Vietnam has become much easier to enter. Since August 2023, anyone can apply for a 90-day e-visa, and a growing list of countries can visit without a visa at all. What hasn't changed is the gap between entering the country and living in it. The documents that get you through the airport are not residence permits, and none of them lets you take a job.

Here's what the rules say, in plain language, and where common practice differs.

Last verified: October 11, 2026. Immigration rules change often. This is general information, not legal advice. Apply only through official .gov.vn portals, and use a qualified lawyer for anything involving work or residence.

Option 1: the e-visa (short stays)

Vietnam has issued e-visas to citizens of all countries and territories since August 15, 2023, according to the national tourism authority. Under Resolution 127/NQ-CP, the e-visa is valid for up to 90 days, with single or multiple entry, and the state fee is $25 for single entry or $50 for multiple, according to Vietcetera's 2026 immigration guide.

The official portal is evisa.xuatnhapcanh.gov.vn. Commercial look-alike sites charge more and add risk.

Option 2: visa exemptions (shorter stays)

Some nationalities don't need a visa for a short visit. According to Vietcetera:

  • 45 days: citizens of Germany, France, Italy, Spain, the U.K., Russia, Japan, South Korea, Denmark, Sweden, Norway and Finland, under Resolution 44/NQ-CP, in effect from March 15, 2025, to March 14, 2028.
  • 30 days: Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Cambodia and Laos.
  • 21 days: the Philippines.
  • 14 days: Brunei and Myanmar.

The national tourism authority's list also includes Belarus among the countries with 45-day exemptions. Check the current list for your passport before you fly.

Option 3: the five-year exemption certificate (family ties)

Overseas Vietnamese, and foreign spouses and children of Vietnamese citizens or overseas Vietnamese, can apply for a visa exemption certificate valid for up to five years, with stays of up to 180 days per entry, under Decree 82/2015/ND-CP, according to Vietcetera. Longer stays need a temporary residence extension through a family sponsor. The fee is $10 when applying in Vietnam or $20 at a mission abroad.

Option 4: temporary residence cards (actual residence)

A temporary residence card, or TRC, is how foreigners live in Vietnam for long periods. It's tied to a purpose: work, investment, family and so on. Article 38 of the immigration law, as amended by Law No. 51/2019/QH14, effective July 1, 2020, sets maximum lengths:

  • Up to 10 years: ĐT1, the highest investor category.
  • Up to 5 years: categories including ĐT2 (investors), NG3 and DH.
  • Up to 3 years: categories including ĐT3 (investors) and TT (family members).
  • Up to 2 years: LĐ1 and LĐ2 (workers) and PV1.

A card must expire at least 30 days before your passport does. When it expires, you apply for a new one.

Can you switch from a tourist visa?

The default rule is no. Under Article 7 of the amended law, a visa's purpose can't be changed, with listed exceptions. Those include people who can prove they're investors, people with a qualifying family relationship to the person inviting or sponsoring them, people invited to work who have a work permit or an exemption, and people who entered on an e-visa. When a change is allowed, a new visa is issued with the code and term for the new purpose.

That e-visa exception is useful, but it isn't automatic. You still need the underlying basis, such as an employer with a work permit for you, or the family relationship.

Common practice vs. the rules

  • "Visa runs." Some long-stayers leave the country and come back on a new e-visa or exemption. That's a practice, not a residence status. Nothing in the rules above entitles you to an unlimited string of short stays.
  • "Working on a tourist visa." None of the short-stay options above is a work permit. The law's own exception for switching to a work purpose refers to people invited to work who hold a work permit or an exemption. If you're being paid by Vietnamese clients or a local employer, get proper advice.
  • Registration. Wherever you stay, your host must declare you to the police within 12 hours of arrival (24 in remote areas), according to Vietcetera. If you rent privately, check it's been done. Our renting guide explains how.

Where to start

Sources

This story was compiled by the Da Nang Voice news desk from the published sources listed above. Facts, figures and quotes are attributed to those sources; Da Nang Voice did not conduct interviews for it unless the text says so. Corrections are dated and noted at the top of the story. Read our corrections policy. Spotted an error? Tell us.