Digital Nomad & Residency · Vietnam
Digital Nomad & Residency - Vietnam
Vietnam has no dedicated digital nomad or remote-work visa category as of May 2026. The primary practical route for remote workers is the 90-day multiple-entry e-visa, which does not explicitly authorize working for overseas clients — a legal grey zone that authorities tolerate but have not formalised. Longer-term legal residency is possible via a work-permit-backed Temporary Residence Card (TRC), obtainable through an Employer of Record arrangement, while a proposed investor 'golden visa' remains in draft form with no enacted legislation.
Available to nationals of 80+ countries, Vietnam's e-visa grants up to 90 days with single or multiple entries at USD 25–50. It is processed online through the official evisa.gov.vn portal and accepted at 83 border points. Remote working for foreign clients on this visa is widespread but not formally permitted.
As of May 2026, Vietnam has not enacted a specific digital nomad or remote-work visa, unlike regional peers Thailand (DTV) and Malaysia (De Rantau). There is no official programme, application portal, or legislative timeline for one.
Effective 15 August 2025, Decree 221/2025/ND-CP grants a 5-year multi-entry Special Visa Exemption Card (SVEC) to select foreign nationals: state-level guests, scholars, PhD-level experts, investors, and prominent figures in culture and the arts. Each stay may not exceed 90 days. This targets elite talent and is not a general remote-work route; a sponsoring Vietnamese agency or organisation must apply on the individual's behalf.
Foreigners holding a valid Vietnamese work permit of at least 12 months' duration may apply for a TRC (valid 6 months to 5 years) through the Immigration Department. Remote workers can access this pathway by engaging an Employer of Record (EOR) as their legal Vietnamese employer, though EOR fees make this an expensive option.
The Ministry of Public Security circulated a draft decree in mid-2025 proposing a 5- or 10-year investor residency visa with thresholds of approximately USD 250,000–400,000. Eligibility categories include global-firm executives, STEM scholars, medical scientists, and social-media creators with 1 million+ followers. As of May 2026 no decree has been published, no application system exists, and realistic implementation is not expected before late 2026 at the earliest.
Citizens of 24 countries (expanded August 2025) receive 45-day visa-free entry under unilateral Vietnamese policy, including nationals of several EU states, the UK, and others. This is a short-stay option only; it carries the same legal ambiguity around remote work as the e-visa.
Machine-assisted translation · verified 5/24/2026 · orientation, not legal advice. English version →