Quit Your Job in Vietnam: A Checklist for Insurance, Tax and Final Pay
Ezlun Team9 min read
A quit your job checklist for Vietnam has four parts: check the terms of your contract before you resign, hand over your work and settle your final pay, claim unemployment insurance if you qualify, and keep the records you need for personal income tax. Skipping one step can cost you money you were entitled to.
This guide goes through each part in the order you will meet it, lists the papers to keep, and suggests what to do in the first 30 days after leaving. If you are still deciding whether to leave, 10 signs you should quit your job comes before this one.
What should you check before you resign?
Reread your employment contract and the company's internal rules before handing in your notice. They decide how much notice you need to give, what you are owed and what obligations continue after you leave.
Before you resign:
The notice period in your contract, checked against the current Labor Code for your type of contract.
Unused annual leave. Under Article 113 of Vietnam's 2019 Labor Code, if you leave without having taken all your annual leave, you are paid for the unused days.
Pending bonuses or commission: the conditions for receiving them if you leave partway through.
Training bonds, confidentiality or non-compete clauses, if you signed any.
Company property you hold: laptop, access cards, accounts.
Resign in writing or by email and keep a copy. Agree on your official last day with your employer, because many later steps count from that date.
Hand over your work and settle final pay
A clean handover keeps the relationship good and avoids disputes later. List your ongoing tasks, documents, accounts and contacts, and ask your manager to confirm when the handover is done.
Final pay usually includes:
Item | What to check |
|---|---|
Salary for days worked in the final month | Working days, salary rate, deductions |
Payment for unused annual leave | Days remaining and how the company calculates it |
Bonuses and commission | Conditions in the contract or company policy |
Severance allowance (if any) | Depends on length of service and time covered by unemployment insurance, ask HR |
Insurance and tax for the final month | Employee insurance contributions, PIT withheld |
The 2019 Labor Code sets out payment deadlines and the responsibilities of both sides when a contract ends (Article 48). If you have not received full payment or your papers by then, raise it in writing with HR.
To check your final payslip, enter your gross salary into Ezlun's Salary Calculator and compare. The gross to net salary formula for Vietnam explains each line.
Unemployment insurance: eligibility and how to claim
Unemployment insurance gives you income while you look for a new job. Not everyone who resigns qualifies, so check the conditions first.
The basic condition the tool uses for its estimate: you have paid unemployment insurance for at least 12 months within the period set by law before leaving. There are further conditions on why the contract ended, registering as unemployed and your job status. The guide to unemployment benefits eligibility in Vietnam goes through each one.
If you are a foreign employee, first confirm with HR whether you contribute to unemployment insurance at all. The rules for foreign workers can differ from those for Vietnamese staff, and the estimate below assumes you are covered.
Benefit amount, as the tool estimates it:
Each month: 60% of your average salary on which unemployment insurance was paid over the last 6 months before leaving.
Capped at 5 times the regional minimum wage. In Region I that is 5,310,000 VND, so the cap is 26,550,000 VND a month.
Duration: 3 months for 12 to 36 months of contributions, plus 1 month for each additional full 12 months, up to 12 months.
Example: average insured salary of 15,000,000 VND, 48 months of contributions, working in Region I.
Step | Calculation | Result |
|---|---|---|
Monthly benefit | 15,000,000 x 60% | 9,000,000 VND (below the cap) |
Duration | 3 months + 1 month for the extra 12 months | 4 months |
Estimated total | 9,000,000 x 4 | 36,000,000 VND |
Enter the average salary, months of contributions and region to see the monthly benefit and total.
Ezlun's Unemployment Insurance calculator does this for you:
Enter your average insured salary for the last 6 months (or pick a preset amount).
Enter the number of months you have contributed.
Choose your region.
See the monthly benefit, whether it hits the cap, how many months you can claim and the total.
It is free and does not require an account.
How to claim: the application for unemployment benefits is submitted to the Employment Service Center. There is a deadline that counts from your last day of work, so gather your papers and contact the center soon after you leave rather than close to the deadline.
Personal income tax when you leave
Your employer has usually withheld PIT every month. When you leave, the job is to keep the records you need to finalize your tax for the year correctly.
Tax checklist:
Ask for your PIT withholding certificate for the time you worked there during the year.
Ask the company accountant whether they can finalize your tax on your behalf or whether you need to do it yourself. The answer depends on whether you had income from elsewhere during the year.
Check your registered dependents are still correct, since dependent deductions affect the tax you owe.
If you join a new employer in the same year, tell them about your earlier income when asked.
Estimating PIT on the final month's salary on a phone.
To estimate tax on your final salary, or on freelance income while you look for the next role, use Ezlun's PIT Calculator. The guide to personal income tax deductions in Vietnam explains how the personal deduction (15,500,000 VND a month) and the dependent deduction (6,200,000 VND per dependent per month) are applied.
Papers to keep when you leave
Keep originals or clear copies of the following. Many are needed for unemployment benefits, tax finalization or your next job.
Document | Used for |
|---|---|
Resignation decision or contract termination letter | Unemployment benefit claim, confirming your last day |
Employment contract and annexes | Checking your entitlements if there is a dispute |
Confirmation of social insurance contribution period | Unemployment benefits, continuing contributions at a new employer |
PIT withholding certificate | Year-end tax finalization |
Final payslip | Checking your final pay |
Reference letter or confirmation of employment (if available) | Your next applications |
You can view your insurance contribution history in the VssID app from Vietnam Social Security and compare it with the confirmation from your employer.
What to do in the first 30 days after leaving
The first weeks after leaving are a good time to tidy up your paperwork and prepare for the next role.
Week 1: confirm you have received your final pay and papers; submit your unemployment benefit claim if you qualify.
Week 2: update your CV with your latest experience and results, and update LinkedIn.
Weeks 3-4: start applying, tailoring your application to each role. The job application documents checklist covers everything to include.
When new offers arrive, how to compare job offers in Vietnam helps you put them on the same scale before deciding. If you are only a year or two into your career, the fresh graduate job checklist for Vietnam also covers payslips and insurance.
Legal basis and limits
The calculations in this guide and in the tools are based on: Employment Law No. 74/2025/QH15, Decree 374/2025/ND-CP, Decree 293/2025/ND-CP on regional minimum wages (applied from 1 January 2026), and Personal Income Tax Law No. 109/2025/QH15. Rights when a contract ends follow the 2019 Labor Code. Updated October 2026.
These figures are for reference only; please check them against official sources. This guide is not legal or tax advice. The actual benefit is decided by the insurance authority based on your file. If there is a dispute, consult a lawyer or the local labor authority.
Frequently asked questions
Can I get unemployment benefits if I resign?
Yes, if you meet all the conditions, including at least 12 months of unemployment insurance contributions within the period set by law and submitting your claim on time at the Employment Service Center. The reason your contract ended also affects eligibility.
Which documents should I ask my employer for?
Your resignation decision or termination letter, confirmation of your social insurance contribution period, your PIT withholding certificate and your final payslip. If possible, also ask for a reference letter or confirmation of employment.
Do I need to finalize my PIT when I leave?
Tax is still finalized by year. Your employer may finalize it for you, or you may need to do it yourself, depending on whether you had income from other sources that year. Keep your withholding certificate and ask the company accountant or the tax office.
What does closing the social insurance book mean?
It is your employer confirming the period you contributed to social insurance while working there, so you can use it for your unemployment claim and continue contributions at a new employer. You can check the record in the VssID app.
What happens if I leave without giving notice?
Leaving without the required notice can be treated as unilaterally ending the contract unlawfully. You may lose some entitlements, may have to pay compensation, and it can affect your right to unemployment benefits. Read your contract and the Labor Code carefully before deciding.
Summary
A complete quit your job checklist for Vietnam follows this order: reread your contract before resigning, hand over and settle final pay, claim unemployment insurance if you qualify, and keep your tax records for finalization. Keep every important document and start the paperwork early instead of close to the deadline.
You can estimate your unemployment benefit right now with Ezlun's Unemployment Insurance calculator, free and without an account.
