month Tet bonus administration per the agreed employment contract
• Payroll transition handling for the July 2026 SI ceiling uplift

What clients pass through at cost on the invoice:

• All employer social contributions (21.5% on salary up to the applicable cap)
• Private health insurance premiums
• 13th-month bonus payment
• Meal, transport, and other agreed allowances
• Learning and development budget disbursements

Key sources: Labour Code 2019 (Law No. 45/2019/QH14), PwC Vietnam Social Insurance summary, and Acclime Vietnam HR and Payroll Guide 2026.

1. Share your headcount and package

   Tell us how many people you are hiring in Vietnam and what package you want to offer. We confirm the social contribution cost and the Tet bonus amount upfront.

2. Contract and enrolment

   We issue a Vietnam Labour Code compliant employment contract and enrol each employee in the state social insurance scheme.

3. Payroll runs from day one

   Monthly payroll including social contribution withholding and PIT provisional filing goes live. No setup required from your finance team.

4. Benefits pass through at cost

   Private health premiums, 13th-month bonus, and approved allowances are itemised on every invoice. No mark-up.

5. Scale or exit at any time

   Add employees, adjust the package, or close the engagement. There is no exit fee and no minimum term.