Visa for foreigners in Vietnam

In recent years, the regime for visa for foreigners in Vietnam has changed to implement the strategic orientation of proactive and active international integration. Vietnam’s immigration policies and laws have been constantly improved, promoting administrative procedure reform and cooperation internationally to create favorable conditions for foreign citizens to enter and stay in Vietnam more easily and conveniently.

Types of visa for foreigners in Vietnam

• Business visa
• Tourist visa
• Working visa
• Visa for investors
• Visa to visit relatives

Some new regulations on visa issuance for foreigners in Vietnam

• From 2024, following the Law amending and supplementing several articles of the Law on Entry, Exit, Transit, and Residence of Foreigners in Vietnam, Vietnam will have several new policies and regulations on tourist visas and immigration procedures for tourism foreigners entering Vietnam. The contents of the new regulations include increasing the duration of tourist visas (symbol: DL), and tourist E-Visa to 3 months. At the same time, apply the policy of increasing the visa exemption period for tourism purposes to 45 days for some listed countries.
• In particular, in 2024, electronic visas (E-Visa Vietnam) will be issued to citizens of all countries and territories in the world regardless of nationality or country. Vietnam E-Visa – EV is the symbol for Vietnam Electronic Visa, according to current regulations with a validity period from 30 days (1 month) to 90 days (3 months).
• Vietnam tourist visa exemption: Applicable to foreigners who are exempted from Vietnam visa unilaterally or bilaterally for a limited time depending on each country and territory. Travelers under this exempted visa category do not have to pay visa fees or conduct normal visa application procedures.
• The duration of a tourist visa for unilateral and bilateral exemption is 14, 30, or 45 days depending on the country.
• List of countries eligible for visa exemption from Vietnam according to the visa exemption policy.

Symbols of visa for foreigners in Vietnam

• NG1 – Issued to members of the guest delegation of the General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam, the President, the Chairman of the National Assembly, and the Prime Minister.
• NG2 – Issued to members of the guest delegation of the Standing Committee of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam, Vice President, Vice Chairman of the National Assembly, Deputy Prime Minister, Chairman of the Central Committee of the Fatherland Front Vietnam, Chief Justice of the Supreme People’s Court, Director of the Supreme People’s Procuracy, State Auditor General; members of the guest delegation at the same level of the Minister and equivalent, Provincial Party Secretary, City Party Secretary, Chairman of the People’s Council, Chairman of the People’s Committee of the province or centrally run city.
• NG3 – Issued to members of diplomatic missions, consular offices, representative agencies of international organizations under the United Nations, representative agencies of intergovernmental organizations and spouses, and children under 18 years old, maid comes along on a term basis.
• NG4 – Issued to people working with diplomatic missions, consulates, representative agencies of international organizations under the United Nations, representative agencies of intergovernmental organizations, and their spouses and children under 18 years old go together; People visiting members of diplomatic missions, consular offices, representative offices of international organizations under the United Nations, and representative offices of intergovernmental organizations.
• LV1 – Issued to people working with departments, agencies, and units directly under the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam; National Assembly, Government, Central Committee of Vietnam Fatherland Front, Supreme People’s Court, Supreme People’s Procuracy, State Audit, ministries, ministerial-level agencies, agencies under the Government; Provincial Party Committee, People’s Council, People’s Committee of provinces and centrally run cities.
• LV2 – Issued to people working with socio-political organizations, social organizations, and the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
• DT – Issued to foreign investors in Vietnam and foreign lawyers practicing in Vietnam.
  • DT1 – Issued to foreign investors in Vietnam and representatives of foreign organizations investing in Vietnam with contributed capital worth VND 100 billion or more or investing in industries, occupations with investment incentives, and localities. The investment incentives table is decided by the Government.
  • DT2 – Issued to foreign investors in Vietnam and representatives of foreign organizations investing in Vietnam with capital contribution worth from 50 billion VND to under 100 billion VND or investing in industries and professions that encourage investment Development investment is decided by the Government.
  • DT3 – Issued to foreign investors in Vietnam and representatives of foreign organizations investing in Vietnam with contributed capital worth from 03 billion VND to less than 50 billion VND.
  • DT4 – Issued to foreign investors in Vietnam and representatives of foreign organizations investing in Vietnam with contributed capital worth less than 03 billion VND.
• DN1 – Issued to foreigners working with businesses and other organizations with legal status according to Vietnamese law.
  • DN2 – Issued to foreigners offering services, establishing a commercial presence, and performing other activities according to international treaties to which Vietnam is a member.
• NN1 – Issued to people who are Heads of representative offices or projects of international organizations and foreign non-governmental organizations in Vietnam.
• NN2 – Issued to heads of representative offices, branches of foreign traders, and representative offices of economic, cultural, and other foreign professional organizations in Vietnam.
• NN3 – Issued to people working with foreign non-governmental organizations, representative offices, branches of foreign traders, and representative offices of economic, cultural, and other foreign professional organizations in Vietnam.
• DH – Issued to people who practice and study.
• HN – Issued to people attending conferences and seminars.
• PV1 – Issued to reporters and press residing in Vietnam.
• PV2 – Issued to reporters and press for short-term activities in Vietnam.
• LD1 – Issued to foreigners working in Vietnam who have confirmation that they are not subject to a work permit unless an international treaty to which Vietnam is a member has different provisions. DL – Issued to people traveling for tourism.
  • LD2 – Issued to foreigners working in Vietnam who are required to have a work permit in Vietnam.
• DL – Issued to tourist people.
• TT – Issued to foreigners who are spouses, children under 18 years old of foreigners who are granted visas with symbols LV1, LV2, LS, DT1, DT2, DT3, NN1, NN2, DH, PV1, LD1, LD2 or foreigners are fathers, mothers, wives, husbands, and children of Vietnamese citizens.
• VR – Issued to people visiting relatives or for other purposes.
• SQ – Issued for cases related to diplomatic missions and consulates including:
  • People who have a working relationship with an agency competent to issue Vietnamese visas abroad and their spouses, children, or people with a written request from a competent agency of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the host country;
  • People with a guarantee note from diplomatic missions or consulates of foreign countries located in the host country.
• EV – Electronic visa.

Visa term for foreigners in Vietnam

• Visas with symbols SQ and EV are valid for no more than 30 days.
• Visas symbols HN and DL are valid for no more than 3 months.
• Visa with symbol VR is valid for no more than 6 months.
• Visas with symbols NG1, NG2, NG3, NG4, LV1, LV2, DT4, DN1, DN2, NN1, NN2, NN3, DH, PV1, PV2 and TT are valid for no more than 12 months.
• Visas with symbols LD1 and LD2 are valid for no more than 02 years.
• Visa with symbol DT3 is valid for no more than 3 years
• Visas with symbols LS, DT1, DT2 are valid for no more than 5 years.

When the visa expires, a new visa will be considered.

Visa validity is at least 30 days shorter than the validity of a passport or international travel document.

In case an international treaty to which Vietnam is a member has different provisions, the visa validity period shall comply with the international treaty.

Requirements and conditions for granting visas to foreigners in Vietnam

The remaining validity period of the passport must be at least one month longer than the validity period of the visa applied for.

Documents provided for issuing visa procedures for foreigners in Vietnam

• Written request from the agency, organization, or individual to carry out invitation and guarantee procedures;
• Visa application form;
• Original passport;
• 02 passport photos 2×3 cm;
• Temporary residence confirmation/registration of local police in Vietnam;

In case of visiting to Vietnam for non-tourism purposes, the following additional documents are required:

• Notarized copy of Enterprise Registration Certificate or equivalent document
• Notarized copy of the guarantee unit seal registration certificate
• Documents proving the purpose of entry and stay in Vietnam such as Investment Registration Certificate, Work permit, Marriage certificate, Lawyer card, etc.

Visa issuance procedures for foreigners in Vietnam

Step 1: Prepare documents according to regulations

Step 2: Log in to the visa issuance website

Foreigners access the electronic visa information page of the Ministry of Public Security’s Public Service Portal (with the Vietnamese domain name “https://dichvucong.bocongan.gov.vn/”, in English it is “https://e-services.mps.gov.vn/”) to enter information for electronic visa application, download portrait photo and passport identification page.

Step 3: The system issues a application code to the login user

After completing this step, foreigners will be issued an electronic file code by the system.

Step 4: Pay fees according to regulations

Pay the visa fee to the account specified on the electronic visa information page or the National Public Service Portal or the Public Service Portal of the Ministry of Public Security after receiving the electronic file code from the immigration management agency. Application submission time: 24 hours/7 days. Time to receive applications: From Monday to Saturday every week (except Tet and holidays).

Step 5: Get results

Foreigners applying for an electronic visa use the electronic file code to check and print the electronic visa issuance results on the electronic visa information page.

Consulting service on visa for foreigners of Viet An Law Firm

• Consulting customers on legal regulations on visas/visas for foreigners;
• Consulting on conditions for foreign workers to be granted visas/visas according to the purposes of stay;
• Instruct customers to prepare necessary papers and documents to apply for a visa/visa according to the purposes of stay;
• Translate, notarize and consular legalize documents used for visa application;
• Completing visa/visa application documents in Vietnam for customers;
• On behalf of clients, perform comprehensive services on visa/visa issuance procedures at competent state agencies;
• In addition to the above contents, Viet An Law Firm also supports clients in consulting on legal regulations related to visa issuance procedures for foreigners such as consulting on work permit procedures; procedures to confirm that workers are not subject to work permits, investment procedures for foreign investors in Vietnam…