TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. DOES VIETNAM HAVE GOLDEN VISA?
Vietnam doesn’t offer a golden visa, the Vietnam Investor visa provides similar benefits. It offers favorable conditions for foreigners and promotes the country’s economy. Vietnam Investor visa is a type of visa for foreign individuals or organizations intending to invest in Vietnam.
The Vietnamese government has created a significant visa type to support and encourage foreign investment activities in Vietnam, thereby promoting the country’s economic growth. The Vietnam investor visa grants foreigners the opportunity to engage in various activities, such as establishing new businesses, purchasing shares, contributing capital to existing companies, or implementing other investment projects in Vietnam. This visa type is designed to facilitate and simplify the process of foreign investment in Vietnam while providing a transparent and secure environment for investors.
The Vietnam Investor Visa is similar to the Golden Visa, which enables foreigners and their family members to settle and work in some of the leading European countries. Foreigners who wish to apply for the Golden Visa can buy or sell real estate, purchase or sell government bonds, and donate or invest in businesses to create jobs.
2. ADVANTAGES OF OBTAINING A VIETNAM INVESTOR VISA
Investors who are foreigners in Vietnam must obtain an investor visa to protect their rights and obtain a temporary residence card. This visa confirms the legal residential status of foreign investors in Vietnam and ensures their protection in accordance with Vietnamese law. Vietnam Investor visas can be valid for up to 10 years, providing favorable conditions for investors to develop their business in the Vietnamese investment environment.
Investors who hold a Vietnam investor visa enjoy several benefits, such as:
- A long-term stay in Vietnam depending on the validity period of the investor visa.
- Extend investor visa after its expiration.
- Can obtain a temporary investment residence card for up to 10 years,
- Have the right to sponsor their wife or child to apply for a Vietnam visit visa (applicable only to DT1, DT2 and DT3 investor visa).
3. CLASSIFICATION OF INVESTOR VISAS
Vietnam investor visas are categorized into 4 types based on their durations, benefits, and conditions, as per the provisions of the Law on entry, exit, transit, and residence of foreigners in Vietnam (51/2019/QH14).
4. WHAT IS THE TIME LIMIT FOR APPLYING FOR AN INVESTOR VISA?
Depending on the type of investor visa, the application deadline varies as follows:
- Visa DT1 (maximum 10 years),
- Visa DT2 (maximum 5 years),
- Visa DT3 (maximum 3 years),
- Visa DT4 (maximum 12 months).
5. VIETNAM INVESTOR VISA APPLICATION PROCESS
The process of applying for a Vietnam investor visa differs for foreigners in their own country and those residing in Vietnam. Specifically:
5.1. Foreign Investors Are In Their Home Country
As a foreign investor looking to enter Vietnam for investment purposes, it is important to adhere to a specific process for applying for a Vietnam Investor visa. This process requires that you apply for the visa while being in your home country:
Step 1: Prepare the document
If you are considering investing in a company or business in Vietnam, it is important to be aware of the necessary documentation that must be obtained from the company in question.
- notarized copy of the business license or investment certificate, as well as a decision document from the competent authority regarding the establishment and organization of the business
- a sample introduction ( NA16) of the seal or signature of an individual with high authority in the company
- photocopy of investor passport
- notarized copy of your investment certificate
- Letter of guarantee submitted by the business or company in the form of NA2 with a barcode
Step 2: Submit the document
A company representative is responsible for submitting the visa application at one of the Immigration Departments located in:
- Hanoi : No. 44-46 Tran Phu Street, Ba Dinh District in Hanoi
- Ho Chi Minh City: No. 333-335-337 Nguyen Trai Street, District 1 in Ho Chi Minh City
- Da Nang: No. 78 Le Loi, Thach Thang Ward, Hai Chau District in Da Nang.
Once the application is submitted, the representative will receive an appointment letter and wait for 05 working days for the Immigration Department to issue an official dispatch for entry into Vietnam. This dispatch will then be sent to the investor to prepare for the next step.
Step 3: Apply for Vietnam Investor visa
Upon receiving the scanned copy of the Approval letter, investors are required to prepare a few documents and submit them either at the Vietnamese Embassy/Consulate or at the Vietnamese entry gate. These documents include:
- Original valid passport with at least two blank pages,
- 02 portrait photos sized 4x6cm with a white background, which should have clear faces and standards and not be blurry, smudged, or of low capacity.
- A printed copy of the Approval letter and an application for entry and exit into Vietnam are also necessary.
Once these procedures are completed, the investor will be granted an investor visa, allowing them to enter Vietnam as an investor. This process not only supports the investment process in Vietnam but also ensures that foreign investors fully comply with legal requirements for residence and business operations.
5.2. Foreigners Living In Vietnam
If you are a foreign investor residing in Vietnam and intend to convert your existing visa to an investor visa, your guarantee company must take the following steps to assist you in completing the process:
Step 1: Prepare the following documents:
- Notarized copy of Business License or Investment Certificate: This document needs to be notarized and authenticated by a competent authority.
- Seal or signature introduction form (Form NA16): This form introduces the signature of the person with the highest authority in the company.
- Notarized copy of Investment Certificate indicating investment in Vietnam.
- The investor’s original passport and temporary residence card must both be valid according to Vietnamese law.
- Form NA5, an application form for visa or extension of temporary residence.
- Temporary residence registration in accordance with the content and form of Vietnamese law.
Step 2: Apply for the Vietnam Investor Visa
To apply, the location depends on the company’s headquarters address. If the headquarters is in:
- Hanoi Immigration Department: No. 44-46 Tran Phu Street, Ba Dinh District.
- Ho Chi Minh Immigration Department: No. 333-335-337 Nguyen Trai Street, District 1.
- Da Nang Immigration Department: No. 78 Le Loi, Hai Chau District.
Once the application is submitted, the guarantee company will receive an appointment letter from the competent authority.
Step 3: Get results
The guarantee company keeps a record of the date mentioned in the appointment letter and visits the agency that submitted the application to collect the results of the investor visa. Once foreign investors obtain an investor visa, they are entitled to stay in Vietnam legally under investment status, for a duration that corresponds to the type of visa granted.
This process ensures that foreign investors can continue to do business and invest in Vietnam, thereby contributing to the country’s economic development.
Above is all you need to know about Vietnam Investor Visa, we hope you get all the answers needed. If you have any request for assistance please contact us immediately.