What is a Vietnam business visa?

Business visa is a type of visa allowing foreigners to enter Vietnam for business purposes such as signing a contract, attending a business seminar, cooperating with domestic enterprises, etc.
According to Vietnam Law, a business visa could have a validity of 1 month, 3 months, 6 months, and 1 year, and is applied for single or multiple entries.  For a 1-month or 3-month business visa, foreigners do not need to apply for a work permit in Vietnam.

Business visa in brief:

SymbolsDN1/DN2
Duration 1 month business visa/3 month business visa/6 month business visa/ 1 year business visa
How to applyAt the local embassy/Visa on arriva/ E-visa

Types of Vietnam business visa

Regarding the revised Immigration Law 2019, there are 02 types of business visas for foreigners which are DN1 and DN2.

Visa DN1

Visa DN1 is a type of visa for foreigners who enter Vietnam to work with a business or organization with legal status. These businesses and organizations could be Co., Ltd., Joint Stock company, branches of Co., Ltd., joint stock companies, Companies with foreign investment, and domestic companies, and must be the sponsor for foreigners to get the Visa DN1.

Visa DN2

Visa DN2 is a type of visa for foreigners who enter Vietnam to offer service, establish a company, or do other trading activities under the international treaties to which Vietnam is a member.
For this type, although foreigners do not need to work for a specific Vietnamese business or organization, they are still required to have a sponsor enterprise/agency to guarantee their entry and that they enter Vietnam for the correct purpose.

Who is eligible?

Those who can apply for a business visa to Vietnam include:

  • Foreign investors
  • Foreigners entering Vietnam with business purposes such as exchanging information, contract signing, cooperating, etc.
  • Representatives of non-government organizations
  • Foreign workers who have a work permit or work permit exemption certificate in Vietnam
  • Foreign lawyers licensed by the Ministry of Justice of Vietnam.

How to apply?

There are 3 main ways to apply for a Vietnam business visa which are via Embassy/Consulate, visa on arrival, and online. Each application method requires different preparation and procedures.

Business visa at Embassy/Consulate

  • Step 1: Prepare documents
    • By applicants:
    • A passport with a minimum validity of 6 months upon arrival and at least one blank visa page
    • A passport-size photo (4x6cm) taken within 6 months (white background, no glasses, straight looking)
    • Work permit or work permit exemption for business, work visas (DN, LD)
    • Invitation letter/Sponsor letter from Vietnamese enterprise showing the applicants are invited to Vietnam for business purposes (working, attending conferences, or short-term events)
    • By inviting/guaranteeing enterprise:
    • Notarized copy of business registration certificate
    • Entry application for foreigners to enter Vietnam (Form NA2)
    • Vietnam visa application form (Form NA5)
    • Sample of seal and signature (Form NA16)
  • Step 2: Submit documents
    • Applicants submit all required documents to the Vietnam Embassy/Consulate in your residing country if staying outside Vietnam, or at one of Vietnam Immigration offices if staying in Vietnam.
    • Headquarter in the North (Hanoi): 44-46 Tran Phu Street, Ba Dinh, Hanoi – Tel: 02438257941
    • Headquarter in the Center (Danang): 7 Tran Quy Cap Street, Hai Chau, Danang – Tel: 02363822381
    • Headquarter in the South (Ho Chi Minh City): 333-337 Nguyen Trai Street, Ward 1, Ho Chi Minh City – Tel: 02839202300
  • Step 3: Pay fee and wait for the result
    • Fee for business visa application ranges from USD25 to 50 depending on the duration and times of entry.
    • The process of applying for a business visa at the Vietnam Embassy takes 3 – 5 working days. If the application is approved, foreigners will receive an entry invitation letter from the Vietnam Immigration Department. Then, applicants present this entry letter along with all document needed to get a visa affixed to the original passport via 3 ways below:
      • At the airport
      • At land border gates
      • At the Vietnam Embassy/Consulate

Business visa on arrival

Like a tourist visa, if you want to get a business visa on arrival, you must apply for a visa approval letter from a Vietnamese agency in advance of your trip.

  • Document requirements
    • Pre-approved visa letter from a Vietnamese agency
    • A passport with a minimum validity of 6 months upon arrival and at least two blank pages for the visa stamp and immigration stamp
    • Visa application form
    • 02 passport-size photos (4x6cm) taken within 6 months (same photos, white background, no glasses, straight looking)
    • Work permit or work permit exemption for business, work visas (DN, LD)
    • Invitation letter/Sponsor letter from Vietnamese enterprise showing the applicants are invited to Vietnam for business purposes (working, attending conferences, or short-term events)
    • Visa stamping fee in cash
  • Application process
    • Step 1: Applied for a pre-approved visa letter from a Vietnamese agency
    • Step 2: Receive the pre-approved visa letter and visa application form. Print both documents and fill up all the information.
    • Step 3: At the airport (*), you present the approval letter, visa application form, and all required documents. Pay a stamping fee in cash and get your visa stamped.

(*) 8 international airports allowing business visas on arrival in Vietnam include Noi Bai Airport, Cat Bi Airport, Danang Airport, Cam Ranh Airport, Lien Khuong Airport, Phu Quoc Airport, Can Tho Airport, and Tan Son Nhat Airport.

Business visa online (E-visa)

Both foreigners and inviting/guaranteeing enterprises in Vietnam can apply for a business visa. Applicants need to follow 4 steps as the following:

  • Step 1: Prepare documents
    • A passport with six (6) months of validity
    • A photo of your passport data page
    • A passport-size photo (4x6cm) taken within 6 months (white background, no glasses, straight looking)
    • A temporary residential address in Vietnam.
    • A valid international credit or debit card for the payment.
    • Date of entry/exit and ports (one of 33 ports accepting e-Visa in Vietnam)
    • A valid email address for the registration. 
    • Invitation letter/Sponsor letter from Vietnamese enterprise showing the applicants are invited to Vietnam for business purposes (working, attending conferences, or short-term events)
  • Step 2: Submit the application
    • Access the official website of Vietnam E-visa at https://evisa.xuatnhapcanh.gov.vn/web/guest/trang-chu-ttdt and fill up all required information. Choose “Business Activities” for the purpose of your travel in the menu. Get a registration code for the application.
  • Step 3: Pay fee and wait for the result
    • Fee is USD25 for a 1-month single entry business visa.
  • Step 4: Get the visa
    • From the search menu on the official website, enter your registration code, email and date of birth to check the result. The e-visa will be provided if your application is approved. Download the PDF file, print the E-visa, and present it at the entry checkpoints in Vietnam.

How to extend a business visa?

To extend your Vietnam business visa, you can apply for the extension at the nearest Immigration Office in Vietnam. There are 4 steps foreigners need to follow:

  • Step 1: Prepare documents
    • Invitation letter/Sponsor letter from Vietnamese enterprise
    • Legal documents of sponsor/guaranteeing enterprises (business license, certificate of seal)
    • A passport with a validity of at least 6 months upon the extension time
    • Application form for visa issuance, stay extension (NA5)
    • Temporary residence confirmation issued by the local police or a hard copy of the online temporary residence confirmation
  • Step 2: Submit documents at Vietnam Immigration Office
    • You can submit all documents at one of three Vietnam Immigration offices (Hanoi, Danang, and Ho Chi Minh City) or the Immigration Office in your residing province.
  • Step 3: Pay fee and wait for the result
    • The fee for the business visa extension is from USD10. The process takes around 5 working days since the Immigration Department receives the valid application and full payment.
  • Step 4: Get the visa extension
    • If your application is approved, you will get back to the Immigration Office and get the visa extension as an appointment.

Processing time & fee

Processing time

  • Business visas at the Vietnam Embassy take around 5 – 7 working days for the sponsor letter/invitation letter and some more days for the approval at the embassy.
  • Business visas on arrival take around 5 – 7 working days for a visa approval letter and 30 minutes – 1 hour at the airport for the stamping fee.
  • Business E-visa takes 3-5 working days.

Fee

  • Fees for business visas at the Vietnam Embassy/Consulate may be different from each Embassy to another. So, it is best for you to contact them directly to get more details.
  • Fees for business e-visa is currently USD25, applied for a 1-month single entry visa. This price may change when the longer stay and multiple-entry visa is applied (expected to be launched from May 2023).
  • Fee for visa on arrival includes 2 fees which are a service fee for the visa approval letter and a stamping fee by the Government. Service fee varies among different agencies, starting from USD50. As for the stamping fee, you can check below:
    • 1 month, single-entry: USD25
    • 1 month, multiple-entry: USD50
    • 3 months, single-entry: USD25
    • 3 months, multiple-entry: USD50
    • 6 months, multiple-entry: USD95
    • 12 months, multiple-entry: USD135