Vietnam Investor Visa DT1 to DT4
A four tier investor visa (thị thực đầu tư), banded by how much charter capital you contribute to a Vietnamese enterprise.
The tiers are not a ladder, and only three produce a temporary residence card. DT4 is a 12 month visa with no card, which has not stopped agents advertising a DT4 card. Article 36 lists only DT1, DT2 and DT3 as card-eligible.
Programme snapshot
| Item | Current rule |
|---|---|
| Main audience | Foreign individuals contributing capital to a Vietnamese enterprise, and foreign lawyers |
| Route family | Investment |
| Validity | Visa 5 years for DT1 and DT2, 3 for DT3, 12 months for DT4. Card 10 years for DT1, 5 for DT2, 3 for DT3, none for DT4 |
| Threshold | DT1 VND 100bn (about USD 3,820,000, 2026). DT2 VND 50bn to under 100bn. DT3 VND 3bn to under 50bn (from about USD 114,500). DT4 under VND 3bn |
| Renewal | Card may be reissued. The 10 year DT1 card lapses if the investment is withdrawn or the company dissolved |
| Settlement | Discretionary. Long residence, no settlement |
| PR clock | None. Investment is not a PR category |
| Citizenship clock | None |
| Family | Yes. Spouse and children under 18 get TT cards matching the principal, up to 3 years |
| Local employment | Yes for the holder. Family need a work permit |
| Tax headline | Resident after 183 days, worldwide income. Investment income and salary taxed separately |
| Processing | Card 5 working days. Investment registration and capital transfer commonly take 2 to 4 months |
Application flow
- Choose a new company or capital into an existing one.
- Obtain the investment registration certificate from the provincial planning department, after checking sector caps.
- Transfer the capital and have it recorded as charter capital in the enterprise registration and member register.
- Apply for the DT visa, then the card.
- Keep the capital in place. Withdrawal ends the basis for the card.
Good fit
A founder putting at least USD 114,500 of real capital into a Vietnamese company and intending to run it. At USD 3.8 million the DT1 gives a 10 year card, the closest thing Vietnam offers an investor to long term security.
Poor fit
Remote workers, retirees, and anyone who thinks buying an apartment or shares counts. It does not. Capital has to enter a Vietnamese enterprise as charter capital, and the investor has to be operating.
Watchpoints
- DT2 has two readings. Most law firm tables give a VND 50 billion floor. The decree also allows DT2 for encouraged sectors without a capital figure, so two advisers can quote different numbers and both cite the law. Get the province’s reading in writing.
- The 10 year card is not 10 years of visa. The visa is 5 years, and the card cannot outlive your passport by under 30 days.
- Capital must be contributed and registered. The office checks the enterprise registration certificate and member register, not a bank statement. Tranching is unconfirmed.
- No DT4 residence card exists. Ask which article authorises any card you are offered.
- No investor permanent residence exists at any capital level. The 2025 golden visa was a draft, never enacted.
- Sector caps survive the 2025 reform. A “company-first” option exists, but conditional business lines still restrict ownership.
Sources
- Vietnam Immigration Department, investor visa and card procedures, checked 2026-10-22
- Law 47/2014/QH13 as amended, Articles 8, 9, 36 and 38, checked 2026-10-22
- Vietnam Briefing, investor visa guide, secondary source, checked 2026-10-22
- LuatVietnam, golden visa and permanent residence analysis, secondary source, checked 2026-10-22