Vietnam investment visa — ĐT3 vs ĐT4 and the 3 billion trap
In plain termsInvestment symbols split by capital. The ĐT3 / ĐT4 line (investment visas above and below 3 billion VND) also appears in work-permit exemptions.
Ho Chi Minh City · built form · capital
Typical symbols: ĐT1–ĐT4. ĐT3 still reaches TRC; ĐT4 is the trap (visa without TRC).
What the codes mean6 terms in plain language
- ĐT3
- investment visa whose capital still reaches a residence card
- ĐT4
- investment visa below the 3-billion line — no residence card
- TRC
- temporary residence card — multi-year stay, renewed not re-stamped
- NĐ 68
- Decree 68/2026 — household-business tax door for Vietnam tax residents, not a stay stamp
- NĐ 219
- Decree 219/2025 — the live work-permit frame, including 15 exemption limbs
- hộ kinh doanh
- household business registration — closed to foreigners; a café usually needs an enterprise
Capital decides which investment symbol you land on — and whether a temporary residence card is even on the table. The same 3 billion VND line shows up again in work-permit exemption rules for owners and board members.
Housing ownership for foreigners is a separate statute (project apartments, caps, 50-year term). Do not assume a business visa buys a freehold house.
What opens from here
Business-tax limbs vs hộ registration
Decree 68/2026 (NĐ 68) files revenue thresholds for tax residents with production or business activity — not a ĐT capital stamp and not a work permit. Foreigners cannot register a hộ kinh doanh (Decree 168/2025); café/shop usually means an enterprise — deep map: /vietnam/earn/own-business.
Open →ĐT3 — capital that reaches TRC
Clear the filed capital band and ĐT3 sits on the TRC-eligible list with a 3-year card.
Open →ĐT4 trap — stamp without TRC
Under the 3 billion line you can still hold an investment symbol and still fail temporary residence. That absence is the product.
Open →Owner / board work-permit exemption
Decree 219/2025 (NĐ 219), the live work-permit frame, ties a capital contribution threshold of 3,000,000,000 VND to certain exemptions. Confirm the role and the filing authority before you rely on it.
Open →Project housing caps
Foreign ownership of project apartments is capped and time-limited. Peer rent is everyday practice — not a one-line Luật Nhà ở article.
Open →Passport tax overlay
A business visa does not switch off home-country tax. Open the overlay that matches your passport.
Open →Pages to read
Common questions
Vietnam investment visa — ĐT3 vs ĐT4 and the 3 billion trap — what opens?
Investment symbols split by capital. The ĐT3 / ĐT4 line (investment visas above and below 3 billion VND) also appears in work-permit exemptions.
Business-tax limbs vs hộ registration
Decree 68/2026 (NĐ 68) files revenue thresholds for tax residents with production or business activity — not a ĐT capital stamp and not a work permit. Foreigners cannot register a hộ kinh doanh (Decree 168/2025); café/shop usually means an enterprise — deep map: /vietnam/earn/own-business.
ĐT3 — capital that reaches TRC
Clear the filed capital band and ĐT3 sits on the TRC-eligible list with a 3-year card.
ĐT4 trap — stamp without TRC
Under the 3 billion line you can still hold an investment symbol and still fail temporary residence. That absence is the product.
Owner / board work-permit exemption
Decree 219/2025 (NĐ 219), the live work-permit frame, ties a capital contribution threshold of 3,000,000,000 VND to certain exemptions. Confirm the role and the filing authority before you rely on it.