Work Permit Health Check Questions

happy_expat wrote:

Hi fellas,

I received an offer from an employer in Vietnam.  I am wondering if I can do the work permit health check in Canada (where I live).  Does anyone know the requirements for this health check? (is there a specific list hospitals; list of tests that need to be done) Did anyone have trouble with using a health check done overseas as part of the work permit application.

I have looked through the internet and couldn't find any reliable sources.

Any information would be helpful.  Thanks a lot and have a nice day!

Andy

A friend of mine from Washington (the State) got an employment contract teaching here and the employer just took him around the hospital to get a dossier for his health check work permit signed.  Various doctors check your eyes, ears, mouth...it's like a physical exam, except they don't make your turn your head and cough. 

I would wait until you get in country so you don't waste money on the wrong form.  You do anything in Canada that says you're healthy/fit, will have to get translated, authenticated, duplicated, and a bunch of stuff that will make you run around and waste your whole week.

But to cover your back, just go to your local MD in Canada and get a complete physical.  Bring it with you.

Update:

It says you can do it from a Canadian hospital but for simplicity, you should get your health check IN VIETNAM (Your employer should take you).

from http://www.expat.vn/work-permit-in-vietnam

5. Health check from the hospital. There is a list of hospitals that has the authority to give you a health check in Vietnam and only the hospitals on this list are qualified to prove your health for the work permit application. You will get this list with the first 2 templates for paper work; the Work permit application form and Work permission application form. In case, you are not in Vietnam, you can get a health check from any hospital in the country that you are staying. This health check is valid for 6 months.

Still wouldn't hurt for a physical exam by your local MD, however.  You should ask your doctor about vaccines, medications and whatnot because Canada is a cold climate while Vietnam is hot and tropical.

Yes for sure get it in Vietnam, but the police check that's required needs to been done while your still back home.

happy_expat wrote:

Hi fellas,

I received an offer from an employer in Vietnam.  I am wondering if I can do the work permit health check in Canada (where I live).  Does anyone know the requirements for this health check? (is there a specific list hospitals; list of tests that need to be done) Did anyone have trouble with using a health check done overseas as part of the work permit application.

I have looked through the internet and couldn't find any reliable sources.

Any information would be helpful.  Thanks a lot and have a nice day!

Andy

I would advise you wait until you arrive to VN. Where are you going to get the work permit? Hanoi or HCMC? In each city, there's list of hospitals whose confirmation of health check is accepted for your work permit.

Below is the list of hospitals in HCMC:

- Cho Ray hospital;

- Thong Nhat hospital;

- Columbia clinic;

- FV hospital;

- International SOS.

Ask for the nearest hospital but the last three ones should be familiar with that confirmation and foreigners - just tell the doctor what you want!!!

Thank you all for the info!

Here's the thing.  My future employer is asking me to do the health check in Vietnam (HCMC).  Problem with that is I will have to resign with my current employer first, relocate to HCMC, get health check, before even applying for work permit there.  Which means I will be in HCMC for a month without work (approximate wait time for the issuance of work permit?).  Of course another option would be me flying to HCMC and do the health check and go back to Canada and wrap things up.

So that's why I really want to know if anyone knows is there a list of requirements for the health check that I can bring to a Canadian hospital so I can do the health before I even leave the country, and mail everything (notarized/authenticated/legalized health check result, criminal check, education record) to my future employer before I resign.

This has been giving me a lot of headaches.  Again, any information/suggestions is welcome.


Andy

happy_expat wrote:

Thank you all for the info!

Here's the thing.  My future employer is asking me to do the health check in Vietnam (HCMC).  Problem with that is I will have to resign with my current employer first, relocate to HCMC, get health check, before even applying for work permit there.  Which means I will be in HCMC for a month without work (approximate wait time for the issuance of work permit?).  Of course another option would be me flying to HCMC and do the health check and go back to Canada and wrap things up.

So that's why I really want to know if anyone knows is there a list of requirements for the health check that I can bring to a Canadian hospital so I can do the health before I even leave the country, and mail everything (notarized/authenticated/legalized health check result, criminal check, education record) to my future employer before I resign.

This has been giving me a lot of headaches.  Again, any information/suggestions is welcome.


Andy

Im wonderring where's your offer letter? And why dont you just sign the labour contract first? Sorry if I miss your point, but if the health check is only one of the document for applying the work permit, why you have to do in Canada then have to waste time and money to translate & legalise into Vietnamese in order to submit the work permit application?

Hi aibiet150204,

The offer letter will come soon and yes I can sign it first.  My main concern is wait time.  If I can do the health check in Canada and get HR started on the work permit application while I'm in Canada, then I don't need to resign first and then wait for a long time in Vietnam before I even start work.  And who knows what might happen during that period.  They might withdraw the offer.  There might issues/delays with the work permit application.  The worst thing that can happen is I lose both jobs!

If I can do the health check here in Canada, I can first ensure that the work permit is sound and done before I even resign,which to me is a much safer move.

Andy

happy_expat wrote:

Hi aibiet150204,

The offer letter will come soon and yes I can sign it first.  My main concern is wait time.  If I can do the health check in Canada and get HR started on the work permit application while I'm in Canada, then I don't need to resign first and then wait for a long time in Vietnam before I even start work.  And who knows what might happen during that period.  They might withdraw the offer.  There might issues/delays with the work permit application.  The worst thing that can happen is I lose both jobs!

If I can do the health check here in Canada, I can first ensure that the work permit is sound and done before I even resign,which to me is a much safer move.

Andy

Right! I guess you have read the link that Tran Hung Dao pasted above. It's useful. And I think you miss one point! In order to get the work permit, you must have a labour contract. In other words, the labour contract is one of documents that must be included in the work permit application, in addition to the health check result and your qualification, etc.

If you want to get the work permit, you have to ask the HR in VN provide you a list of all documents that will be included for the work permit application. The health check result is something like a confirmation when you get check-up result with a confirmation of a doctor saying you meet all conditions that required for your future position.

Again, labour contract first -> work permit. You may need to check with the HR in VN what you need to provide.

Good luck!

There's a 3 month grace period for the company/employee to gather the documents and get the health check, which is as basic (and cheap)  as they come.  The company should know that, but my experiences involve schools only.  Laws can vary greatly here..

I also started work first without the work permit. So as everybody said, get your labor contract first, start your working and process the HC and other things to get work permit..

I checked with my HR who said the regulation changed and now you should get work permit first to get labor contract. For HC, you can do the HC in your country for necessary HC items.

If you do the health check in your home country, you will likely need to have it notarized and validated by your country and then the Vietnamese Embassy in your country, later having it officially translated into Vietnamese here for 80 000 VND/page here, though I may be mistaken on some of those details. I strongly recommend just waiting until arrival in Vietnam to avoid all of those steps. The validity period is 6 months.

For those that still wish to get a Health Certificate at home, here is what Columbia Asia included in HCMC, Vietnam:
[NB I had to include two 3x4 cm passport photos against a white background.]

Name, Date of Birth, Sex, Nationality
I. Medical History [The doctor omitted mental health.]
II. Physical Exam
Skin (Normal?)
Height (cm)
Weight (kg)
Eye (Normal?)
Vision: Right eye/Left eye without and then with glasses
Color vision (Normal?)
Right/Left ear hearing (Normal?)
Nose, Throat, Tonsil, Tongue, Teeth, Thyroid (each separately) (Normal?)
Pulse
Blood Pressure (mmHg)
Heart rate (Regular?)
Vericose veins (Absent?)
Heart auscultation (Normal?)
Pulmonary system, Lung, Chest, Digestive system, Neurology system, Psychological status, Urogenital system, Musculoskeletal system (Skull, Spine, Hands, Legs), Lymphatic system, Chest X-ray (Normal?)
Laboratory:
CBC: RBC, Hemoglobin, WBC, WBC differentials, ESR (Normal?)
UA: Urine density, Albumin (mg/dL), Glucose (Normal?)
VDRL, HIV, HbsAg, Malaria (Negative?)

Day, Month, Year
Physician signature and name

Hi,
For getting work permit in Vietnam, you can take health check certificate from your country to Vietnam. It is ok if it certified that you have enough health for working. But because it is the documents issue outside Vietnam, so if you want to use in Vietnam you need to do the legalization and notarized translation into Vietnamese. I think the fee will be much more expensive that you can go to one of international hospital in Vietnam to do health check certificate. Take original passport, 01 picture and 50-90 USD for health checking. This is the list of standard hospital in Vietnam can issue the health check cerficate for Expat to apply Vietnam work permit.

blog.rushvietnamvisa.com/blog/2013/11/11/list-standard-hospital-issue-health-check-cert

Hi All, I have a working contract and I have to get the work permit. Everyone I ask has a different story as to where to go. Is there some sort of travel agency or company in Vungtau that can file for you? I have all the required documents. Please and thank you. I am running out of time as a few of my current documents will expire, ie., Police Report.

Why isn't your employer assisting?

You're setting yourself up for a fleecing!  If I were you, I'd gather all of my documents, grab an ever-so-eager to practice their English Vietnamese national, of the Upper-intermediate/Advanced variety and head on over to this place: 

The Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs

If you can't find someone to go along, then go alone.  If no one there speaks English, have a statement written and translated beforehand.  Present that and hope for the best.

P.S.  If that works, you owe me $1000.  By not commenting within the next 60 seconds, you accept the terms of the agreement. 59, 58, 57...