Vietnam classifies visas by purpose, and each purpose has a short code. The ones most foreigners meet are DL for tourism, EV for the e-visa, DN for business with a Vietnamese enterprise, LD for employment, DT for investors, TT for family members of foreign workers or of Vietnamese citizens, and DH for students. The code decides what you may do in Vietnam, how long the visa can last, who must sponsor it, and whether it can lead to a temporary residence card. Choosing the code that matches your real purpose is the single most important decision in your visa plan.
In Vietnamese, the codes are written with Vietnamese letters, for example LĐ and ĐT, but you will often see them written without diacritics as LD and DT in English-language material. This guide uses the plain form. The maximum durations quoted below come from the Law on Entry, Exit, Transit and Residence of Foreigners as amended in 2023; actual visas are often issued for shorter periods, and the rules are applied by the Immigration Department, which is the authority to check with.
The main visa codes at a glance
This table covers the codes relevant to people planning to live in Vietnam. Diplomatic, official, press and some specialised codes are left out.
| Code | Purpose | Typical sponsor | Legal maximum length |
|---|---|---|---|
| EV | E-visa for short stays | Usually self-applied online; some are sponsored | Up to 90 days |
| DL | Tourism | A licensed travel company, or issued at a border gate under the rules for tourists | Up to 90 days |
| DN1 / DN2 | Business: working with a Vietnamese enterprise or organisation, or offering services under trade agreements | The Vietnamese company or organisation | Up to 12 months |
| LD1 / LD2 | Employment: LD1 for those exempt from a work permit, LD2 for those who need one | The employer | Up to 2 years |
| DT1 to DT4 | Investment, tiered by the size of capital contributed or the sector | The enterprise in which the investor has invested | From 12 months up to 5 years depending on tier |
| TT | Family: spouses and minor children of foreigners holding certain visas, and parents, spouses and children of Vietnamese citizens | The family member in Vietnam | Up to 12 months |
| DH | Study or internship | The school or institution | Up to 12 months |
| VR | Visiting relatives or for other purposes | The relative or an organisation | Up to 6 months |
The lengths in the last column are ceilings set by law. Officers issue the length that fits the supporting documents, so a DN visa backed by a three-month assignment will not be issued for a year. For many codes, the more useful long-term document is a temporary residence card, which is covered in our residence section.
Reading the codes: what each really means for you
DL and EV are for visiting, not living. Both allow up to 90 days and are the normal way to arrive for a holiday or an exploratory stay. Neither permits work. Neither, on its own, leads to a temporary residence card.
DN is about business contact, not employment. A DN visa suits someone who comes to work with a Vietnamese company, for example to negotiate, supervise a project or offer services under a trade agreement, while employed elsewhere. It is not a work visa for a local job, and using it that way exposes both the foreigner and the sponsor to penalties.
LD is the employment visa. LD2 is the common case: the employer obtains a work permit for you, then sponsors an LD visa and usually a temporary residence card. LD1 is for people exempt from a work permit, such as some intra-company transferees or certain categories listed in labour regulations, who still need a confirmation of exemption.
DT depends on real investment. The investor codes are granted to people who have contributed capital to a Vietnamese enterprise or project. The tier depends on the scale of the investment or its sector, and the higher tiers allow longer visas and residence cards. A paper company with nominal capital does not unlock the higher tiers.
TT is the family route. Spouses and children under eighteen of foreigners who hold a qualifying visa can be sponsored for TT. So can foreign parents, spouses and children of Vietnamese citizens. For many couples, TT followed by a temporary residence card is the main long-term route.
Why the code matters more than the length
Newcomers often compare visas by length and price, as if a longer visa were simply better. In Vietnam the code is the substance. A twelve-month DN visa obtained through an agent, used by someone who is in fact teaching English for a language centre, is a liability rather than an asset: the activity does not match the visa, the sponsor may not even know the holder, and a routine check at the workplace or a renewal at the immigration office can expose the mismatch.
The code also determines what comes next. Temporary residence cards are issued only for certain codes, and their maximum length follows the visa category. A foreigner with an LD visa and a work permit can usually move to a residence card that lasts as long as the work permit, within legal limits. A foreigner on a DL or EV visa cannot. Investors on the higher DT tiers can receive longer cards than investors on the lowest tier.
This is why experienced residents start with the question of purpose and work backwards. What will you actually do in Vietnam, and who in Vietnam is willing and able to stand behind that purpose? The answer points to the code, the code points to the sponsor, and the sponsor drives the application.
Sponsors: who stands behind your visa
Apart from self-applied e-visas, most Vietnamese visas require a sponsor, meaning an agency, organisation, company or individual in Vietnam that invites you and takes responsibility for your stay. For a DN or LD visa, it is the company. For a TT visa, it is your spouse, parent or child, or the foreign family member holding the main visa. For a DT visa, it is the enterprise in which you have invested.
Being a sponsor carries obligations. The sponsor must check that the visa matches the purpose, notify the authorities about changes, and cooperate if something goes wrong. That is why reputable employers are careful with visa paperwork, and why offers of visas from companies with which you have no real relationship should be treated with caution. If the sponsoring company has never met you and will not employ you, the visa rests on a fiction.
When you change employer or purpose, the sponsor changes too. In most cases that means a new work permit, a new visa or residence card in the new sponsor's name, and in some cases leaving the country before the new arrangements start. Plan job changes with this in mind rather than handing in your notice and then thinking about the visa.
Questions to ask before you pay for any visa
Whether you deal with an employer's HR team, a lawyer or a visa agent, a few direct questions will reveal whether the visa on offer actually fits your plans.
- Which code will the visa carry, and does that code match what I will actually do in Vietnam every day?
- Who is the sponsor, and do I have a real working, family or investment relationship with that sponsor?
- What documents does the sponsor hold to support the application, such as a work permit, an investment certificate or a marriage certificate?
- Can this visa lead to a temporary residence card, and if so, for how long?
- What happens if I change job, end the relationship with the sponsor, or need to leave the country unexpectedly?
- Is any part of the process described as a shortcut or a special arrangement? If so, what exactly is being skipped?
Honest answers to these questions are usually short and specific. Vague answers, or a reluctance to name the sponsor, are a signal to slow down. The Immigration Department and the provincial immigration offices are the places to confirm what any code allows; agents and forums are not.
How visas, exemption certificates and residence cards fit together
A visa is permission to enter and stay for a defined purpose and period. A temporary residence card is a separate document, issued inside Vietnam by the immigration authorities to holders of certain visa codes, which replaces the visa for the period it covers and allows multiple entries and exits. A visa exemption certificate, available to overseas Vietnamese and to foreign spouses and children of Vietnamese citizens or of overseas Vietnamese, is a third instrument that lets the holder enter repeatedly without a visa for a set number of days per stay.
For long-term residents the usual path is visa first, card second. The visa establishes your purpose; the card turns that purpose into a stable status that does not need renewing every few months. When the card expires, it is renewed on the same basis if the purpose still exists, or replaced with a new arrangement if the purpose has changed. Understanding which of the three instruments you hold at any time makes conversations with immigration officers much simpler.
Matching common situations to a code
You are moving to take a job with a Vietnamese company. The employer applies for your work permit, then sponsors an LD2 visa and a temporary residence card. You may arrive on an e-visa for interviews, but you should not start work until the permit is in place.
You are married to a Vietnamese citizen. TT is the usual long-term code, sponsored by your spouse, often followed by a residence card. Some couples first use the five-year visa exemption certificate, which works differently and is explained in its own guide.
You are retiring with savings and no local job or business. Vietnam has no retirement code. People in this position typically rely on repeated e-visas, a family route if they have Vietnamese family, or a genuine investment. Our retirement section discusses the honest options.
You run a business in Vietnam that you have invested in. A DT visa matching the tier of your investment, then a residence card. The enterprise sponsors you, and the investment documents must support the tier.
You work remotely for a foreign employer. There is no digital nomad code. Remote workers currently enter as visitors and must keep in mind that the rules on working while on a visitor visa are not written with them in mind; the work section on this site explains the grey areas without pretending they are clear.
Câu hỏi thường gặp
What is the difference between LD1 and LD2 visas?
LD1 is for foreigners who are exempt from needing a work permit but still work in Vietnam, and who hold a confirmation of that exemption. LD2 is for foreigners who must hold a work permit. In both cases the employer is the sponsor, and the employer handles the labour documents first.
Can I change a DL tourist visa into an LD work visa without leaving Vietnam?
Conversion inside Vietnam is possible only in specific situations defined by law, for example where you have a work permit or exemption and a sponsoring employer. A tourist visa alone does not give you a right to convert. Check with your employer and the Immigration Department about your exact case.
Is a DN business visa enough to work for a Vietnamese company?
Generally no. DN is for business activities such as meetings, negotiations or project work with a Vietnamese enterprise while you are employed elsewhere, or for service providers under trade agreements. Taking up employment in Vietnam requires a work permit or exemption and the matching LD visa.
Which visa codes can lead to a temporary residence card?
Residence cards are issued for codes linked to longer, sponsored stays, such as LD, DT, TT, DH and some others, subject to conditions. Tourist visas and e-visas do not lead to residence cards. The exact list and maximum card lengths are set out in the immigration law and are best confirmed with the Immigration Department.
Why do some visa agents offer one-year business visas to anyone?
Some agents use companies that are willing to act as nominal sponsors. A visa obtained this way may not match what the holder actually does, which exposes both sides to penalties and can cause refusals later. A visa sponsored by an organisation you genuinely work with is far safer.
Do children need the same visa code as their parents?
Minor children of foreigners holding qualifying visas usually receive a TT visa sponsored through the parent's status. Children of a Vietnamese citizen are also eligible for TT. Each child needs their own visa or residence card, issued in their own passport.