Visa and Residence Roadmap for Foreign Investors in Vietnam

A visa and residence roadmap for foreign investors should be designed from the project’s inception: the initial entry visa type, work permit or exemption, temporary residence card and, further ahead, a long-term residence strategy for the investor and family. Many investors enter Vietnam on tourist visas and then “improvise” step by step, leading to work interruptions when the visa expires just as the project needs urgent decisions. This article maps a proper roadmap from the first day in Vietnam.

Step 1: Entering on an Investment Visa (DT)

The Law on Entry, Exit, Transit and Residence of Foreigners in Vietnam (No. 47/2014/QH13, as amended) provides DT1, DT2, DT3 and DT4 visa categories for foreign investors in Vietnam and foreign lawyers practicing in Vietnam, classified by contributed investment capital levels. Investors should enter on the correct investment visa category from the start rather than using a tourist visa and converting later — sponsorship dossiers are carried out by Vietnamese companies/organizations, and choosing the right visa category determines the type of temporary residence card issued later.

Step 2: Work Permit or Exemption Confirmation

An investor who is also a manager or operator of a company in Vietnam is subject to work permit requirements, except where exempt under the Labor Code 2019 and Decree 219/2025/ND-CP (effective from 07/8/2025, replacing Decrees 152/2020/ND-CP and 70/2023/ND-CP) — for example owners or capital-contributing members of limited liability companies, chairpersons or board members of joint stock companies with contributed capital meeting prescribed thresholds. Correctly identifying the exemption from the start helps avoid unnecessary work permit applications or, conversely, working without eligibility.

Practical note: conditions for using foreign workers — including job position requirements, qualifications and proving no Vietnamese candidate meets the need — should be prepared in parallel with the investment dossier, because work permit processing can take 1–2 months.

Step 3: Temporary Residence Card — the Long-Term “Travel Pass”

Foreigners entering on DT visas may be considered for temporary residence cards with corresponding symbols; the card’s validity is based on the visa duration and the company’s sponsorship dossier. The temporary residence card allows long-term residence and multiple entries without applying for visas each time — the condition for stable work for investors operating multi-year projects. When the passport or Investment Registration Certificate changes (project extension, capital increase), the residence card dossier needs synchronized updates.

Accompanying Family and Temporary Residence Declaration

Spouses and children of investors may be granted visas and temporary residence cards under family visit categories, sponsored by the investor themselves. In parallel, companies and accommodation providers have obligations to declare temporary residence for foreigners with the police — violating declaration obligations is among the most common administrative mistakes, easy to avoid but often forgotten.

Sample 12-Month Roadmap

Months 1–2: enter on a DT visa, complete investment procedures; months 2–4: apply for a work permit or exemption confirmation, while preparing the residence card dossier; months 4–6: receive the residence card, stabilize residence and bring family over; periodically: track residence card and work permit validity and synchronize with project progress. For investors implementing FDI projects, assigning one focal point (admin–HR department or a consulting firm) to track all residence documents helps miss no deadline.

Frequently Asked Questions