1.

Regulatory documents:

Law No. 47/2014/QH13 on 16 June 2014 on entry, exit, transit, and residence status of
foreigners in Viet Nam

2. General provisions

Foreigners who enter and exit Viet Nam shall hold their passport or alternative documents
(hereinafter referred to as passports) and shall be issued visas by competent authorities of Viet
Nam, except in case of visa exemption. Alternative documents shall be presented in advance
and approved by Vietnamese competent authorities through diplomatic channels.
Vietnamese nationals who reside abroad hold travel documents issued by the competent
authorities of the host country as valid documents for entry/exit into/from the host country, the
sample of which has been officially presented to and accepted by Vietnamese competent
authorities through diplomatic channels are allowed to enter Viet Nam with these documents.

3. Types of visas and their traits:

a. Types of visas:

Visas printed in the passport.

Separate visas attached to the passport or alternative documents.

b. The validity of visa:

Single entry visas

Multiple entry visas.

c. Codes of visas:

The NG1 visa is issued to members of delegations invited by the General Secretary of the
Central Committee of the Communist Party of Viet Nam, the President, the National
Assembly, and the Prime Minister of the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam.
The NG2 visa is issued to members of delegations invited by the standing secretariat of the
Central Committee of the Communist Party of Viet Nam, the Vice State President, the Vice
President of the National Assembly, the Deputy Prime Minister, the President of the Central
Committee of the Vietnamese Fatherland Front, the President of the People's Supreme Court,
the Prosecutor General of the People's Supreme Procuracy, the President of the State Audit;
members of delegations invited by Ministers and equivalents, the provincial and municipal
Party Committee Secretary, the Peoples Council Chairman and Peoples Committee
Chairman of cities and provinces under the central administration.
The NG3 visa is issued to members of diplomatic and consular missions, representative
offices of international organizations under the United Nations and inter-government
organizations; and their spouses, children under 18 years of age, and their maids.
The NG4 visa is issued to working partners of diplomatic and consular missions,
representative offices of international organizations under the United Nations and inter-
government organizations; visitors to diplomatic and consular missions, representative offices
of international organizations under the United Nations and inter-government organizations.
The LV1 visa is issued to working partners of committees, agencies under the Central
Committee of the Communist Party of Viet Nam, the National Assembly, the Government, the
Viet Nam Fatherland Front, the Peoples Supreme Court, the Peoples Supreme Procuracy,
the State Audit, the ministries, ministerial and governmental agencies; the provincial and
municipal Party Committees, the Peoples Councils and the Peoples Committees of cities
and provinces under the central administration.
 The LV2 visa is issued to working partners of Viet Nams social and political organizations,
and Viet Nams Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
The DT visa is issued to foreign investors and lawyers operating in Viet Nam.
The DN visa is issued to working partners of the Vietnamese businesses.
The NN1 visa is issued to the chief representative of international organizations/ projects of
international organizations and international NGOs in Viet Nam.
The NN2 visa is issued to the head of foreign representative offices, branches of foreign
businesses; representative offices of foreign economic, cultural, and other specialized
institutions in Viet Nam.
The NN3 visa is issued to working partners of international NGOs, representative offices,
representative offices, branches of foreign businesses; representative offices of foreign
economic, cultural, and other specialized institutions in Viet Nam.
DH visa is issued to interns, students.
HN visa is issued to conference/seminar attendants.
PV1 visa is issued to resident foreign correspondents and reporters in Viet Nam.
PV2 visa is issued to foreign reporters with short-term stay in Viet Nam.
L visa is issued to workers.
DL visa is issued to tourists.
TT visa is issued to a foreigner who is spouse or under 18-year old child of a foreigner who
has been granted LV1/ LV2/ T/ NN1/ NN2/ DH/ PV1/ L visa or to a foreigner who is
father/mother, spouse or child of a Vietnamese citizen.
VR visa is issued to applicants who visit relatives or enter Viet Nam for other purposes.
SQ visa: The head of a competent Vietnamese visa granting agency abroad is eligible to
grant up-to-30 day visa for foreigners who enter Vietnam for the purpose of market survey,
tourism, visiting relatives, health treatment in the following cases:

A person who has working relations with the competent Vietnamese visa granting agency
abroad and his spouse and children or a person who applies for Viet Nam visa at the request
(in written form) of a competent agency under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the host
country;

A person who holds a guarantee diplomatic note issued by the diplomatic missions or
consular agencies based in his country of residence.

d. Visa validity:

SQ visa is valid for up to 30 days

HN, DL visas are valid for up to 3 months
VR visa is valid for up to 6 months
NG1, NG2, NG3, NG4, LV1, LV2, DN, NN1, NN2, NN3, DH, PV1, PV2 and TT visas are valid
for up to 12 months
L visa is valid for up to 2 years
T visa is valid for up to 5 years
Expired visas can be subject to visa renewal
Visa validity shall be at least 30 days shorter than passport or international travel document
validity.

4. A visa application submitted to the Vietnamese diplomatic missions shall include the
following documents:

01 Application form (in provided format) with an attached photo

Passport or alternative documents (hereinafter referred to as passports)
Authorization document issued by the Immigration Department (Ministry of Public Security) or
the Consular Department, Ho Chi Minh city Department of Foreign Affairs (Ministry of
Foreign Affairs)
 NG3, NG4 visa applicants can submit the diplomatic note issued by the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs of or the diplomatic missions or consular agencies based in their country of residence.

Note:

+ Foreigners should: i) contact and request the agency, organization, individual who is the
inviter or sponsor in Vietnam to handle procedures for visa authorization issued by the
Immigration Department (Ministry of Public Security) or the Consular Department, Ho Chi
Minh city Department of Foreign Affairs (Ministry of Foreign Affairs) or (ii) contact Vietnam
diplomatic missions for instructions.

+ SQ visa applicants should contact Vietnam diplomatic missions for detailed instructions.

+ Passport validity must be at least 1 month longer than the applied visa validity. However,
many airlines require passport validity of at least 6 months for eligibility.

+ An overseas Vietnamese without passport wishing to enter Viet Nam for the purpose of
visiting relatives and holding documents valid for entry/exit into/from his country of residence
which is issued by the competent authority of his country of residence and officially informed to
Viet Nam through the diplomatic channel should submit the visa application form and valid
international travel documents issued by his/her country of residence.

+ A non-citizenship person who wishes to enter Viet Nam for the purpose of visiting relatives or
tourism should submit the visa application form and valid international travel documents issued
by his/her country of residence

5. Processing duration:

NG1 and NG2 visas are issued within 1 working day from the day the Vietnam diplomatic
mission abroad receives valid and complete visa applications and visa authorization granted
by the Immigration Department (Ministry of Public Security), Consular Department or Ho Chi
Minh city Department of Foreign Affairs (Ministry of Foreign Affairs).
Other types of visa are issued within 3 working days from the day the Vietnam diplomatic
mission abroad receives valid and complete visa applications and visa authorization granted
by the Immigration Department (Ministry of Public Security), Consular Department or Ho Chi
Minh city Department of Foreign Affairs (Ministry of Foreign Affairs).

6. Applicants eligible for Loose-leaf Visa:

Holder of a valid passport running out of blank page for stamped visa.
Holder of passport issued by countries that have yet to establish diplomatic/consular relations
with Viet Nam.
Holder of valid international travel documents.
For diplomatic, defense, security purposes.

7. Visa on arrival:

a. The following applicants are eligible for visa on arrival:

Departing from a country where there is no competent Vietnamese visa-granting

agency;
Travelling through many countries before entering Viet Nam;
Visiting Vietnam on tours organized by an international travel agency operated in Viet
Nam;
Foreign crewmember on board vessels anchored in Vietnams seaport wishing to exit
through other border gate;
 Visiting Viet Nam to attending a relatives funeral or visit a seriously ill family member;
Entering Vietnam to engage in emergency response, search/rescue activities, disaster
or epidemic control or for other special purposes at the request of a competent
authority in Viet Nam.

b. Before entering Viet Nam, applicants for visa on arrival must apply for a letter of approval for
picking up visa at the border gate issued by the Immigration Department (Ministry of Public
Security), Consular Department or Ho Chi Minh city Department of Foreign Affairs (Ministry of
Foreign Affairs).

c. Foreigners eligible for visa on arrival shall submit their passport or international travel
documents and fill in the visa application form with an attached photo at the immigration desk.
Children over 14 years of age sharing passport with others must fill in a separate visa
application form.

d. The visa on arrival shall be granted after the immigration unit completes checking applicants
information and letter of visa approval