An Advanced Guide to a Business Visa in Vietnam

Posted 24.11. 2018 by Cekindo / Last update on 2.12. 2020

When it comes to getting a suitable visa to do business and work legally in Vietnam, you will often come across “a business visa”.

In this article, Cekindo will walk through the purpose, requirements, limits and sponsorship for getting a business visa in Vietnam. In the end, you will be sure if you really need a business visa when coming to Vietnam for business and what the restrictions are.

Purpose of a Business Visa

To be able to specify a term of “a business visa” in Vietnam, a short introduction to various visas in the country is needed.

Vietnam offers around 20 different kinds of visas with several types of permits that might be used for various business purposes such as being employed in Vietnam, attending conferences or seminars, or starting a company.

The popular visas for business purposes are:

  • Business Visa (DN)
  • Working Visa (LD)
  • Investor Visa (DT)

Vietnam Visa Classification

Following the Immigration Law from 2015, visas in Vietnam are categorised as follows:

Visa Category Description and Information Maximum Visa Validity
NG1 – NG4 Diplomatic visas 12 months
LV1 – LV2 Working with Vietnamese authorities or parties 12 months
ĐT Investors and foreign lawyers 5 years
DN Working with Vietnamese enterprises 12 months
NN1 – NN2 Chief Representative Office, Head of Project Office of foreign NGO in Vietnam 12 months
NN3 Staff of NGO, Representative offices in Vietnam 12 months
DH Students and interns 12 months
HN Meetings and conferences 3 months
PV1 Journalists with permanent residence in Vietnam 12 months
PV2 Journalists with short-term residence in Vietnam 12 months
LĐ Foreign workers / Working visa 2 years
DL Tourist visa 3 months
TT Dependents of LV1, LV2, ĐT, NN1, NN2, DH, PV1, LĐ 12 months
VR Relative visits, other purposes 6 months
SQ Related to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or Consulate with the purpose of market research, diplomacy, visiting relatives, tourist, medical treatment 30 days

 

Noticeably, holders of Vietnamese visas cannot convert their visa purposes to other types.

In-Depth Look Into a Business Visa in Vietnam

Previously known as B3 visa, DN business visa enables foreign workers who work with Vietnamese enterprises to stay in the country short-term. Even though its maximum validity is limited by 12 months, it is frequently issued for one month, three months or six months only.

Furthermore, a business visa can be both multiple and single-entry.

 

Business Visa Extension

Foreigners who are running out of their business visas can apply for their extensions in Vietnam. In order to provide you with valid information, send an email and scans of your visas at vietnam@cekindo.com. We will get back to you with the specific information and a step-by-step guide on how to extend your visa in Vietnam.

The process of extension usually takes from five to seven working days.

 

Visa Sponsorship

Foreigners are required to have an invitation letter to prove you are under the sponsorship from a local business partner in Vietnam. This sponsorship with invitation letter can be done with the assistance from Cekindo.

 

Requirements and Restrictions

Since the business visa in Vietnam needs to be certified by Vietnam’s Immigration Bureau in advance, and the documents required for submission are relatively stringent, it is crucial for foreigners to meet all the compliance requirements.

As long as you meet all the requirements, you can get or renew your business visa in Vietnam.

  1. The validity of your passport must be at least six months from the departure date. It is also important to know that temporary passports will be most likely rejected.
  2. Your passport must have two blank pages for visa stamps from Vietnam’s Immigration.
  3. As mentioned earlier, you will need an invitation letter/sponsorship letter from a legal company in Vietnam (or your Vietnamese partner company) when you apply for the business visa in your country. You will need to provide them with all the required details to obtain this letter.
  4. The visa fee varies depending on the embassy you apply for the business visa, the number of entry, and the length of your stay. US Dollar and Vietnamese Dong are the only accepted currencies for payment.
  5. E-visa is not available for a business visa and you will need to apply through sponsorship.
  6. Not a lot of authorized agent will provide application assistance for a business visa of more than 6 months or 1 year. Cekindo is one of the reliable agents to help with both long-term and short-term business visas.

Cekindo is ready to assist you with your business visa in Vietnam. Contact us today and we will outline the process as well as provide you with all the required information.





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