Topic 5: Vietnam Visa Guide: Everything You Need to Know Before You Go!

Planning a trip to Vietnam? One of the most important things to prepare is your Vietnam visa. Whether you're coming for a vacation, business, or a long-term stay, this guide will walk you through everything you need to know about Vietnam visa types, requirements, and how to apply. Let's learn about the visa policy of the Vietnamese government, to have an overview of this aspect.

I. What is a Vietnam entry visa?

A Vietnam entry visa is a document issued by a competent authority of Vietnam (Vietnamese Embassy/Consulate or Vietnam Immigration Department), allowing foreigners to enter and stay in Vietnam for a specified period of time.

Please note that a visa is completely different from a Vietnamese passport. A Vietnamese passport is a passport issued to Vietnamese citizens for international travel.

II. Visa Classification by Purpose of Entry to Vietnam

According to the new regulations of Law 51/2019/QH14 effective from July 1, 2020, Vietnam visas are divided into 21 main types, including: DL, DN1, DN2, NG, DH, LV, HN, PV, VR, TT, LD 1, LD2, DT1, DT2, DT3, DT4, SQ,…

Among them, the 6 most popular visa types are:

Tourist visa (DL)

Business visa (DN1 - DN2)

Labor visa (LD1 - LD2)

Investment visa (DT1, DT2, DT3, DT4)

Visa for visiting relatives TT

Electronic visa (EV)

Other types of Vietnam visas include:

Type of visa	Description	Validity
LV1 - LV2	Issued to foreigners entering Vietnam to work with central agencies and units	Maximum 12 months
NG1 - NG4	Issued to members of diplomatic missions	Maximum 12 months
DN1 - DN2	Issued to people working with Vietnamese enterprises	Maximum 12 months
DT1 - DT4	Granted to foreigners to invest in Vietnam	Maximum 5 years
LS	Granted to foreign lawyers practicing in Vietnam	Maximum 5 years
NN1 - NN2	Issued to heads of representative offices, branches, projects of organizations and foreigners in Vietnam	Maximum 12 months
NN3	Issued to foreigners working with foreign non-governmental organizations, representative offices, branches of foreign organizations, etc. in Vietnam	Maximum 12 months
HN	Issued to people attending seminars and conferences in Vietnam	Maximum 3 months
DH	Granted to people for study and internship	Maximum 12 months
PV1	Issued to reporters and press residing in Vietnam	Maximum 12 months
PV2	Issued to reporters and journalists working short-term in Vietnam	Maximum 12 months
DL	Issued to foreigners entering Vietnam for tourism	Maximum 3 months
LD1 - LD2	Granted to foreigners to work in Vietnam	Maximum 2 years
TT	Issued to foreigners who are spouses, children under 18 years old of foreigners granted visas with symbols LV1, LV2, DT, NN1, NN2, DH, PV1, LD, or foreigners who are relatives (father, mother, wife, husband, children) of Vietnamese citizens	Maximum 12 months
VR	Issued to foreigners visiting relatives or for other purposes	Maximum 6 months

The most common types of Vietnam visas include:

1.Tourist visa (DL)

Tourist visas are issued to foreigners who come to Vietnam for tourism purposes only, not to work in Vietnam.

Depending on the length of stay and the number of entries, Vietnam tourist visas are divided into:

30-day single-entry visa

30-day multiple-entry visa

90-day single-entry visa, and

90-day multiple-entry visa

Currently, there are 2 ways to apply for a tourist visa to Vietnam, including:

Apply for a Vietnam e-visa (this is the simplest way to apply for a tourist visa currently, applicable to citizens of all countries in the world)

Apply for an entry visa at the airport (Visa on arrival - VOA). This is an urgent way to apply for a tourist visa for visitors.

2.Business visa (DN1, DN2)

The second most common type of visa is a business visa - a business visa, or a commercial visa. According to the new law, this type of visa is divided into 2 sub-types, including:

DN1 visa - issued to foreigners working with enterprises and other organizations with legal status under the provisions of Vietnamese law;

DN2 visa - issued to foreigners entering to offer services, establish commercial presence, and carry out other activities under international treaties of which Vietnam is a member.

Similar to tourist visas, Vietnam business visas are divided into 4 types depending on the effective duration of stay and the number of entries:

1-month single-entry visa

1-month multiple-entry visa

3-month single-entry visa, and

3-month multiple-entry visa

Currently, there are 2 ways to apply for a business visa to Vietnam, including:

Apply for an entry visa at the airport (Visa on arrival - VOA). This is the best way to apply for a visa for foreigners coming to Vietnam by air, and wishing to extend their visa while staying in Vietnam, or convert to a work visa to apply for a work permit.

Apply for a Vietnam e-visa. This type of visa can be extended while in Vietnam.

3. Student visa

A Vietnamese student visa is issued to foreigners coming to Vietnam to study.

Normally, you will get this type of visa after arriving in Vietnam. You can enter Vietnam with a tourist visa, then apply to change your visa status at the Vietnam Immigration Department after registering for a course. The simplest way to apply for a visa to Vietnam is to use the visa application service of a company licensed to provide Vietnam visa application services.

4. Work visa

Work visas for foreigners in Vietnam are coded LD1 and LD2, the maximum duration of a LD work visa is 2 years.

Visa LĐ1 – Issued to foreigners working in Vietnam with confirmation that they are not required to have a work permit, unless otherwise stipulated by international treaties to which Vietnam is a member;

Visa LĐ2 – Issued to foreigners working in Vietnam who are required to have a work permit.

How to apply for a Vietnam work visa?

To apply for a work visa in Vietnam,

You must request the company in Vietnam where you will work to apply for a work visa approval letter from the Vietnam Immigration Department;

Then, depending on the type of visa approval letter, you will go to a Vietnamese representative office abroad or to a Vietnamese airport to have your visa stamped in your passport.

Note:

The most important document to apply for a work visa in Vietnam is a work permit or a confirmation of exemption from a work permit. If you want to apply for this type of visa while you do not have a work permit or a document confirming that you are exempt from a work permit, you should apply for a business visa first, the company that sponsors you for a business visa is the company you will work for. Then, after having a work permit, you can apply for a work visa.

Normally, you do not have to submit a Criminal Record or a Health Certificate when applying for a work visa in Vietnam.

When applying for a work visa in Vietnam, you will have to pay 02 basic fees, which are the fee for requesting a visa approval letter and the stamping fee at the Embassy or airport of Vietnam.

5. Electronic Visa

Electronic Visa (EV) is a type of visa issued online by the Immigration Department. Electronic visas are valid for a maximum of 30 days and people with electronic visas can enter Vietnam through 1 of 33 designated border gates.

Electronic visas are currently only issued to citizens of 81 countries.

III. List of countries exempting visas to Vietnam

Up to now, Vietnam is exempting visas for citizens of 29 countries (ordinary passports), including:

Vietnam unilaterally exempts visas for citizens of 13 countries, and

Vietnam bilaterally exempts visas for citizens of 16 countries.