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Visa & stay

Generic “move to Vietnam” sites flatten this into a stamp checklist. The live machine is layered — and the layers disagree with each other.

Four layers that are not the same decision

  1. Purpose

    Why you are here. Codes come after. Start at purpose or the decision tool.

  2. Entry / stay symbol

    The visa mark under Luật Nhập cảnh. It sets what you may do at the border and which paths can later open a TRC. We publish the TRC-eligible band map — not a thin Điều 8 catalogue.

  3. Temporary residence (TRC)

    A sponsor-filed card, not a visa stamp. Only listed symbols qualify; terms follow four bands (2 / 3 / 5 / 10 years on file). TRC guide.

  4. Work right

    Permit or statutory exemption. Separate from the stamp and from the card. All fifteen NĐ 219 Điều 7 limbs are filed. Work permit.

TRC-eligible bands (filed)

Closed list: LV1, LV2, LS, ĐT1, ĐT2, ĐT3, NN1, NN2, DH, PV1, LĐ1, LĐ2, TT, UĐ1, UĐ2. ĐT4: no. Retirement symbol: no.

Symbol → term mapFour max-year bands with purpose doors — not every Điều 8 code.TT — familyWP exemption + PR clock.LĐ — labour2-year TRC · 24+24 · dies on job loss.ĐT — investmentCapital bands · 3bn double gate.TRC procedureSponsor files · 5 working days · new card on expiry.Work permitFull filed exemptions · filing windows · job-loss death.

What the law does not sell you

No retirement visa. Remote work for a foreign employer is not a published immigration product — days on the ground still feed tax residence (/for/remote, /for/retire). Visit paths are short-stay by design; we do not publish e-visa how-tos.

Where visa meets tax

Lawful stay and tax residence share calendar days — not one form. A clean visa can still cross the 183-day line; a short visit can still trigger habitual abode if a TRC address or long lease is in play. Continue on the tax hub.

Common questions

Is a Vietnam visa the same as a temporary residence card?
No. A visa is an entry / stay symbol under the Immigration Law. A temporary residence card (TRC) is a separate sponsor-filed card that only some symbols can lead to.
Does a visa let me work in Vietnam?
Not by itself. Labour permission (work permit or a statutory exemption) is a second system. Immigration status and the right to work can diverge.
Is there a Vietnam retirement visa?
No dedicated retirement symbol is on file. Long stay for retirement has to use other published paths — or it does not exist as a productised visa.
Why don’t you list every visa code?
We publish the closed TRC-eligible list and term bands — not a fake catalogue of every Điều 8 code. L2 pages exist where consequences are unique (TT, LĐ, ĐT).