Vietnam Investor Visa (DT1–DT4) 2026 Tiers and Capital Requirements

The investor visa, identified by the symbol DT, is the visa category Vietnam issues to foreigners who invest in the country by contributing capital to a Vietnamese company. Unlike most visa categories, it is tiered: there are four investor visa symbols, DT1, DT2, DT3 and DT4, and the tier you fall into depends on the amount of capital you have contributed. The tier in turn determines how long your visa can run and whether you can move on to a Temporary Residence Card, which is what most long-term investors ultimately want.

This guide is written for foreign founders, shareholders and in-house counsel planning an investment in Vietnam. It explains the legal basis, compares the four tiers, sets out how the investor visa connects to the company set-up, the residence card and the work permit rules, and walks through the documents, steps, government fees and timing involved in 2026.

Legal basis and competent authority

Entry, exit, transit and residence of foreigners are governed by the Law on Entry, Exit, Transit and Residence of Foreigners in Vietnam 2014 (Law No. 47/2014/QH13), as amended and supplemented by Law No. 51/2019/QH14 and Law No. 23/2023/QH15. Under this law, every foreigner entering and residing in Vietnam must hold a visa or a Temporary Residence Card that matches the actual purpose of their stay. For investors, that purpose is investment, which is why the DT symbol applies.

Applications are handled by the immigration authorities:

the Immigration Department under the Ministry of Public Security; or
the competent provincial Immigration Office of the provincial Police.

Investor visas and residence cards are not applied for by the investor alone. The application is made by a sponsoring agency, organisation or individual in Vietnam, which in practice is usually the Vietnamese company in which the investor has contributed capital.

The four DT tiers compared

The investor visa is divided into four symbols according to the capital contributed. Only the first three tiers lead to a Temporary Residence Card; the investor visa itself exists for all four.

Visa symbol	Capital contributed	Visa validity	Temporary Residence Card
DT1	VND 100 billion or more	Up to 5 years	Up to 10 years
DT2	VND 50 billion to under VND 100 billion	Up to 5 years	Up to 5 years
DT3	VND 3 billion to under VND 50 billion	Up to 3 years	Up to 3 years
DT4	Under VND 3 billion	1 year	Not available, the visa is renewed yearly

Two practical points follow from this table:

VND 3 billion is the key threshold. At DT3 level or above, the investor moves onto the residence card track instead of renewing a one-year visa every year. This is a common reason long-term investors register their capital contribution at or above that level.
The validity of a residence card is capped by the passport. A Temporary Residence Card is always issued for a period at least 30 days shorter than the remaining validity of the passport, so an investor entitled to a 10-year DT1 card should make sure the passport has enough time left.

How the investor visa fits with setting up your company

The DT visa is based on a real capital contribution to a Vietnamese company, so the corporate steps come first. A typical sequence is:

Set up the foreign-invested company or invest in an existing one, obtaining the Investment Registration Certificate where required and the Enterprise Registration Certificate. Our guides on setting up a foreign-invested company in Vietnam and on the Investment Registration Certificate explain this stage.
Contribute the registered capital and keep the records that evidence the contribution.
Apply, through the company as sponsor, for the DT visa that matches your capital tier.
Where you qualify (DT1 to DT3), apply for the investor Temporary Residence Card.

Because the tier is fixed by the capital actually contributed, it is worth deciding the size of the capital contribution with the visa outcome in mind, before the company is registered.

Investor visa, residence card or e-visa

A visa permits a foreigner to enter and stay in Vietnam for a limited period. A Temporary Residence Card, issued by the immigration authority, permits long-term residence, from 1 year up to 10 years depending on the category, and replaces the visa for the whole of its validity. While the card is valid, the holder can leave and re-enter Vietnam as many times as needed without applying for a new visa.

Criterion	Visa	Temporary Residence Card
Nature	Permission to enter and stay for a limited period	Permission for long-term residence
Duration	Usually short term	From 1 year to 10 years depending on the category
Replaces a visa	No	Yes, for the validity of the card
Suitable for	Short stays	Investors, employees and family members staying long term

Vietnam also issues electronic visas. Under Law No. 23/2023/QH15, effective from 15 August 2023, an e-visa is valid for up to 90 days, for single or multiple entry. An e-visa can be convenient for an investor's early exploratory trips, but it is not a substitute for the investor track: an investor who will live in Vietnam should plan for the DT visa and, where eligible, the residence card. Our separate guide on the Temporary Residence Card in Vietnam covers the card in more detail.

Do investors also need a work permit?

Holding an investor visa does not, by itself, settle whether the investor needs a work permit. That question is answered by the labour rules. Under Decree No. 219/2025/ND-CP, a foreigner who is:

the owner or a capital-contributing member of a limited liability company; or
a member of the Board of Directors of a joint stock company,

with a capital contribution of VND 3 billion or more, does not need to apply for a work permit. However, the investor must still complete the procedure to obtain a confirmation of not being subject to a work permit. Investors below that threshold who work for the company will generally need a work permit. See our work permit exemption guide for the full list of exempt cases.

Documents for an investor residence card

The application dossier for an investor Temporary Residence Card typically includes:

the application form for a Temporary Residence Card for a foreigner, on the prescribed form;
the foreigner's valid passport;
documents proving the investment, that is, evidence of the capital contribution or investment in Vietnam;
the legal documents of the sponsoring agency, organisation or individual in Vietnam;
the written request of the sponsoring agency, organisation or individual; and
photographs of the foreigner as required.

The exact list depends on the visa symbol, the residence card symbol and the circumstances of the applicant. Foreign corporate documents used in the dossier usually need to be legalised and translated, so allow time for this when the investor is a foreign company or its representative.

Step-by-step procedure

Assess the right visa or card. Review the investor's purpose of entry and residence and the capital contributed to identify the correct DT symbol and the conditions that apply. This can usually be done on the same day.
Prepare the dossier. Prepare the application form, the passport and the documents proving the investment, together with the sponsoring company's legal documents. This typically takes 2 to 5 working days.
Sponsor's application. The sponsoring company in Vietnam files the request for the visa or residence card in its own name, usually within 1 to 2 days.
Filing with the immigration authority. The dossier is filed with the Immigration Department or the competent provincial Immigration Office, which takes about 1 day.
Follow-up. If the dossier is incomplete, the immigration authority will request additional documents, which are then corrected and refiled within the processing period.
Receipt of the result. The visa or residence card is collected and handed to the investor, together with guidance on its validity and on the obligation to declare residence.

The immigration authority processes an application for a Temporary Residence Card in about 5 working days from receipt of a complete and valid dossier. The overall timeline in practice also depends on how long it takes to obtain the underlying documents, such as the Investment Registration Certificate.

Government fees for the residence card

Under Circular No. 25/2021/TT-BTC, the government fee for a Temporary Residence Card depends on the validity of the card:

Card validity	Government fee
From 1 to 2 years	145 USD per card
Over 2 years and up to 5 years	155 USD per card
Over 5 years and up to 10 years	165 USD per card

These are fees paid to the state and do not include professional service fees. LTV Law quotes its service fee case by case, depending on the type of visa or card and the work involved.

Frequently asked questions

How much do I need to invest to obtain a residence card?

The investor residence card is available from the DT3 tier, that is, a capital contribution of VND 3 billion or more, which comes with a card of up to 3 years. Below VND 3 billion (DT4) there is no residence card; the investor holds a one-year visa that must be renewed each year.

What is the longest residence period available to investors?

A DT1 investor, with a capital contribution of VND 100 billion or more, can obtain a Temporary Residence Card valid for up to 10 years. DT2 investors can obtain a card of up to 5 years and DT3 investors a card of up to 3 years, always at least 30 days shorter than the remaining validity of the passport.

Do I need a work permit if I hold a DT visa?

Not necessarily. Under Decree No. 219/2025/ND-CP, the owner or a capital-contributing member of a limited liability company, or a member of the Board of Directors of a joint stock company, with a capital contribution of VND 3 billion or more does not need a work permit, but must still obtain a confirmation of not being subject to a work permit.

Who applies for the investor visa or residence card?

The application is made by a sponsoring agency, organisation or individual in Vietnam, normally the Vietnamese company in which the investor has contributed capital. The dossier is filed with the Immigration Department under the Ministry of Public Security or the competent provincial Immigration Office.

How long does it take to obtain an investor residence card?

The immigration authority processes the application in about 5 working days from receipt of a complete and valid dossier. The total time in practice also depends on preparing the underlying documents, such as the Investment Registration Certificate and evidence of the capital contribution.

Can I use an e-visa instead of an investor visa?

An e-visa under Law No. 23/2023/QH15 is valid for up to 90 days, for single or multiple entry, and suits short stays. An investor who intends to live in Vietnam should instead follow the investor track, with a DT visa and, where the capital tier allows, a Temporary Residence Card that replaces the visa for its validity.

Can an existing visa be extended or converted to an investor visa?

A foreigner already in Vietnam may have a visa extended or, in some eligible cases, have the purpose of the visa converted under Law No. 47/2014/QH13 as amended. Whether this is possible depends on the current visa, the documents proving the new purpose and the sponsoring organisation, so the case should be reviewed before applying.

How LTV Law helps

LTV Law advises foreign investors on structuring the capital contribution, obtains the Investment Registration Certificate and Enterprise Registration Certificate, and then handles the investor visa and the matching Temporary Residence Card, including renewals and the related work permit or exemption confirmation. See our visa and Temporary Residence Card service and our foreign investment service.

To discuss your investment and the right DT tier for you, contact our team.

This article is for general information only and does not constitute legal advice.