Vietnam investor visa | Definition, Types and How to apply for it

March 5, 2023
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Vietnam investor visa is for foreign investors who wish to invest or reside in Vietnam for a certain period. Different investor visa types depend on your financial ability and desires. To apply for this visa, you must prepare some documents and carry out the necessary steps to obtain a valid visa. To learn more details, let’s explore the article below.

Read now: Vietnam visa: Types, Requirements, Fees & How to get it? [2023]

1. What is Vietnam investor visa or DT visa?

According to Law No.47/2014/QH13 on entry, exit, transit, and residence of foreigners in Vietnam, an investor visa, also known as a DT visa, is a type of visa granted to foreign investors and lawyers practicing in Vietnam. This type of visa allows holders to enter/exit, transit, and stay in Vietnam for no more than 12 months. It is also issued to those who want to reside in Vietnam.

DT visa is granted for foreign investors and lawyers who want to invest or reside

However, if you apply for a Vietnam investor visa, you should be an investor, which means you have to set up a company in the country such as opening a small restaurant or consulting business. The Vietnamese Government has recently changed the Immigration Law for foreign investors. These new laws make it easier for them to invest in Vietnam and apply for a Vietnam temporary residence permit.

2. Types of investor visa Vietnam

According to the new Immigration Law No.51/2019/QH14 amending and supplementing several articles of Law No. 47/2014/QH13 on entry, exit, transit, and residence of foreigners, Vietnam Investor Visa is categorized into:

DT1: This type of visa with a term of 5 years is issued to foreign investors and representatives of foreign organizations investing in Vietnam with a minimum capital contribution of 100 billion VND. It is also granted to those who invest in fields with investment incentives determined by the Government of Vietnam.
DT2: It is valid for up to 5 years for foreign investors with total investment capital from VND 50 billion to VND 100 billion or investments in fields eligible for investment incentives by the Government of Vietnam.
DT3: It is suitable for those investing in Vietnam with a capital contribution from 3 to less than 50 billion VND with a duration of up to 3 years.
DT4: It is only valid for up to 12 months for foreign investors who wish to invest in Vietnam with a capital contribution of less than 3 billion VND.

Each types of DT visa has different requirements as well as time duration

3. How to apply for Vietnam investor visa

3.1 Getting DT visa within Vietnam

The required documents to apply for Vietnam investor visa:

Before requesting to issue a visa, you need to prepare the following documents to serve the processing:

Valid original passport.
Form NA5: This is the application form for visa issuance and visa extension for foreigners in Vietnam.
Form NA16: Registration form engraved with seal and signature of the legal representative of the enterprise operating in Vietnam;
Temporary residence registration form.
A 4x6cm photo, white background
Papers proving legal status following Vietnamese Law (in case you are a foreign investor)
Notarized copy of Certificate of Business Registration/Certificate of Investment Registration;
Certificate of seal sample registration or Notice of disclosure of information about the enterprise’s seal sample on the National Enterprise Registration Portal
Lawyer license if you are a lawyer
Invitation letter from your sponsoring company.

Prepare necessary documents for the visa issuance process

Steps in the process to get a Vietnam investor visa:

Step 1: Gathering all relevant documents as mentioned above
Step 2: Submit documents to one of the Vietnam Immigration Departments in Ha Noi, Da Nang or Ho Chi Minh City, where your company is located.
Step 3: Receive the investor visa.

After around 05 working days from submitting full documents, you will receive your investor visa in Vietnam and get stamped on your passport.

The application process for DT visa within Vietnam usually goes through 3 steps equivalent to 5 working days

Discover now: Vietnam Visa Application Process: 3 options & Steps to apply

3.2 Getting DT visa for Vietnam in foreign country

The required documents to apply for Vietnam investor visa from foreign countries:

If you are applying for a DT visa from abroad, you must prepare the following necessary documents:

Copy of your valid original passport.

Notarized copy of Business Registration Certificate/ Investment Registration Certificate.
Certificate of seal specimen registration
Form NA16: Registration form for the seal and signature of the legal representative of the enterprise operating in Vietnam
Form NA2 with barcode: with Barcode – Foreigners’ requests to enter Vietnam.
Temporary residence registration form.

Steps in the process to get a Vietnam investor visa from foreign countries:

Step 1: Preparing documents listed above for DT visa
Step 2: In this step, you will submit all documents gathered in step 1 to the Vietnam Immigration Department office in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City or Da Nang. After 5 working days, the agent will receive a visa approval letter as the basis for foreign investors to stamp the DT visa. Your company staff can email or scan this letter to you.

To obtain DT visa from other countries you need to carry out all necessary steps

Step 3: Get stamped DT visa: Foreign investors first need to prepare the following documents to get stamped visa to enter Vietnam:
- The original passport is still valid as prescribed by Law;
- A printed copy of the official letter of approval for the Vietnam visa;
- 2 photos 4x6cm white background;
- Vietnam visa application form.

After that, depending on the time appointed after applying for the DT visa stamp stated on Form NA2, the investors will present themselves at the Vietnamese Embassy/Consulate General or the airport in Vietnam to stamp the visa.

3.3 Getting DT visa on arrival

1 – The required documents to apply DT 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, you must submit the following documents:

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’ requests to enter Vietnam
The valid passport copy of the investor.

2 – Steps in the process to get DT visa on arrival

Step 1: Get the visa approval letter from Vietnam Immigration Department by preparing all the above documents.

Sample of approval letter you will get from Vietnam Immigration Department

You will beStep 2: Submit the documents to the office of the Vietnam Immigration Department in Hanoi, Da Nang, or Ho Chi Minh City. required to pay a visa letter fee and get scheduled for the appointment. The agent will provide the visa approval letter to your company’s staff on the scheduled date.

DT visa on arrival can be obtained through some steps

Step 3: Get the visa stamped on your passport

You will obtain a stamped visa at the airport. However, you must need the following documents provided for this procedures:

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

Sample of N1 Vietnam application form

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

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

Learn more about: Vietnam Visa Application Form 2023 | Download pdf & doc.

4. Vietnam investor visa validity

Vietnam investor visa is valid from 12 months (one year) up to 5 years. However, recently, the Vietnamese government has made some changes in policy on immigration for foreigners. The DT visa will allow you to apply for a temporary residence card, which means you can stay in the country for up to 5 years without a work permit.

The article above provides information on the types of Vietnamese investor visas, their durations and requirements. It also offers a list of documents that can be submitted to obtain a DT visa. If you have any questions regarding this subject, please contact us for assistance.

Contact information:

Wolo International Travel Service and Commercial Investment Joint Stock Company