Visa Types

Last updated: Mar 19,2020

Content:

If you are going to travel to Vietnam, before your departure, it is crucial to understand your legal situation. In case a visa is required to your entry into Vietnam, you definitely should know which type of visa fit your trip purpose and itinerary to avoid any unexpected problem and also save time and cost. Here we will help you have a close look at different Vietnam visa types.

There are two criteria to categorize the Vietnam visa.

Vietnam Visa Types by Purpose of Visit

According to the new regulations that took effect in January 2015, Vietnam visa is classified into about 20 main types by the purpose of visit, namely DL, DN, NG, DH, LV, HN, PV, VR, TT, SQ, etc.

05 popular types of Vietnam visa are:

Tourist visa (DL)
Business visa (DN)
Student/internship visa (DH)
Working visa (LD)
Diplomatic visa (NG)

Other main Vietnam visa types include:

Vietnam Visa Type	Description	Validity
LV1-LV2	Working with Vietnam authorities/parties	Maximum of 12 months
DN	Working with Vietnamese enterprises	Maximum of 12 months
ĐT	Investor Visas	Maximum of 5 years
NN1 – NN2	Chief Representative Office in Vietnam, Head of Project Office of foreign NGO	Maximum of 12 months
NN3	NGOs’ Staff, Rep office in Vietnam	Maximum of 12 months
HN	Meetings/Conferences	Maximum of 3 months
DH	Student/Internship	Maximum of 12 months
PV1	Journalists with permanent residence in Vietnam	Maximum of 12 months
PV2	Journalists with short term residence in Vietnam	Maximum of 12 months
DL	Tourist/Visitor Visas	Maximum of 3 months
TT	Dependents of LV1, LV2, ĐT, NN1, NN2, DH, PV1, LĐ	Maximum of 12 months
VR	Family visits, other purposes	Maximum of 6 months

The following is details about those 5 most popular Vietnam visa types:

1. Tourist visa

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sample of Vietnam tourist visa

The tourist visa is issued to those who are traveling to Vietnam for tourism only, not for doing any business in the country.

Depending on validity and number of entries, a Vietnam tourist visa can be divided into:

1-month single entry visa;
1-month multiple entry visa;
3 months single entry visa; and
3 months multiple entry visa.

Besides, the US travelers to Vietnam have 01 more option for a tourist visa to Vietnam: Vietnam 1 year multiple entry visa.

At the moment, there are up to 3 ways to get a tourist visa to Vietnam, namely:

Getting a Vietnam visa on arrival (VOA – highly recommended for those traveling to Vietnam by air. You can see why it is highly recommended via those 5 undeniable advantages of Vietnam visa on arrival);
Getting a Vietnam embassy visa; and
Getting a Vietnam e-visa (available for 1-month single entry, and for nationals of 80 countries only).

Full details about how to get a Vietnam tourist visa, its cost and how to extend it when you are in Vietnam can be found here.

2. Business visa

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Sample of Vietnam business visa

The second most popular type of Vietnam visa is business visa which is granted to those entering Vietnam for business purposes, including exploring business potentialities, setting up industrial venture, purchasing or selling merchandise, attending conferences or meetings, signing business contracts, working with Vietnamese enterprises, etc. As such, this kind of visa is also referred to by many as Vietnam work visa, working visa or job visa.

Like types of tourist visa for Vietnam, depending on validity and number of entries, a Vietnam business visa also can be divided into:

1-month single entry visa;
1-month multiple entry visa;
3 months single entry visa; and
3 months multiple entry visa.

In addition, the US travelers to Vietnam have 01 more option for a tourist visa to Vietnam: Vietnam 1 year 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 as no sponsor letter from a Vietnam company is not required to application); and
Getting a Vietnam embassy visa.

Full details about how to get a Vietnam business visa, its cost and how to extend it when you are in Vietnam can be found here.

3. Student visa

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. You 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 for you.

4. Working visa

Vietnam working visa (or LD visa) is issued to foreigners who come to work in Vietnam, like teaching, etc. It is valid for 12 months 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.

How to get Vietnam work visa?

To get a visa for doing a job in Vietnam,

You need to request the company in Vietnam for which you will work to apply for an LD visa approval letter at Vietnam Immigration Department; and then
You will then get visa stamped at Vietnam mission in foreign countries or at your port of entry upon your arrival there, depending on the type of visa approval letter you are issued.

Note:

The most important document for Vietnam work visa application is a work permit or work-permit-free written confirmation. If you wish to obtain this type of visa but have no work permit or work-permit-free written confirmation, you apply for a business visa first with the determined company you will work for. After you have your work permit, you will easily apply for working visa for Vietnam.
Normally, application for a Vietnam work visa does not require a criminal record or health check.
Vietnam work visa cost consists of two kinds of fee: working visa approval letter fee and stamping fee at Vietnam embassy or Vietnam port.

5. Diplomatic visa

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.

Vietnam Visa types by Length of Stay and Validity

By this criterion, Vietnam visa is normally categorized into:

1-month single entry visa
1-month multiple entry visa
3 months single entry visa
3 months multiple entry visa
6 months multiple entry visa
1-year multiple entry visa

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