Vietnam Investor Visa (DT1, DT2, DT3, DT4)

The DT visa — visa nhà đầu tư — is Vietnam's residency route for foreigners who invest in or own a Vietnamese company. It comes in four tiers (DT1–DT4) based on the capital amount, with residency duration scaling with the investment size.

Rules current as of 2026-05-17. Confirm via the Provincial Immigration Department and the relevant Department of Planning and Investment before committing capital.

The four tiers

The capital figure is the registered investment capital of the Vietnamese company in which you hold the equity stake — not your personal net worth.

What qualifies as "investment"

The capital must be invested in a Vietnamese-registered legal entity that you own or partially own. Common structures:

• 100% foreign-owned LLC (FIE / doanh nghiệp 100% vốn nước ngoài)
• Joint venture with a Vietnamese partner
• Branch or representative office of a foreign company (some restrictions — rep offices generally cannot trade)
• Stock investment in a Vietnamese public company (usually below the DT threshold)

The most common path for individual entrepreneurs is setting up a 100% foreign-owned LLC, capitalising it at the relevant tier, and applying for the DT visa on the basis of that company ownership.

What it lets you do

• Reside in Vietnam for the validity period
• Run your Vietnamese company in your owner/director capacity (this does not by itself authorise you to draw a salary as an employee — for that you may still need a separate work permit, depending on your role and the Ministry's interpretation)
• Bring dependents — spouse and minor children can apply for dependent visas and TRCs
• Apply for a TRC matching the DT class duration (TRC)
• Multiple entry and exit without separate visas during validity

What it does not do

• Path to citizenship — Vietnamese naturalisation is extremely limited
• Automatic tax residency — that's governed separately by the 183-day rule (tax residency)
• Authorise side employment — to take paid employment at another Vietnamese company you'd need a work permit

Documents

Process

1. Set up the Vietnamese company through the Department of Planning and Investment (DPI). 30–60 days typical, depending on sector and locality.
2. Inject the registered capital into the company's capital bank account. The bank confirms the capital is in place.
3. Apply for the DT visa, either:
   • From outside Vietnam through a Vietnamese consulate, OR
   • From inside Vietnam (if already on an e-visa or visa-free entry) at the Provincial Immigration Department.
4. Apply for the TRC to convert the visa into a residency card (TRC).

Cost

The visa application itself is in the $25–155 range depending on duration. The substantive cost is the capital investment — at least VND 3 billion for the lowest DT4 tier (~$120K).

Setting up a 100% foreign-owned LLC in Vietnam typically costs $2,000–8,000 in legal/administrative fees through a corporate services firm. DIY is possible but rarely worth the time.

When the DT visa makes sense

• You're founding or buying a Vietnamese business with significant capital
• You want long-term residency without an employer sponsoring you
• You have business capital to deploy and want a clean long-stay basis

When it doesn't

• You're earning foreign income remotely with no Vietnamese business plan — there is no confirmed long-stay route for you (reality check); cycling the 90-day e-visa is the de-facto pattern.
• You're taking employment at a Vietnamese company — get the company to sponsor a work permit and TRC.
• You're considering inflating capital just to qualify — not recommended. Unused capital sitting in a company creates tax and reporting complications.

A note on the practical reality

The lowest tier (DT4 / under $120K) carries the same eligibility-on-paper but in practice the shortest validity and most scrutiny. Many real-world entrepreneurs aim for DT3 (~$120K–2M) for a 3-year card. Investment capital must be genuinely deployed and reportable; the Department of Planning and Investment audits.

What this does NOT let you do

• Take paid employment with a Vietnamese employer outside your own company — to work as an employee at any other business you would need a separate work permit and the appropriate LD visa; the DT visa does not substitute for that.
• Draw a salary from your own Vietnamese company without potential work-permit exposure — running the company in an owner/director capacity is one thing; being on payroll as an employee may need to be verified with the Provincial Immigration Department and the Ministry of Labour, as interpretations vary.
• Provide a path to permanent residency or citizenship — Vietnam has no investor citizenship programme; naturalisation routes are extremely limited and the DT visa does not guarantee or accelerate them; holders may need to verify TRC renewal eligibility with the Immigration Department well before cards expire.
• Cover dependent children who are adults — children 18 or over are not automatically eligible for a dependent visa on the basis of your DT status; each adult family member may need to verify their own visa category with the nearest Vietnamese embassy.
• Authorise business activities outside the approved scope of your registered company — the investment registration certificate defines permitted sectors; operating outside them may require an amendment or a separate business licence.
• Replace a formal tax registration — residing on a DT visa does not automatically register you with the Vietnamese tax authority; you may need to verify your personal income-tax obligations with a local accountant if you receive any Vietnam-sourced income.

Refer to the digital nomad reality check or the retirement reality check where remote work or retirement comes up — Vietnam has no confirmed general route for either.

Verify before acting. Visa rules change. Confirm with the Vietnamese embassy in your country or evisa.gov.vn before relying on any specific limitation here.