Vietnam Investor Visa: Requirements And How To Apply For It

If you are looking for a place to invest, live by the beaches, and recreate, what better place can you find than Vietnam? Vietnam is a natural beauty with dreamy beaches, flowing rivers, French architecture, and Buddhist pagodas. And, let me not start with Vietnamese food; Pho and Vietnamese coffee!

Before we go astray about other good things in this gorgeous country, let's talk about what we are here for, the Vietnam Investor Visa. Under Vietnam Investor Visa, there are different types of visas, such as DT1, DT2, DT3, and DT4 visas, that allow you to invest and stay for various periods in the country.

I know it’s a lot of different visa types, so let me guide you through them and tell you more in-depth about the Vietnam Investor Visa, the requirements, and how you can get your visa:

What Is Vietnam Investor Visa or DT Visa?

What Are The Types Of Vietnam Investor Visa or DT Visa?

Required Documents And How To Apply For Vietnam Investor Visa or DT Visa?

How Long Is The Vietnam Investor Visa Valid For?

What Is Vietnam Investor Visa or DT Visa?

The Vietnamese Government has recently made a few changes to the immigration laws for foreign investors looking to invest in the country. In addition, these new laws make it easier for any foreign investor to invest in Vietnam and get a temporary residence permit in the country.

The Vietnam Investor Visa (or DT visa) allows the visa holder to enter/exit the country, transit through, and stay within the country for 12 months. This visa is granted to foreign investors and foreign lawyers that wish to reside in Vietnam.

What Are The Types Of Vietnam Investor Visa or DT Visa?

There are 4 different types of investors visa that you can apply for depending on the amount of money invested; each allows you to stay within the country for 1-10 years. First, let’s tackle the differences between these 4 investor visas: DT1, DT2, DT3, and DT4.

DT1 Visa: This visa is granted to a foreign investor for 5 years with a total capital investment of no less than VND 100 billion or $4.3 million. Also given to investors investing in the economic categories and regions where the Vietnamese Government has set up investment incentives.

DT2 Visa: This visa is granted to a foreign investor for 5 years with a total capital investment between VND50 billion ($2.17 million) and VND100 billion ($4.35 million). Also granted to investors investing in the economic categories and regions where the Vietnamese Government has set up investment incentives.

DT3 Visa: This visa is granted to a foreign investor for 5 years with investment capital between VND3 billion ($130,500) and VND50 billion ($2.17 million).

DT4 Visa: This visa is granted to foreign investors that allow them to stay in the country for 12 months and has made a capital contribution of less than VND3 billion ($130,500).

Required Documents And How To Apply For Vietnam Investor Visa or DT Visa?

The first step toward getting your Vietnam investor visa is gathering all the necessary documents. Certain documents must be acquired before the start of your visa application process. Below are the required documents/ visa requirements to apply for your investment visa. You can apply for the visa in three ways:

Within Vietnam

Outside Vietnam

Visa On Arrival

Within Vietnam

If you are already in Vietnam wishing to invest, you can apply for the Vietnam Investor Visa in your province. To apply for the DT visa, you need the following documents:

A valid original passport

Form NA5 (this is a visa application form and a visa extension form for foreigners in Vietnam)

Form NA16 – Registration form for the seal and signature of the legal representative of the enterprise operating in Vietnam;

Temporary residence registration form

A photo in 4x6cm size, with white background

Proof of legal status as prescribed by Vietnam’s law (in case you are foreign investors):

Certified copy of Business Registration Certificate/ Investment Registration Certificate;

Certificate of seal specimen registration or a notice on the publication of information on the sealed specimen of the enterprise on the national enterprise registration portal

Lawyer license if you are a lawyer

A letter of invitation from the company sponsoring you.

Once you have gathered all the required documents, submit them to one of the Vietnam Immigration Departments in Hanoi, Da Nang, or Ho Chi Minh City, where your company is based.

The processing time for Vietnam Investor Visa is 5 working days, and you will receive it stamped in your passport.

Outside Vietnam

If you are applying for a DT visa from a foreign country, you must first get your Visa Approval Letter. The first step, as always, is to gather the necessary documents. Then, you can apply for it at the Vietnam Immigration Department.

The following documents are required for it:

Copy of your valid original passport

Certified copy of Business Registration Certificate/ Investment Registration Certificate

Certificate of seal specimen registration or a notice on the publication of information on the seal specimen of the enterprise on the national enterprise registration portal

Form NA16 – Registration form for the seal and signature of the legal representative of the enterprise operating in Vietnam

Form NA2 with Barcode – Foreigners' pre-clearance requests to enter Vietnam

Temporary residence registration form as prescribed

Once you have gathered all the documents, submit them to one of the Vietnam Immigration Departments in Hanoi, Da Nang, or Ho Chi Minh City, where your company is based.

NOTE: Your company’s staff member or representative will have to do this step for you in Vietnam.

After 5 working days, you should receive your visa approval letter. Your company staff can email or scan this letter to you.

You are now ready to apply for your DT Visa at your nearest Vietnam Embassy/Consulate General with the following documents:

Valid original passport for at least 6 months

2 black pages on the passport for the visa

Printed visa approval letter

Two photos in 4x6cm size, with white background

Form NA5 (this is a visa application form and a visa extension form for foreigners in Vietnam)

You can apply for the visa in person, no prior appointment is required at the Embassy of Vietnam in the USA. You can also apply for the visa via mail and pay the visa fees online.

It takes up to 5 – 7 working days to process the visa. Keep in mind that you must be present at the Vietnam Embassy/Consulate General on the appointed date to receive your passport with the DT visa.

Visa On Arrival

The first step would be to get a Visa Approval Letter from the Vietnam Immigration Department. To get a visa approval letter, your company's staff or representative in Vietnam will submit the documents on your behalf. The following documents are needed:

Certified copy of Business Registration Certificate/ Investment Registration Certificate;

A seal registration certificate or notice of posting information about the enterprise's seal sample on the national business registration portal

Form NA16 registration form in which the legal representative of the inviting company operating in Vietnam should sign and seal

Form NA2 with Barcode – Foreigners' pre-clearance requests to enter Vietnam

The valid passport copy of the investor

The documents mentioned above must be submitted to the office of the Vietnam Immigration Department in Hanoi, Da Nang, or Ho Chi Minh City. The submitted documents will then be verified at the immigration office.

You will be asked to pay a visa letter fee; you get the appointment letter after that. The Vietnam Immigration Department will provide the visa approval letter to your company's staff on the scheduled date. Your staff must scan the letter and email it to you.

At the airport, you will need the following documents to get the visa stamped on your passport:

Valid original passport for at least 6 months

2 black pages on the passport for the visa

Printed visa approval letter

Two photos in 4x6cm size, with white background

Form N1 Vietnamese visa Application Form also known as entry and exit form

Visa stamping fee of 25$ for a single entry visa for one or three months and 50$ for multiple entries for one or three months

You can get your visa stamped upon arrival at Vietnam international airport anytime since the immigration officers work 24/7 at the international airports.

You can get your visa on arrival at the following Vietnam airport:

Tan Son Nhat Airport (Ho Chi Minh City)

Noi Bai airport (Ha Noi city)

Da Nang Airport (Da Nang City)

Cam Ranh, Cat Bi, Lien Khuong, Can Tho & Phu Quoc Airports

How Long Is The Vietnam Investor Visa Valid For?

The Vietnamese Investor Visa or DT visa is valid for a minimum of 12 months and a maximum of 5 years. But here’s some good news! The DT visa qualifies you to apply for a temporary residence card, which allows you to stay in the country for up to 5 years without a work permit.