Leaving Vietnam? Don’t forget to claim your lump-sum Social Insurance. terra handles all complex paperwork, helping foreign employees maximize their benefits quickly and in full compliance with the law.
One-time Social Insurance claim service for foreigners in Vietnam
Leaving Vietnam in the next few months? Claim your Social Insurance before you fly.
Who uses terra's one-time Social Insurance claim service?
Estimate how much one-time Social Insurance you can claim
Enter your contribution period and average insured salary to see your estimated one-time Social Insurance amount.
Enter your dates and salary to see the estimate
How to claim one-time Social Insurance in Vietnam: terra's 4-step process
1
1 to 3 days
Eligibility consultation and document review
What you do: Contact us through the form and provide basic details: time worked in Vietnam, contract type and your Social Insurance book (if available).
What terra does: Assess eligibility under the Social Insurance Law, review your existing documents, and quote both the file processing fee and the service fee alongside your estimated benefit. The consultation is free, with no obligation to continue.
2
1 to 2 weeks
Document preparation and legal authorization
What you do: Provide your passport, work permit and contract termination decision. Sign the authorization letter. We strongly recommend signing it in Vietnam before you leave; if you are already abroad, notarize it at a Vietnamese embassy or consulate. Sign the service contract and pay the file processing fee of VND 10 million plus VAT so terra can start work on your file.
What terra does: Provide the standard authorization template in three languages, guide notarization, complete the file and prepare the declaration on the Social Insurance form.
3
2 to 3 weeks
Filing and liaising with the Social Insurance authority on your behalf
What you do: Follow updates by email. Respond if the Social Insurance authority requests additional information.
What terra does: Our experts file directly at the Social Insurance office, provide clarifications if needed and monitor the application until a decision is issued.
4
1 week
Track the outcome and receive your Social Insurance payment
What you do: Provide the receiving account details (Vietnamese bank or a supported foreign bank).
What terra does: Confirm the Social Insurance payment reaches the correct account and send the receipt. The service fee is settled at this step, after you have received your money.
Leaving in the next two months? Read the 60-day plan for claiming Social Insurance before you fly
How terra reduces the risk of a rejected Social Insurance claim
Claiming Social Insurance from abroad means knowing the law, getting the documents right and dealing directly with the authority. terra handles all of it for you, and the earlier you start, ideally before leaving Vietnam, the smoother and more certain the claim.
Compliant and correctly documented
terra specialists stay current with the Law on Social Insurance 2024 (No. 41/2024/QH15) and its guiding regulations, preparing the application correctly from the beginning to avoid rejections.
You authorize terra to act for you
You sign a legal authorization and terra specialists file and liaise with the Social Insurance authority for you, so you never work with the authority directly.
By legal authorizationClear, transparent pricing
A file processing fee of VND 10 million is payable when you sign the contract. The service fee, 15% of the amount withdrawn, is charged only after the money reaches your account. Both fees are quoted before VAT and set out in the contract, with nothing added later.
Service fee charged after you are paidMultilingual support
A team supporting Vietnamese, English and Japanese. The authorization template and all documents are ready in three languages, suited to professionals from Japan, Korea, Europe and the Americas.
3 languages: Vietnamese, English and JapaneseFrequently asked questions
terra strongly advises completing the procedure while you are still in Vietnam. Claiming after you have left is still possible in many cases, but the file goes through extra layers of paperwork: the authorization must be notarized at a Vietnamese embassy or consulate, consultation and follow up take significantly longer, and some cases cannot be claimed at all. Handling it before you leave secures a successful claim and keeps both time and service costs at their best. terra reviews your situation and confirms whether you qualify before you commit.
The main documents: passport (notarized copy), an expired work permit or contract termination decision, your Social Insurance book, and a valid authorization letter to terra. Additional documents may be required depending on your situation. terra will guide you in detail after the eligibility consultation.
The actual total time from when terra receives a complete file to when the Social Insurance is paid into your account is usually 4 to 6 weeks, depending on the Social Insurance authority's processing. terra provides regular status updates by email.
terra charges in two stages, and both are set out in the service contract.
When you sign the contract, you pay a file processing fee of VND 10 million. This covers the eligibility review, preparing and completing your file, guiding the notarization of your authorization, and filing and following up with the Social Insurance authority.
After the Social Insurance payment reaches your account, terra charges a service fee of 15% of the total amount withdrawn.
Both fees are quoted before VAT. The service contract states the rate applicable on the date of signing.
For example, on a withdrawal of VND 200 million: a VND 10 million file processing fee plus a VND 30 million service fee, VND 40 million in total before VAT. Use the estimator at the top of this page to see the gross amount you can expect before fees.
If the claim does not succeed, you pay only the VND 10 million file processing fee and terra charges nothing further.
Get a fee quote for your case
When you sign the contract, you pay a file processing fee of VND 10 million. This covers the eligibility review, preparing and completing your file, guiding the notarization of your authorization, and filing and following up with the Social Insurance authority.
After the Social Insurance payment reaches your account, terra charges a service fee of 15% of the total amount withdrawn.
Both fees are quoted before VAT. The service contract states the rate applicable on the date of signing.
For example, on a withdrawal of VND 200 million: a VND 10 million file processing fee plus a VND 30 million service fee, VND 40 million in total before VAT. Use the estimator at the top of this page to see the gross amount you can expect before fees.
If the claim does not succeed, you pay only the VND 10 million file processing fee and terra charges nothing further.
Get a fee quote for your case
terra has a team of experts supporting Vietnamese, English and Japanese. Every stage of the process, from consultation and contract signing to progress updates, can be done in the language you choose.
No. A one-time Social Insurance withdrawal is a personal financial benefit and does not affect your visa or work permit if you return to work in Vietnam in the future. However, if you return and contribute again, you start a new contribution period from zero.
The 15% service fee never arises if the claim does not succeed, because it is charged only after the Social Insurance payment has reached your account.
The VND 10 million file processing fee paid at signing is not refundable, because it covers work already carried out: the eligibility review, preparing your file, and dealing directly with the Social Insurance authority.
So if your application is rejected because the eligibility requirements are not met, your total cost stops at VND 10 million plus VAT. This is set out in the service contract.Service contract commitment
The VND 10 million file processing fee paid at signing is not refundable, because it covers work already carried out: the eligibility review, preparing your file, and dealing directly with the Social Insurance authority.
So if your application is rejected because the eligibility requirements are not met, your total cost stops at VND 10 million plus VAT. This is set out in the service contract.Service contract commitment
terra provides a standard authorization template. You sign and notarize it at the Vietnamese embassy in the country where you currently live, or notarize it in Vietnam before leaving. The authorization template is available in Vietnamese, English and Japanese.
Let terra experts assess your Social Insurance claim
Fill in your details for a free consultation. A terra specialist replies within one business day with an eligibility assessment and estimated benefit.
Free consultation, no obligation
Eligibility assessment under the latest Social Insurance Law
Support in Vietnamese, English and Japanese
Response within one business day
Contact us directly
Ho Chi Minh City office:+84 28 7102 0608 ext 101
Hanoi office:+84 28 7102 0608 ext 201
Email:info@vina-payroll.com
Request a free consultation
One-time Social Insurance withdrawal for foreigners in Vietnam is the lump-sum refund of the retirement and survivorship contributions a foreign employee paid while working under a Vietnamese labour contract. You can claim it as soon as the contract ends or the work permit expires without renewal, you do not have to wait 12 months, and you do not have to have left the country. The amount is about 2 months of your average insured salary for every year contributed from 1 January 2022, the Social Insurance authority must decide within 7 working days of a complete file, and the payment is exempt from personal income tax. Since 1 July 2025 the rules sit in the Social Insurance Law No. 41/2024/QH15 and Decree 158/2025/ND-CP, which have replaced Decree 143/2018/ND-CP, so many older guides online are no longer accurate. This page summarises eligibility, the formula, the documents, the filing routes, the timeline and the fees under the current law, with lessons from the 100+ files terra has handled.
Social insurance for foreigners in Vietnam: the quick answers
| Question | Short answer |
|---|---|
| Can a foreigner withdraw Social Insurance in Vietnam? | Yes. Under Article 70, Clause 2, point dd of the 2024 Law, a foreign employee can claim once the labour contract ends or the work permit expires without renewal. |
| Do I have to wait 12 months after leaving my job? | No. The 12-month wait applies to Vietnamese employees only. You can file as soon as your former employer closes your Social Insurance book. |
| How much will I get back? | 2 months of your average insured monthly salary for each year contributed from 2014, counting only contributions from 1 January 2022 for foreigners. Insured salary is capped at VND 50.6 million from 1 July 2026. |
| How long does it take? | 7 working days by law once the file is complete (Article 79, Clause 3). 4 to 6 weeks end to end in practice, because most of the time goes into closing the book and collecting documents. |
| What documents do I need? | Closed Social Insurance book, Form 14-HSB, passport (certified copy with Vietnamese translation if a representative files), proof the contract ended, power of attorney if someone files for you, bank details. |
| Can I still claim after I have left Vietnam? | Yes, through an authorised representative. The power of attorney then needs consular legalisation, so the process is slower and costs more than signing it in Vietnam before you fly. |
Who can withdraw one-time Social Insurance as a foreigner in Vietnam
Under point dd, clause 2, Article 70 of the 2024 Social Insurance Law, a foreign employee who has stopped participating in compulsory Social Insurance can claim the one-time payment on request in either of two situations:
- The labour contract with the Vietnamese employer has ended.
- The work permit, practising certificate or practising licence has expired and is not renewed.
The general cases also apply: reaching retirement age with fewer than 15 years of contributions, meeting the pension conditions but no longer residing in Vietnam, or suffering from cancer, polio, decompensated cirrhosis, severe tuberculosis, AIDS or a working-capacity reduction of 81% or more.
The right belongs to anyone who was compulsorily insured: foreign nationals working in Vietnam under a labour contract of 12 months or more, with a work permit, practising certificate or practising licence issued by a Vietnamese authority. Intra-company transferees whose entire salary is paid by the foreign parent, and employees who had already reached Vietnamese retirement age when they signed, were never enrolled, so there is nothing to claim.
The condition most people get wrong is the trigger. It is the end of the contract, not the date you leave the country. If you move straight to another employer in Vietnam, your contributions continue and no claim is possible yet. If you leave Vietnam without filing, the right survives, but you move onto the slower route described below.
One rule cuts the number for foreign employees specifically: contributions by foreigners only count towards the retirement and survivorship fund from 1 January 2022. If you worked in Vietnam before that date, the earlier contributions to the sickness, maternity and occupational accident funds are not added to your one-time payment, however long you were here.
How to calculate one-time Social Insurance for foreigners
The benefit is based on your average monthly salary declared for Social Insurance and the number of years contributed:
- Each year contributed from 2014 onwards: 2 months of the average declared salary.
- Odd months from 1 to 6 count as half a year; from 7 to 11 count as a full year.
- Fewer than 12 months contributed: the payment equals the amount paid into the retirement and survivorship fund, capped at 2 months of the average salary.
The salary used for Social Insurance is capped at 20 times the reference wage: VND 46.8 million per month until 30 June 2026, and VND 50.6 million from 1 July 2026 after Decree 161/2026/ND-CP raised the base salary to VND 2.53 million. If you earn more, the calculation still uses the cap.
Worked example. Contributions from March 2023 to May 2026 on a declared salary of VND 40 million per month. That is 39 months, rounded to 3.5 years. The one-time payment is 2 x 40 million x 3.5 = VND 280 million. After terra’s fees (VND 10 million plus 15%, before VAT) about VND 228 million is left. The same person on a contract salary of VND 80 million would still be calculated on the capped insured salary.
Estimate from the salary your employer declared to the Social Insurance authority, not from your gross pay. For many expats the declared figure is lower than the contract salary and is capped. Ask HR for your contribution statements, then enter your own figures in the estimator at the top of this page.
The one-time Social Insurance payment is exempt from personal income tax (PIT), so the amount decided by the authority is received in full without tax withheld. If you also need to finalise PIT before leaving, terra handles both in the same file.
Documents for a foreigner’s one-time Social Insurance claim
Article 78 of the Law keeps the statutory file short: the Social Insurance book and a written request from the employee. In practice the office also wants proof that the contract ended and, where a representative files, the authorisation. Under Decision 2222/QD-BHXH of 29 July 2025, which replaced Decision 166, the complete set is:
| Document | Notes from terra’s files |
|---|---|
| Social Insurance book, closed by your former employer | The most common cause of delay. Ask for it in writing before your last day; from 2026 many books are electronic and identified by your Social Insurance number. |
| Claim form 14-HSB | In Vietnamese. terra completes it for you. |
| Passport | Original when you file in person; notarised copy with Vietnamese translation when a representative files. Name and date of birth must match the book exactly. |
| Proof the contract ended or the work permit expired | Termination decision, mutual termination agreement or the expired permit. |
| Power of attorney (Form 13-HSB) or notarised authorisation contract | Only if you will not file and collect the money in person. Signed in Vietnam it takes one notary visit; signed abroad it needs consular legalisation. |
| Bank account details | A Vietnamese account is simplest. Keep it open until the money has landed. |
Files submitted through a representative are checked more carefully, because the authority is tightening control over misuse of authorisations. Pledging, selling or “lending” a Social Insurance book is illegal; services that offer to buy your book leave you with nothing and a legal problem.
Where to file and how long the Social Insurance withdrawal takes
A complete file goes to the Social Insurance office of the province where your employer registered you. There are three routes: in person at the office or the Public Administrative Service Centre, by registered post, or online through the National Public Service Portal. The online route requires a Vietnamese level-2 electronic identity, which most foreign employees do not hold, so in practice the choice is between filing in person and filing through a representative.
Once the file is complete, the Social Insurance authority must decide within 7 working days and must reply in writing with reasons if it refuses (Article 79, Clause 3). The 4 to 6 weeks quoted on this page is the end-to-end time from engaging terra to money in your account. Most of it is spent chasing the former employer for the closed book and, where needed, the notary and translation, not waiting for the authority.
terra’s 4-step process
Step 1: Eligibility check and estimate
You send your contribution period, declared salary and planned last working day. A terra specialist checks your eligibility, looks up your contribution history and tells you the estimated amount and timeline before you sign anything.
Step 2: Closing the Social Insurance book with the former employer
The employer must report your departure and confirm your contribution period after the contract ends. terra guides the former employer’s HR team where needed so the file does not stall here. If the company has been dissolved, terra handles the separate procedure with the Social Insurance office.
Step 3: Signing the service contract and the power of attorney
You sign the contract and notarise the power of attorney to terra while you are still in Vietnam. This is the most important step for anyone about to leave: it takes about half a day, but once you have left, the document must be consular-legalised at a Vietnamese mission abroad, which is slower and more expensive.
Step 4: Filing, follow-up and payment
terra files the claim, handles any request for additional documents and updates you by email. The one-time payment is transferred to the bank account you registered, even if you are already abroad.
Before you leave Vietnam: the 60-day plan
Every step is faster and cheaper while you are still in the country. Work backwards from your flight: confirm eligibility and estimate the amount (day 60 to 45), ask HR in writing to close the book (day 45 to 30), sign the authorisation at a notary in Vietnam and keep one bank account open (day 30 to 14), then file or hand the folder to your representative (day 14 to 0). If you have less than two months, read the 60-day plan for claiming Social Insurance before leaving Vietnam for what to do at each milestone, including what still works when your flight is in two weeks.
Service fees: what terra charges and what doing it yourself costs
| Item | Amount | When |
|---|---|---|
| File processing fee | VND 10 million, before VAT | When you sign the service contract |
| Service fee | 15% of the one-time Social Insurance amount you receive, before VAT | Only after the money has reached your account |
| If the claim is refused because you are not eligible | Only the file processing fee | Nothing further is charged |
Doing it yourself costs notary and translation fees, usually under VND 2 million, plus your time at the office. It works well if you will still be in Vietnam when the money arrives, you read Vietnamese or have someone who does, and your employer cooperates. Use a service when any one of those three is missing. Nothing is added outside the contract.
Common mistakes that delay a foreigner’s Social Insurance refund in Vietnam
- Leaving before the book is closed and with no one authorised to collect it.
- Closing the Vietnamese bank account on the last day. The payment lands in a Vietnamese account; keep one open.
- Signing the power of attorney abroad when one notary visit in Vietnam would have done.
- Name or date-of-birth mismatch between passport and Social Insurance book, often after a passport renewal. Fix it before filing.
- Estimating from gross salary instead of the declared, capped insured salary, then being disappointed by the decision.
- Multiple Social Insurance numbers from different employers that were never merged.
Frequently asked questions about Social Insurance for foreigners
Can I claim while I am still in Vietnam and still on my visa?
Yes. Eligibility starts when the labour contract ends or the work permit expires without renewal. Your visa or residence card status does not matter, and filing while you are still here is the fastest route.
Can the claim be filed online?
The online route on the public service portal requires a level-2 Vietnamese electronic identity, which most foreigners do not have. In practice the file is submitted at the Social Insurance office in person or through an authorised representative.
Does my passport need to be translated and notarised?
If you file in person, the original passport is enough. If a representative files, the office needs a notarised copy with a certified Vietnamese translation. terra arranges both.
How long until the money is in my account?
7 working days from a complete file by law. Counting the time to close the book, notarise documents and answer any query from the office, plan for 4 to 6 weeks.
Is the one-time Social Insurance payment taxed?
No. It is exempt from personal income tax, so you receive the full amount decided by the authority.
My former employer is slow, has closed down or will not close my book. What can I do?
Employers are obliged to confirm the contribution period when the contract ends. terra works directly with the former employer’s HR team and, if needed, helps you send a written request that gives you grounds to follow up. If the company has been dissolved, the book can be closed through the Social Insurance office in a separate procedure.
Do contributions before 2022 count?
No. Foreign employees only started contributing to the retirement and survivorship fund on 1 January 2022, and only that fund is refunded. Years in Vietnam before 2022 do not add to the lump sum.
I have lost my Social Insurance book or have two Social Insurance numbers. Is the claim still possible?
Yes. The book can be reissued and duplicate numbers merged before filing. Both add time, so raise them at the eligibility check.
Why terra
terra is a member of I-GLOCAL, a Japanese consulting group with more than 20 years of experience supporting foreign-invested companies in Vietnam. The terra team has completed more than 100 one-time Social Insurance files for foreign employees and knows the working style of each Social Insurance office and the additional documents they commonly request.
- Support in English, Vietnamese and Japanese throughout the process.
- Files are checked before submission to reduce the risk of rejection.
- Regular progress updates, even after you have left Vietnam.
- Published fees, with nothing added outside the contract.
Send your details for terra to check your estimate your one-time Social Insurance amount
