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:
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:
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.
- 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.
How to get Vietnam work visa?
- 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.
1. Tourist visa
- 1 month single entry visa;
- 1 month multiple entry visa;
- 3 months single entry visa;
- 3 months multiple entry visa.
However, according to the new regulations taking effect since July 1, 2020, holders of tourist visas for Vietnam which are valid for more than 30 days are only given a 30-day temporary residence stamp, and they may extend visa in Vietnam if wishes to remain in the country.
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;
- Getting a Vietnam e-visa (available for 1-month single entry, and for nationals of 80 countries only).
► Read more: How to get Vietnam tourist visa
2. Business visa
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:
- 1 month single entry visa;
- 1 month multiple entry visa;
- 3 months single entry visa;
- 3 months multiple entry visa.
- 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.
► Read more: How to get Vietnam business visa
4. Working visa
Vietnam working visa is issued to foreigners who come to work in Vietnam, like teaching, etc. It is categorized into:
- 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.
Note:
1. 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;
2. 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.
5. Investor Visa
An Investor visa for Vietnam is a type of visa granted to foreign investors in Vietnam. It is categorized as:
6. 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.