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Vietnam Investor Visa

Vietnam Residency

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At a glance

Vietnam's investor visa is for people investing capital into a Vietnamese company or qualifying project. It generally requires corporate and investment records, the correct investor category, and standard immigration checks.

Type
Investment residence
Investment fit
Investors making a qualifying investment in Vietnam
Core requirements
Investment amount, source of funds, and required approvals
What to know
Approval can depend on official judgment or program space
Duration
DT visas range from 1 to 5 years depending on investment tier.
Renewal / path
DT1-DT3 can support temporary residence cards; DT1/DT2 may support PR later.

Summary

The DT visa (đầu tư) is Vietnam's investor visa. It comes in four tiers — DT1, DT2, DT3, and DT4 — tied to how much capital you deploy in a Vietnamese business. The tiers were introduced under the Law on Foreigners' Entry, Exit, Transit, and Residence (No. 47/2014/QH13, amended by Law No. 51/2019/QH14) and have become the standard route for foreigners running Vietnamese companies.

DT1 and DT2 come with substantial temporary-residence privileges — up to 10 years on a Temporary Residence Card (TRC) for DT1. DT3 is the mid-tier, typical for small-to-medium business owners. DT4, the lowest tier, is a 1-year visa without TRC conversion — a common starting point for founders who plan to scale up and graduate to a higher class later.

Eligibility

You qualify by investing capital in a Vietnamese company or contributing capital to an existing one. The investment must be registered with Vietnam's investment authorities and reflected in the company's Investment Registration Certificate (IRC) or Enterprise Registration Certificate (ERC).

The four tiers (2026 thresholds)

Class Capital Visa duration TRC available
DT1 VND 100 billion+ (approx. $4M) Up to 5 years Yes — up to 10 years
DT2 VND 50–100 billion (approx. $2M–$4M) Up to 5 years Yes — up to 5 years
DT3 VND 3–50 billion (approx. $125K–$2M) Up to 3 years Yes — up to 3 years
DT4 Under VND 3 billion (approx. $125K) Up to 1 year No — visa only

USD figures assume ~VND 25,000 to the dollar. Exchange-rate movement is not a reason to reclassify.

Investment incentives bump

DT1 status is also available to investors in sectors or locations designated for investment incentives — high-tech parks, priority industries, certain provinces — even if capital is below VND 100 billion. This is a discretionary route and requires working with Vietnam's Ministry of Planning and Investment.

What counts as capital

Passive purchases of publicly traded shares and real estate do not count. The investment must be business-operational.

Family inclusion

DT1–DT3 TRC holders can sponsor a spouse and children under 18 for TT (dependent) visas matching the principal's duration. DT4 does not extend this benefit.

Path to permanent residence

DT visas lead to permanent residency only via the investor/meritorious track of the Permanent Residence Card (PRC). After at least 3 continuous years in Vietnam on a DT TRC, significant investors — particularly those contributing to national priority sectors — can be proposed for PRC consideration. The PRC route is discretionary and requires ministerial endorsement, not an automatic conversion.

Disqualifications

Duration, Renewal, and Long-Term Path

What This Route Allows

This route can allow you to live in Vietnam through the qualifying investment, business, or self-employment basis described above. The proof package should be concrete before filing: accepted investment or business activity, lawful source-of-funds records, corporate, property, or bank documents where relevant, background checks, and the government forms for this pathway.

What This Route Is Not

This is not a guaranteed approval just because money is available. Investment routes usually require due diligence, source-of-funds proof, and careful review of the exact investment rules.

Next Steps

  1. Pick your tier based on real investment appetite. DT4 is a realistic entry point for small founders; DT1 is for serious capital deployment. Don't over-represent your investment to get a higher-tier visa — the licensing process verifies actual capital contribution.
  2. Register the Vietnamese company. Standard structures are a 100% foreign-owned LLC or joint-venture LLC. You'll need an IRC (Investment Registration Certificate) from the Department of Planning and Investment, followed by an ERC (Enterprise Registration Certificate).
  3. Fund the capital account. Transfer the declared capital into the company's DICA (Direct Investment Capital Account) at a licensed Vietnamese bank. The DICA statement is the primary evidence for your visa class.
  4. Apply for the DT visa. File through the Vietnam Immigration Department (Ministry of Public Security). You can enter on an approval letter and collect the visa on arrival, or apply at a Vietnamese consulate abroad.
  5. Convert to a TRC (DT1/DT2/DT3 only). Once in Vietnam, apply for your Temporary Residence Card. Duration matches the tier cap.
  6. Maintain the investment. TRC renewals check that the underlying capital and business activity are still real. Dissolving the company or withdrawing capital voids the status.
  7. Plan for PRC if the long-term goal is permanent residence. Keep clean tax and compliance records — PRC applications rely on ministerial recommendation.

Sources