Vietnam Visa Types: The Symbols List, NG1 to UĐ2, and What Each One Is For

Pick the symbol by purpose. A tourist gets DL, up to 90 days. A foreign worker gets LĐ1 or LĐ2, up to 2 years. Investors get ĐT1 to ĐT4 by capital or by a Government-designated sector. Each symbol has a maximum validity, from 30 days to 5 years. A visa's purpose can be converted only in set cases.

Pick the symbol by what you are coming to do: tourists get DL, workers LĐ1 or LĐ2, investors ĐT1 to ĐT4. The full list is Article 8 of the Law on Entry, Exit, Transit and Residence of Foreigners, as amended, opening with NG1:

NG1 - Cấp cho thành viên đoàn khách mời của Tổng Bí thư Ban Chấp hành Trung ương Đảng Cộng sản Việt Nam, Chủ tịch nước, Chủ tịch Quốc hội, Thủ tướng Chính phủ.

Which case are you?

• If you come as a tourist, the tourist visa symbol is DL, valid up to 90 days; the e-visa (EV) also runs up to 90 days. See the e-visa guide.
• If you work for a company or organisation in Vietnam, it is LĐ2 if you are subject to the work-permit requirement and LĐ1 if you are confirmed as not subject to it, both valid up to 2 years. See who needs a work permit.
• If you invest in Vietnam, it is ĐT1 to ĐT4 by capital or, for ĐT1 and ĐT2, by a Government-designated sector.
• If you are the parent, spouse or child of a Vietnamese citizen, it is TT, valid up to 1 year; if you reside temporarily, it can lead to a temporary residence card.
• If you entered on an e-visa and now work, the purpose can be converted with a work permit or a confirmation you are not subject to one.

Still open: whether UĐ1 covers remote workers, a question for the Da Nang Immigration Office.

A treaty Vietnam is party to can set a different validity.

Diplomatic and state-guest visas: NG1–NG4

NG1 goes to delegations invited by the General Secretary of the Party Central Committee, the State President, the National Assembly Chairman and the Prime Minister.

NG2 goes to delegations invited by the Standing Member of the Party Secretariat, the Vice President, a Vice Chairman of the National Assembly or a Deputy Prime Minister. It also covers those invited by the Chairman of the Fatherland Front Central Committee, the Chief Justice, the Prosecutor General or the State Auditor General. It also covers delegations invited by ministers and equivalents, and provincial Party secretaries or People’s Council and People’s Committee chairs for same-level delegations.

NG3 goes to members of diplomatic missions, consular offices and UN or inter-governmental representative offices, with their spouse, children under 18 and domestic staff for their term of office. NG4 goes to people on official business with those offices, with an accompanying spouse and children under 18, and to people visiting their members. All four are capped at 1 year.

Working with state and Party bodies: LV1, LV2

LV1 goes to people on official business with Party central bodies, the National Assembly, the Government, the Fatherland Front Central Committee, the Supreme People’s Court and Procuracy and the State Audit. It also covers ministries, Government agencies, and provincial Party committees, People’s Councils and People’s Committees. LV2 goes to people on official business with socio-political organisations, social organisations or the Vietnam Federation of Commerce and Industry. Both are capped at 1 year.

Foreign lawyers: LS

LS goes to foreign lawyers practising in Vietnam, valid up to 5 years, like ĐT1, ĐT2, UĐ1 and UĐ2.

Investors: ĐT1–ĐT4

Investor symbols split by capital contributed:

• ĐT1: 100 billion VND or more, or investment in a sector or area the Government designates for investment incentives; up to 5 years.
• ĐT2: 50 billion to under 100 billion VND, or investment in a sector the Government designates for encouraged development; up to 5 years.
• ĐT3: 3 billion to under 50 billion VND; up to 3 years.
• ĐT4: under 3 billion VND; up to 1 year.

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

DN1 goes to a foreigner coming on business with an enterprise or other organisation with legal-entity status under Vietnamese law. DN2 goes to a foreigner coming, under a treaty Vietnam is party to, to offer services, set up a commercial presence or carry out other activities. The two are compared in Vietnam Business Visa DN1 vs DN2.

NN1 goes to the head of a representative or project office of an international organisation or foreign NGO in Vietnam. NN2 goes to the head of a foreign trader’s representative office or branch, or of a foreign economic, cultural or professional organisation’s representative office. NN3 goes to a foreigner coming on business with any of those offices, branches or NGOs. DN1, DN2 and NN1–NN3 are all capped at 1 year.

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

DH is for an internship or study, HN for a conference or seminar, PV1 for a resident foreign journalist or press representative and PV2 for one on a short-term assignment. DH, PV1 and PV2 are capped at 1 year, HN at 90 days.

Work visas: LĐ1, LĐ2

LĐ1 is for a foreigner working in Vietnam who is confirmed as not subject to a work-permit requirement, unless a treaty provides otherwise; LĐ2 is for one who is subject to it. Both are capped at 2 years. Exemptions: who needs a work permit and who’s exempt.

Tourism: DL

DL is the tourist symbol, up to 90 days.

Family visas: TT, VR

TT goes to the spouse or a child under 18 of a foreigner holding an LV1, LV2, LS, ĐT1, ĐT2, ĐT3, NN1, NN2, DH, PV1, LĐ1 or LĐ2 visa. It also goes to a parent, spouse or child of a Vietnamese citizen. It runs up to 1 year. VR is for visiting relatives or another purpose, up to 180 days.

A special case: SQ

SQ is issued for the cases in Article 17, clause 3. There, the head of a Vietnamese visa-issuing mission abroad issues visas for market research, tourism, visiting relatives or medical treatment, for two groups:

• people with a working relationship with that mission, with their spouse and children, or a written request from the host country’s foreign-ministry body
• people with a guarantee note from a diplomatic or consular mission of a country based in the host country

SQ is capped at 30 days.

The e-visa: EV

EV is Vietnam’s electronic visa, valid up to 90 days, single or multiple entries. Details: Vietnam E-Visa: Eligibility, Cost and How Long It Lasts.

Added by Law 118/2025/QH15: UĐ1, UĐ2

Law 118/2025/QH15 applies from 1 July 2026. UĐ1 goes to high-quality digital-technology workforce and other cases entitled to preferential treatment under a law or a National Assembly or Standing Committee resolution. UĐ2 goes to the spouse or a child under 18 of a UĐ1 holder. Both run up to 5 years.

Which symbols lead to a temporary residence card

As amended by Law 118/2025/QH15, Article 36 covers a foreigner temporarily residing in Vietnam who is eligible for a visa with a listed symbol: LV1, LV2, LS, ĐT1, ĐT2, ĐT3, NN1, NN2, DH, PV1, LĐ1, LĐ2, TT, UĐ1 and UĐ2. Diplomatic, consular and UN or inter-governmental office members are also covered, with a card marked NG3. A card for a listed symbol carries the same symbol as the visa.

How to apply: see Temporary Residence Card in Vietnam: How to Get One in Da Nang. Working online on a tourist visa is covered in remote work in Vietnam on a tourist visa.

One visa, one purpose

A visa’s purpose cannot be converted, except in these cases:

• documents proving you’re an investor, or a representative of a foreign organisation investing in Vietnam
• documents proving you’re the parent, spouse or child of the individual who invited or sponsored you
• being invited or sponsored by an agency or organisation to work, with a work permit or a confirmation that you’re not subject to one, under labour law
• having entered on an e-visa, with a work permit or a confirmation that you’re not subject to one, under labour law

A converted purpose gets a new visa with the matching symbol and validity, through the Article 19 procedure. If you are temporarily in Vietnam, your inviting or sponsoring party files with the immigration authority or the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

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Not confirmed: Whether UĐ1 covers remote workers.

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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