Vietnam Visa Types: Every Symbol From NG1 to UD2 and What It Is For

Match the symbol to what you do in Vietnam. A tourist gets DL, valid up to 90 days. A foreign worker gets LD1 or LD2, valid up to 2 years. Investors, students, journalists and family members have their own symbols, and a visa's purpose can be converted only in set cases.

By Vincent Nguyen

Which case are you?

You must carry out activities in Vietnam that match the purpose of your entry. Find your case, then read that symbol’s section.

• You arrive as a tourist. You need DL, valid up to 90 days. The e-visa, EV, is valid up to 90 days too. See the e-visa guide, or the visa exemption guide if your passport gets visa-free entry.
• You work for a company or organisation in Vietnam. You get LD2 if you are subject to the work-permit requirement, LD1 if you are confirmed as not subject to it. Both are valid up to 2 years.
• You invest in Vietnam. You get one of DT1 to DT4, set by contributed capital. DT3 is valid up to 3 years.
• You are the parent, spouse or child of a Vietnamese citizen. You get TT, valid up to 1 year.
• You study or intern. You get DH, valid up to 1 year.
• You visit relatives. You get VR, valid up to 180 days.

The table groups every symbol by the maximum validity of the visa itself.

A visa’s validity must also end at least 30 days before the passport expires.

Every symbol, group by group

Diplomatic and state-guest visas: NG1 to NG4

NG1 is issued to members of a delegation invited by the General Secretary of the Communist Party, the State President, the National Assembly Chairman or the Prime Minister. NG2 covers delegations invited by the next level of Party, State, National Assembly and Government leaders.

NG3 is issued to members of diplomatic missions, consular offices and representative offices of UN and inter-governmental organisations. It also covers their spouse, children under 18 and accompanying domestic staff for the term of the posting.

NG4 is issued to people who come to work with those offices, or who come to visit their members. NG1 to NG4 are all valid up to 1 year.

Working with state bodies: LV1 and LV2

LV1 is issued to people who come to work with Communist Party central bodies, the National Assembly, the Government, courts, ministries and provincial Party and People’s Committee bodies. LV2 is for people who come to work with socio-political organisations, social organisations or the Vietnam Federation of Commerce and Industry. Both are valid up to 1 year.

Foreign lawyers: LS

LS is issued to foreign lawyers practising in Vietnam. It is valid up to 5 years.

Investors: DT1 to DT4

The four investor symbols split by contributed capital. They go to the investor or to the representative of a foreign organisation investing in Vietnam.

• DT1: capital of 100 billion VND or more, or investment in a sector or area the Government designates for incentives. Valid up to 5 years.
• DT2: capital from 50 billion to under 100 billion VND, or investment in a sector the Government designates for encouraged development. Valid up to 5 years.
• DT3: capital from 3 billion to under 50 billion VND. Valid up to 3 years.
• DT4: capital under 3 billion VND. Valid up to 1 year.

Business and NGO visas: DN1, DN2, NN1 to NN3

DN1 is issued to a foreigner who works with an enterprise or other organisation that has legal-entity status under Vietnamese law. DN2 is for a foreigner who comes to offer services, set up a commercial presence or carry out other activities under an international treaty Vietnam is party to. Both are valid up to 1 year.

For these visas the sponsor files the request with the immigration authority, which has 5 working days to review it.

NN1 is for the head of a representative or project office of an international organisation or foreign NGO. NN2 is for the head of a foreign trader’s representative office or branch. NN3 is for a foreigner who comes to work with such organisations.

Study, conferences and the press: DH, HN, PV1, PV2

DH is issued to a foreigner who comes for an internship or to study. HN is for a foreigner who comes to attend a conference or seminar, valid up to 90 days.

PV1 is for a foreign journalist or press representative permanently resident in Vietnam. PV2 is for one on a short-term assignment. Both are valid up to 1 year.

Work visas: LD1 and LD2

LD1 is issued to a foreigner working in Vietnam who is confirmed as not subject to a work-permit requirement, except where an international treaty says otherwise. LD2 is for a foreigner who is subject to the work-permit requirement. Both are valid up to 2 years.

Tourism and family: DL, TT, VR

DL is issued to a foreigner who comes as a tourist, valid up to 90 days. Validity is not your stay at the border. A DL visa valid for more than 30 days is granted a 30-day stay, and an extension is considered. See extending your visa in Ho Chi Minh City.

TT is issued to the spouse or a child under 18 of a foreigner holding an LV1, LV2, LS, DT1, DT2, DT3, NN1, NN2, DH, PV1, LD1 or LD2 visa. It is also issued to a parent, spouse or child of a Vietnamese citizen. TT is valid up to 1 year.

VR is issued to a foreigner who comes to visit relatives or for another purpose, valid up to 180 days.

A special case: SQ

SQ is issued for the cases stated in Article 17, clause 3 of the law. That clause lets the head of a Vietnamese visa-issuing mission abroad issue visas to foreigners who want to enter for market research, tourism, visiting relatives or medical treatment. An SQ visa is valid up to 30 days.

The e-visa and the newest symbols

EV is the symbol for Vietnam’s electronic visa. It is valid up to 90 days, for single or multiple entries. An e-visa goes to a passport-holding foreigner who is not in the top state-guest categories of Article 8. It is granted to citizens of all countries and territories.

E-visa holders must enter and exit through the international border gates the Government designates. Tan Son Nhat Airport is on the portal’s list. Fees, steps and arrival are in the Vietnam e-visa guide.

Law 118/2025/QH15 has applied since 1 July 2026, except the provision in clause 2 of that article. It added UD1 and UD2.

UD1 is issued to a foreigner who is high-quality digital-technology-industry workforce. It also covers other cases that a law or a National Assembly resolution entitles to preferential treatment. UD2 is for the spouse or a child under 18 of a UD1 holder. Both are valid up to 5 years.

The 2026 changes guide lists the other new rules.

What a visa costs

Circular 28/2026/TT-BTC has applied since 1 April 2026 and replaces Circular 25/2021/TT-BTC. A single-entry visa costs US$25. A multiple-entry visa valid up to 90 days costs US$50.

The e-visa fee on the portal is US$25 for single entry and US$50 for multiple entry. The full schedule, with longer multiple-entry visas, residence cards and extensions, is in Vietnam immigration fees.

Which symbols lead to a temporary residence card

As amended by Law 118/2025/QH15, Article 36 includes a foreigner temporarily residing in Vietnam who is eligible for a visa with a listed symbol.

The listed symbols are LV1, LV2, LS, DT1, DT2, DT3, NN1, NN2, DH, PV1, LD1, LD2, TT, UD1 and UD2. DN1 and DN2 do not appear in that list.

Members of diplomatic missions, consular offices and UN or inter-governmental offices are also among the cases. Their card is marked NG3.

A card marked LD1, LD2 or PV1 is valid up to 2 years. A card marked DT1, UD1 or UD2 is valid up to 10 years. Any card must end at least 30 days before the passport expires.

The steps and papers are in the temporary residence card guide.

One visa, one purpose

You must carry out activities in Vietnam that match the purpose of your entry. A visa cannot have its purpose converted, except in the cases below:

• documents proving you are an investor, or a representative of a foreign organisation investing in Vietnam
• documents proving you are the parent, spouse or child of the person who invited or sponsored you
• an invitation or sponsorship by an agency or organisation to work, with a work permit or a confirmation that you are exempt
• an entry on an e-visa, with a work permit or a confirmation that you are exempt

When a purpose is converted, you get a new visa with the symbol and validity that match the new purpose. None of these four cases leads to DN1 or DN2.

Working or trading without permission is fined 15,000,000 to 20,000,000 VND. Activity that does not match the purpose you declared is fined 20,000,000 to 25,000,000 VND. Overstay bands are in the overstay fines guide.

Visa matters in Ho Chi Minh City

A city press-centre report of 5 July 2025 places the police Immigration Management Office at 196 Nguyen Thi Minh Khai Street, Xuan Hoa Ward. On 1 July 2025 alone it received nearly 200 cases of visa, stay extension or residence card for foreigners. Xuan Hoa Ward was formed from the whole of Vo Thi Sau Ward and the remainder of Ward 4.

The e-visa portal also lists the Immigration Department of the Ministry of Public Security at 333-335-337 Nguyen Trai, Cau Ong Lanh Ward. That ward was formed by merging the wards Nguyen Cu Trinh, Cau Kho, Co Giang and the remainder of Cau Ong Lanh.

For most symbols the inviting organisation or individual files the request, not you. The e-visa is the exception: a foreigner outside the top state-guest categories applies for it online. To extend a stay, see the extension guide. A landlord or hotel declares your stay: see registering temporary residence.

The 2026 changes guide lists the rules now in force. The visa hub lists every guide.

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Not confirmed: Which office takes a given visa or card file: the city police office on Nguyen Thi Minh Khai Street or the Ministry's office on Nguyen Trai Street.

General information checked against the sources listed above, not legal advice for your situation. Rules and office practice change; confirm with the immigration office or a licensed adviser before you act. See how guides are checked.

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