If foreigners are going to travel to Vietnam before departuring, it is crucial to understand their legal situation. In case a visa is required for foreigners entry into Vietnam, they definitely should know which type of visa fits their trip purpose and itinerary to avoid any unexpected problems and also save time and cost. In that basis, Vietnam Government offers several visa options for individuals who want to live or work in the country.

There are two criteria to categorize the Vietnam visa.

• Purpose of visit; and
• Validity

A. Vietnam Visa Types by Purpose of Visit

According to the new immigration regulations that took effect in July 1, 2020 (Law No. 51/2019/QH14), Vietnam visa is classified into about 21 main types by the purpose of visit, namely DL, DN1, DN2, NG, DT1, DT2, DT3, DT4, LS,  DH, LV, LD1, LD2, HN, PV1, TT, SQ, etc.

There are 07 popular types of Vietnam visas:

1. Tourist visa (DL)

2. Business visa (DN1, DN2)

3. Student/internship visa (DH)

4. Investor Visa (DT1, DT2, DT3, DT4)

5. Working visa (LD1 – LD2)

6. Diplomatic visa (NG)

7. Family visa (TT or VR)

 The following is details about those 7 most popular Vietnam visa types:

1. Tourist visa (DL)

• The tourist visa is issued to those who are traveling to Vietnam for recreational and tourism only, not for doing any business or studying in the country.
• A tourist visa must be sponsored by a travel company.
• Depending on validity and number of entries, a Vietnam tourist visa can be divided into:
  • 30day single entry visa;
  • 30day multiple entry visa;
  • 90day single entry visa; and
  • 90day multiple entry visa.
• At the moment, there are 2 popular ways to get a tourist visa to Vietnam, namely:
  • Getting a Vietnam visa on arrival (VOA – for those who are entering Vietnam by air and don’t have enough time to get an evisa;
  • Getting a Vietnam evisa (available from 1month to 3months single entry, and for nationals of 80 countries only).

2. Business visa (DN1, DN2)

• This type of visa is for foreigners intending to enter Vietnam for business purposes, such as attending a meeting or signing a contract. Business visas are issued for up to 12 months, but the visitor cannot exceed 90 days of work during that period, beyond which they will need a work visa.
• Currently, the second most popular type of Vietnam visa is business visa which is now categorized into:
  • DN1 visa – to be granted to foreigners who work with other businesses and organizations with legal status in accordance with the laws of Vietnam.
  • DN2 visa – to be granted to foreigners who come to Vietnam to offer services, establish a commercial presence or perform other activities under international treaties to which Vietnam is a member.
• Like tourist visa for Vietnam, depending on validity and number of entries, a Vietnam business visa also can be divided into:
  • 30-day single entry visa;
  • 30-day multiple entry visa;
  • 90-day single entry visa; and
  • 90-day multiple entry visa.
• At the moment, there are 02 ways to get a business visa to Vietnam, namely:
  • Getting a Vietnam visa on arrival (VOA – highly recommended); and
  • Getting a Vietnam evisa.

3. Student/internship visa (DH)

• A Vietnam student visa is granted to those who are attending a university course in Vietnam.

• Normally this Vietnam visa type is arranged after arrival in Vietnam. Foreigners can enter Vietnam with a tourist visa, and then apply for a change in visa status at the Immigration Office after enrolling in the course. The easiest way to get this type of visa for Vietnam is to have an agency do it.

4. Working visa (LD1 – LD2)

• Vietnam working visa is issued to foreigners who come to work in Vietnam, like teaching, etc. It is categorized into:
  • LD1 – to be granted to foreigners who come to work in Vietnam with work permit exemption certificate, unless otherwise provided for in international treaties to which Vietnam is a member.
  • LD2 – to be granted to foreigners who must have work permit Vietnam to work.
• This type of visa for Vietnam is valid for 2 years at maximum. In case you wish to stay in Vietnam for longer, you need to apply for an LD temporary residence card which is valid for up to 02 years.

5. Investor Visa (DT1, DT2, DT3, DT4)

• Investor visas are for foreigners who are entering Vietnam to invest in a local business. It is mentioned in the Enterprise Registration Certificate and the Investment Registration Certificate
• An Investor visa for Vietnam is a type of visa granted to foreign investors in Vietnam. It is categorized as:
  • DT1 – to be granted to foreign investors in Vietnam and representatives of foreign organizations investing in Vietnam with capital contribution of at least VND100 billion, or investing in the business fields and areas of investment incentives decided by the Vietnam Government. Valid for up to 5 years.
  • DT2 – to be granted to foreign investors in Vietnam and representatives of foreign organizations investing in Vietnam with capital contribution of VND50 – under VND100 billion, or investing in the business fields of investment encouragement decided by the Vietnam Government. Valid for up to 5 years.
  • DT3 – to be granted to foreign investors in Vietnam and representatives of foreign organizations investing in Vietnam with capital contribution of VND3 – under VND50 billion. Valid for up to 3 years.
  • DT4 – to be granted to foreign investors in Vietnam and representatives of foreign organizations investing in Vietnam with capital contribution of less than VND3 billion. Valid for up to 12 months. Spouses, andchildren under 18 years of age are not allowed to issue family visas.

6. Diplomatic visa (NG)

• Diplomatic visa (NG visa). Diplomatic visas are visas for foreign diplomats and government officials and also extend to their families.
• A Vietnam Diplomatic visa is granted to:
  • Members of a delegation visiting Vietnam at the invitation of the Vietnamese ministries or other high ranked government officials;
  • Consulate personnel in Vietnam;
  • Those who go for the work with consulate members or visit them for a short period.
• There is no fee for a diplomatic visa to Vietnam unless it has been decided by the Vietnamese embassy and the applicant’s home country.
• To apply for the Vietnam diplomatic visa, the applicant has to submit an official letter from the local government agency, consulates or foreign embassies, to the concerned agencies in the applicant’s home country.
• A Diplomatic visa for Vietnam is valid for up to 12 months.

7. Family visa (TT or VR)

• This type of visa is for direct family members of a foreigner working in Vietnam. The family members must have the adequate evidence of dependency;
• The maximum validity of a multiple-entry family visa is 12 months on a case by case basis.

B. Vietnam Visa types by Length of Stay and Validity

• By this criterion, Vietnam visa is normally categorized into:
  • 30-day single entry visa
  • 30-day multiple entry visa
  • 930-day single entry visa
  • 90-day multiple entry visa
  • 1-year multiple entry visa

The major difference between a single entry visa and a multiple entry visa for Vietnam is the number of entries into the country. While a single entry visa is valid for one stay in Vietnam during the visa validity, a multiple entry visa is valid for several stays in Vietnam during the visa validity.