Investor visas DT1–DT4 are not issued to a person but to a capital value at the time of assessment: an investor contributing VND 100 billion receives DT1 for up to five years; one contributing under VND 3 billion receives only DT4 for up to 12 months. Every capital increase, reduction or project transfer is therefore a residence event — when the status changes, the visa and residence card must be reprocessed at the new tier.
Governing Instruments
DT tiers attach to actual contributed capital
The Law on Entry, Exit, Transit and Residence of Foreigners in Vietnam 47/2014/QH13 tiers investor visas by contributed capital under Clauses 7a–7d, Article 8 (added by Law 51/2019/QH14): DT1 for investors contributing VND 100 billion or more, visa validity up to five years; DT2 for VND 50 to under 100 billion, up to five years; DT3 for VND 3 to under 50 billion, up to three years; DT4 for under VND 3 billion, up to 12 months. Temporary residence cards issued to DT visa holders carry terms corresponding to the tier, with DT1 receiving the longest card. The tier is determined by the investor’s capital in the Vietnamese enterprise at the time the immigration authority assesses issuance — not by capital contributed in the past.
The consequence: when an investor raises capital across a higher tier’s threshold, they qualify for the new tier at the next issuance; when capital falls below the current tier’s threshold — through withdrawal, partial project transfer or restructuring — the held tier loses its corresponding basis, and renewal or reissuance is assessed at the lower tier. Transferring the entire project/capital to another investor ends the former investor’s status at that enterprise: a DT visa attached to the old status no longer has a foundation for continued investment-purpose use in Vietnam.
Application Analysis
On the already-issued residence card: an unexpired DT residence card is not automatically revoked the day capital changes, but its usable value attaches to an investor status that still exists. Where the investor withdraws part of the capital and drops a tier, the next renewal/reissuance is assessed at the new tier; where the investor withdraws or transfers everything, investor status in Vietnam ends — the foreigner must convert to another lawful residence status if eligible (employment with a work permit and a sponsoring employer, family visit, or another category) or depart; remaining on a DT residence card after the status has ended is residence for an improper purpose, sanctioned under immigration law, including the overstay fine scale of Decree 282/2025/ND-CP where the situation is detected late.
The new-status evidence file for reissuance comprises: the passport and current visa/residence card; the enterprise’s updated legal documents showing the post-change capital structure (adjusted investment registration certificate, enterprise registration certificate, post-transfer member/shareholder list); the capital transfer instrument and transaction-completion evidence (capital contribution confirmations, transfer completion minutes); and the Vietnamese enterprise/organisation’s sponsorship document. The correct practical sequence is to complete the investment/enterprise registration change first, then process residence at the new status — the immigration authority assesses on updated investment documents, not on a transfer contract whose registration is unfinished.
Recommended Actions
- Put capital events on the residence checklist: every foreign-investor capital increase, reduction or share/capital transfer triggers a DT-tier review for the individuals concerned.
- Complete the investment registration certificate adjustment and enterprise registration before filing residence paperwork at the new status.
- On a tier drop: schedule visa/residence-card reissuance at the new tier before current documents expire; on a tier rise: use the next issuance to apply for the higher tier with updated capital documents.
- On full capital exit: immediately arrange a replacement residence status (employment/family visit if eligible) or a departure plan — never leave a DT card “hanging” after the status ends.
- Synchronise with the transfer transaction’s tax and foreign-exchange files so the investor-status evidence chain is consistent at inspection.
Frequently Asked Questions
Must DT1–DT4 investor visas be reissued when capital changes or a project is transferred?
Not immediately merely because capital changed, but the visa tier is determined by capital at the time of issuance assessment: DT1 for contributions of VND 100 billion or more (visa up to five years), DT2 for VND 50 to under 100 billion (up to five years), DT3 for VND 3 to under 50 billion (up to three years), DT4 for under VND 3 billion (up to 12 months) under the Law on Entry, Exit, Transit and Residence of Foreigners in Vietnam 47/2014/QH13 (as amended by Law 51/2019/QH14 and Law 23/2023/QH15). When the current visa/residence card expires or the investor next applies, the immigration authority assesses on the current capital structure: crossing a threshold upward earns the higher tier; falling below it drops the tier accordingly. Where the entire capital/project is transferred, the transferor’s investor status in Vietnam ends — the matter is then no longer “reissuing a DT” but arranging another residence status or departure.
How does a change in investor status affect a residence card already issued under a DT visa?
An unexpired DT residence card retains formal validity until expiry or revocation, but its foundation is an investor status that still exists with a corresponding capital structure. In practice: if the investor only reduces capital but keeps status at a lower tier, the current card is usually used to expiry and the next issuance is assessed at the new tier; if investor status ends completely (full withdrawal, full transfer), the DT residence card loses its basis — the foreigner must convert to another lawful residence status if eligible or depart, and staying on a DT card after the status has ended is treated as residence for an improper purpose. The sponsoring enterprise is responsible for notifying and coordinating this change rather than letting the situation run until detected.
How is the visa handled when an investor withdraws all capital but stays in Vietnam?
When capital is fully withdrawn, investor status in Vietnam no longer exists — the DT visa and residence card lose their legal basis to continue. The foreigner has three lawful paths: first, convert to employment status if employed by a Vietnamese enterprise with a completed work permit/confirmation and the corresponding LD visa; second, convert to another residence category they qualify for (for example a family visit under an eligible relative’s sponsorship); third, depart within the remaining residence period. Staying past the status’s end without converting is handled as improper-purpose residence/overstay under immigration law (including the overstay fine scale in Decree 282/2025/ND-CP), and damages the entry record for future visa applications.
What documents prove the new status in an investor visa reissuance file?
The groups are: a valid passport and the current visa/residence card; the sponsorship document of the Vietnamese enterprise or organisation in the prescribed form; and the group proving investor status after the change — the adjusted investment registration certificate and enterprise registration certificate showing the current capital structure and members/shareholders; the capital/share transfer contract with evidence the transaction is complete and related obligations performed (capital contribution confirmations, transfer completion minutes); and project documents where the status attaches to a transferred project. The sequencing principle is to update the investment–enterprise registration first and process the visa second: the immigration authority determines the DT tier on issued/adjusted investment documents, not on a transfer agreement whose procedures are unfinished.
This article has been quality-reviewed by the FLAW AI Legal Council