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(edited April 20)

Generic advice
From a formally-garbed lifetime career teacher of ASEAN students.
I gleaned this information first-hand over several years through helping numerous junior “teachers” get their act together in order to work in Vietnam.
There will always be changes and exceptions, so with members contributions either I or admin can edit, mark or take this post down if and when it is no longer valid.

Opinion:
Perhaps the majority of "permanent" teachers in Vietnam are on "DN" temporary business visas giving them the option of choosing the hours that suit them.
Others may have a 20 hour contract on an "LD" working visa and also work part-time for other schools on the "qt".
I guess "temporary" teachers work part-time on a "DL" tourist visa and combine essential visa renewals with their cross-border travels?

Caveat 1:
Miscommunication is rife in Vietnam, it can easily waste your entire first year's disposable income in bribes, commissions, visa renewals and extra return air fares for your providing the correct documentary evidence in order to remain and work in (or leave) Vietnam.

Important:
Before traveling to Vietnam for work it is essential to research Vietnam's current documentary requirements for a work permit and “LD” visa for your nationality (eg. some Russian and Czech citizens seem to enjoy more privileges or latitude).

Documents:
The majority of would-be teachers require at least a "DN" visa, a criminal record clearance, a CELTA or TESOL or TEFL (And a degree with transcripts. Or evidence and certification of 5 years continuous employment with one institution as a teacher). A local medical certification must be from an approved hospital or med centre.

To avoid your having to return home or use very expensive couriers please note!
*All documentation needs authentication or certification by your embassy in Hanoi or Saigon before the Vietnamese authorities can process it. So before traveling it is prudent to submit e-copies to your embassy in Vietnam and ask for their requirements in order for them to authenticate or certify (eg.**some nationalities like the Filipinos have to first authenticate documents at the department of foreign affairs in their home country).

Caveat 2:
Schools that offer to pay for visa renewals and work permits stipulate “correct requirements”, so you have to pay through the nose for visa renewals (and potential flights) until you can provide correctly authenticated documents!

The law requires a ”DN” business or “LD” work visa to work for private education companies in Vietnam. The 90 day “DN” business visa is renewable 3x through local agencies and is sufficient to find work.
Once you get a 12 month contract and a work permit you can upgrade to a 12 month “LD” visa (note: multiple entry “DN” or “LD” costs a little more but completely avoids the nightmare of re-applying after an unforeseen trip out of the country and also allows cross-border road trips to visit Angkor Wat etc.).

Immigration Rules:
I found the N.Vietnamese consul in BKK rather curt and she refused to look at my documents, I was told "get your visa online from Vietnam Visa". I accomplished this at the business desk of a friendly hotel near the corner of the street back on Sukhumvit.
Be advised that three years ago I witnessed someone with a prior "?" visa refused entry at Noi Bai airport's immigration verification kiosk; their shouting "I'm visiting my sick father" got them taken away smartish!

Visa exemption:
(Up to July 2017)
Tourists holding UK, French, Italian, German and Spanish passports who entered Vietnam for 15 days on visa exemption status can also extend their stay a further 15 days.
Tourists cannot upgrade to a “DL” visa without first leaving and re-entering Vietnam by any means.

DL tourist visa:
Prepare at least 5 working days in advance of your arrival.
Here is the new government website for visa applications (courtesy of Sigmoid) ishttps://evisa.xuatnhapcanh.gov.vn/web/guest/trang-chu-ttdt
At this moment in time it is only PRESUMED that agents can still apply on your behalf as sponsors/guarantors in the guise of an authority/organization.
One may still be able to obtain up to 90 days ”DL” visa at the airport of entry through an on-line agency who will completely create/fabricate the application for you (eg. Vietnam Visa).
Tourists who entered Vietnam on the 90 day "DL"visa couldn’t be certain of extending their stay any longer.
However, they could always exit and re-enter Vietnam and may even require a new visa approval letter for the next 90 days?
Tourists who entered Vietnam with a one month DL visa can extend their stay up to one month longer (despite this being a rule others report extending their stay a further month)!
"DL" visas cannot be upgraded to a “DN” visa without first leaving Vietnam by any means and then re-entering Vietnam by air.

DN business visa:
(1st arrival by air).
Prepare at least 5 working days in advance of your arrival.
Here is the new government website for visa applications (courtesy of Sigmoid) ishttps://evisa.xuatnhapcanh.gov.vn/web/guest/trang-chu-ttdt
At this moment in time it is only PRESUMED that agents can still apply on your behalf as sponsors/guarantors in the guise of an authority/organization.
One may still be able to obtain a 90 day ”DN” visa (renewable 3x through local agencies) at the airport of entry either through your prospective employer or by contacting an on-line agency who will completely create/fabricate the application for you (eg. Vietnam Visa).
"DN" visas can be upgraded to "LD" visas without leaving Vietnam.

LD employment visa:
Requires current work permit.
(must have a current "DN" business visa or 1st arrival by air).
Prepare at least 5 working days in advance of your arrival.
Here is the new government website for visa applications (courtesy of Sigmoid) ishttps://evisa.xuatnhapcanh.gov.vn/web/guest/trang-chu-ttdt
At this moment in time it is only PRESUMED that agents can still apply on your behalf as sponsors/guarantors in the guise of an authority/organization.
One may still be able to obtain a 12 month ”LD”visa (renewable 3x through an agency) at the airport of entry either through your prospective employer or by contacting an on-line agency to help you with the application (eg. Vietnam Visa).

You (or your contracted employer) will have to provide a police registration of your whereabouts in Vietnam and the police will usually visit that place to ensure you are (or were) residing there. (eg, even overnight tourist hotels and apartments must register your passport information with police so there's no hiding).

*Your documents may be easily authenticated by your home country's department of foreign affairs if they come from a recognized institution in your home country.
Failing that you may be able to have them authenticated by a DFA recognized judge, whose clerk must advise you of which notary the judge will sign for (eg. **Filipinos who can't get their private documents certified by the DFA can go the the courts at the back of Manila city hall and complete the self-certification in 5 days via the notary and the judge, at which point the DFA will accept and authenticate the documents that they had previously refused)!

*Your embassy in Hanoi/Saigon may be able to accept your sworn statement or self-certification of any private documents from any country (I have actually seen a “Kaosan road” degree accepted for a work permit after being sworn by the applicant and stamped by the US embassy)!

*Teachers who lack degrees may be able to work with some schools providing they have at least a TESOL and a letter of recommendation with evidence of five years continuous teaching with one employer (I have actually seen a hardware stores letter of recommendation accepted for a work permit after being sworn by the applicant and stamped by the US embassy)!

[EnglishLanguageOne]

is a medical required, and what does it involve? ECG, scans etc?

[BenE]

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Quote BenE:
Yes but easier and likely cheaper to do in Vietnam as it's 100% certain the Ministry of Labor will recognize it from their list of VN hospitals. The ones that do it will also know the requirements and will generally not mess you round with unnecessary tests

Reply:
Correct, surprisingly even poorly equipped provincial hospitals may be recognized by their LOCAL department of labor and President of the local people's committee!
The medical may take the simplest form of a chat, blood pressure, chest x-ray and hep B test. The cost may be as little as 1,500,000 Dong all in (somewhere in Dong Da Hanoi also used to be cheap if you had a local to help set it up).

Quote BenE:
Few if any schools demand a work permit before you enter VN and I think the best you can hope for is a business visa followed by the majority of processing being done here.

Reply:
Correct, it is only schools like Vin or British council offering the full ex-pat package that can process a work permit for you in advance of your arrival in Vietnam.

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[EnglishLanguageOne]

[BenE]

They check your pulse but not an ECG from what I remember. They seem to be more worried about if you have AIDS or not.

[ExpatLuke]

It's good to remember that these might be the rules which work for your particular city, but it you go to another city or province, the regional leaders will enforce completely different procedures.

Welcome the legal process of Vietnam.

[RustyShackleford]

This is true. When I was getting my Spanish visa, I had medical documents from a HCMC hospital that Hanoi refused to look at because it wasn't in their database of registered hospitals. This despite the hospital in question being a well-known foreigner hospital in HCMC.

So I had to fly back to Saigon, get a note from the doctor, have the People's Committee stamp that note, and mail the stamped note back to the Embassy in Hanoi!

[SeldomSeen]

I've had several medical checks over the years in several different hospitals and each one is different in what they do. I've only once had an ECG but have had countless eye checks (I have myopia I'm told = I'm slightly short sighted), ear checks (I have too much wax in my ears = I'm normal), teeth checks (I have two teeth missing = as if I didn't know). All hospitals are happy to blast me with radiation though and do a chest X-ray. There appears to be no consistency or standards in what they do, and half the checks are petty or pointless and in no way reflect your ability to work here or function as a human being.

[TRH]

[gurudanny98]

I have a question about the criminal background check. I want to start working in Vietnam as quickly as I can. However, an USA FBI check takes a long time (up to 5 months). a state level check is alot faster. Does it matter if the criminal check is state level or does it have to be national level? Also, I've been living in South Korea for 8 years. could it be possible to use a background check from Korea instead?

[TRH]

[itchy_toes]

Hi, would you be willing to speak to private tutoring? I would like to go to Vietnam to live and just do private tutoring myself, not work for a school. I'm having a hard time figuring out what I would need to do for a visa. thanks!

[ExpatLuke]