Vietnam unemployment benefit in 2026: how much and how long

Since 1 January 2026, Vietnam's unemployment benefit pays 60% of the average salary on which unemployment insurance was paid over the last six months, for 3 to 12 months depending on how long you contributed, capped at five times the regional minimum wage (VND 26.55 million a month in Region I). Someone insured on VND 12 million for 62 months receives VND 7.2 million a month for five months, VND 36 million in total.

Key takeaways

• The rules come from the Employment Law No. 74/2025/QH15 (in force from 1 January 2026) and Decree 374/2025/NĐ-CP on unemployment insurance.
• Benefit: 60% of the average insured salary of the six months before the job ended, capped at 5 × the regional minimum wage.
• Duration: 3 months for 12–36 months of contributions, plus 1 month for every further full 12 months, up to 12 months.
• You must have contributed for 12 of the last 24 months, left the job lawfully and filed within 3 months.
• Payments start on the 11th working day after a complete application (it used to be the 16th day).
• Recipients report their job search every month; missing three months in a row ends the benefit.

Who is covered?

Unemployment insurance (bảo hiểm thất nghiệp, often shortened to BHTN on payslips) is a separate 1% deduction from the 8% social insurance and 1.5% health insurance contributions. From 2026 it applies to labour contracts of one month or longer, down from three months under the old law.

In practice the scheme covers Vietnamese employees. Foreign nationals working on a work permit usually pay social and health insurance but not the unemployment contribution, which means they cannot claim the benefit. The quickest way to check is your payslip: no 1% BHTN line, no unemployment cover. This article is mostly useful if you manage Vietnamese staff, run a company here, or have a Vietnamese partner who has just lost a job.

Eligibility: five conditions

Under Article 38 of the 2025 law, a worker must meet all of the following:

1. They were insured under an indefinite-term contract, a fixed-term contract of at least one month, or a public-employee contract.
2. The contract ended lawfully. Quitting in breach of the law (for example without the required notice) or leaving once eligible for a pension rules the claim out.
3. They contributed for at least 12 months in the 24 months before leaving. For contracts of one to under 12 months, it is 12 months within the last 36.
4. They filed a complete application within three months of the contract ending.
5. They still have no job ten working days after filing.

People who start military service, move abroad, begin a course longer than 12 months or are detained are excluded.

How the benefit is calculated

Monthly benefit = 60% × average insured salary of the last six months. Note that this is the salary declared for insurance, not take-home pay; if a company insures staff on a low base salary, the benefit will be correspondingly low.

Monthly caps in 2026

Regional minimum wages under Decree 293/2025/NĐ-CP. Most urban wards of Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City are Region I. The cap follows the minimum wage of the last month of contributions.

How many months you get

Leftover months that don't make a full extra year aren't lost; they are carried over to the next claim. To count months between two dates, the date calculator does it in a couple of clicks.

Worked examples

An accountant in Hanoi. Insured salary VND 12 million, 62 months of contributions.

• Benefit: 60% × 12,000,000 = VND 7,200,000 a month, well under the cap.
• Duration: 3 months for the first 36, plus 2 for the next 24 = 5 months; 2 spare months are carried over.
• Total: VND 36,000,000.

A manager in Ho Chi Minh City. Insured salary VND 50 million, ten full years.

• 60% would be VND 30 million, so the cap applies: VND 26,550,000 a month.
• 120 months gives 10 months of benefit, a total of VND 265.5 million.

A short stint. Eleven months of contributions and then a resignation: not yet eligible, but those months stay on record and add up with the next job.

To run your own numbers, use the Vietnam unemployment benefit calculator. If you are not sure what salary the company declares for insurance, check the deductions in the gross to net salary calculator against your payslip.

Applying: documents and deadlines

Decree 374/2025/NĐ-CP lists three documents:

1. the benefit application form;
2. proof that the contract has ended, such as an expired contract, a termination decision or agreement, or a confirmation from the employer;
3. the social insurance book, with unemployment contributions confirmed by the social insurance office.

The worker files at a public employment service centre in the place where they want to be paid, or online through the National Public Service Portal. Someone who is ill, on maternity leave or affected by a natural disaster can authorise another person or send the file by post.

For employers, the practical side is simple: issue the termination paperwork promptly and make sure the social insurance book is closed off, because a late book is the most common reason a former employee misses the three-month window.

When the benefit stops

The decree lists thirteen cases. The ones you are most likely to meet:

• the person starts a new job with compulsory social insurance (unused months are carried over);
• they skip the monthly job-search report three months running;
• they refuse a job offered by the employment centre a second time without good reason;
• they start a pension, enlist, emigrate or begin a course of more than 12 months abroad.

While on benefit, the person keeps health insurance cover paid from the unemployment fund and can apply for vocational training support.

Unemployment benefit versus the social insurance lump sum

These are two different funds. Taking unemployment benefit does not touch the years counted towards a pension. Withdrawing social insurance as a lump sum, on the other hand, wipes that record. If someone is weighing both after leaving a job, read Vietnam social insurance lump-sum withdrawal in 2026 or estimate the payout with the social insurance lump-sum calculator.

Frequently asked questions

Can foreigners claim unemployment benefit in Vietnam?

Generally not. Foreign employees on work permits usually aren't enrolled in unemployment insurance, so there is nothing to claim. If your payslip shows a 1% BHTN deduction, ask HR why, and keep the paperwork.

How long after leaving a job can you apply?

Up to three months from the date the contract ended. Apply early: the benefit runs from the 11th working day after a complete application, not from the last day at work.

Does resigning disqualify you?

No, as long as the resignation is lawful, with proper notice for the contract type or a legal reason to leave without notice. Walking out in breach of the contract does.

What happens if you find a new job while on benefit?

Tell the employment service centre. The benefit stops, and the months you didn't receive are carried over to a future claim.

Is the calculator result the official amount?

No. It applies the 2025 law's formula so you can plan ahead. The official figure is in the benefit decision issued after the file is reviewed.