Inventive Legal|Inventive Legal

By capital tier

DT visa pathway

Category	Capital contribution / project basis	Maximum visa validity	TRC pathway
DT1	VND 100 billion or more, or qualifying special-incentive investment	Up to 5 years	TRC up to 10 years
DT2	VND 50 billion to under VND 100 billion, or qualifying encouraged investment	Up to 5 years	TRC up to 5 years
DT3	VND 3 billion to under VND 50 billion	Up to 3 years	TRC up to 3 years
DT4	Less than VND 3 billion	Up to 12 months	Generally no investor TRC

The thresholds generally refer to the foreign investor's documented capital contribution or qualifying project status, not simply the company's proposed charter capital. DT4 investors normally renew the investor visa periodically rather than using it as a long-term TRC route.

Eligibility

Who can use it

The DT route may apply to:

A foreign individual contributing capital to a Vietnamese company.
A representative of a foreign organization investing in Vietnam.
An investor in a qualifying investment project.
In some cases, a foreign person holding a qualifying ownership or management position connected to the investment.

The company's enterprise and investment records should clearly identify the investor, contribution amount, ownership interest, and project or business activity supporting the application.

Visa vs. TRC vs. work permit

Four documents, four functions

Document	Function	Work authorization?
DT visa	Entry and temporary stay based on investment	Not automatically
DT TRC	Longer-term residence based on investor status	Not automatically
Work permit	Authorization to work in the approved role and employer	Yes
Work-permit exemption	Confirms that a statutory exemption applies	Yes, within the exemption conditions

An investor may qualify for an investor visa and still need a work permit or work-permit exemption if they actively work for the Vietnamese company. Conversely, a work-permit exemption does not itself create a right to a long-term TRC.

Process

Typical application sequence

Establish or acquire the Vietnamese company or investment project.
Record the investor's ownership and capital contribution correctly.
Obtain the company's enterprise and investment documents.
Arrange the immigration sponsorship or approval documentation.
Apply for the appropriate DT visa or change to DT status where permitted.
If eligible, apply for the corresponding DT TRC.
Separately assess work-permit or work-permit-exemption status.
Complete residence registration at the accommodation in Vietnam.

Typical supporting documents include:

Passport.
Enterprise Registration Certificate.
Investment Registration Certificate or project approval, if applicable.
Capital-contribution or ownership evidence.
Company guarantee or sponsorship documents.
Application forms and photographs.
Accommodation or residence information.
Legalized and Vietnamese-translated foreign documents where required.

Before you apply

Investor checks

Before selecting the DT category, verify:

The capital has actually been contributed and is documented.
The contribution amount falls within the correct tier.
The investment is not in a restricted or conditional foreign-investment sector.
The investor's name and ownership appear consistently across company, investment, banking, and immigration records.
The passport has sufficient validity for the requested period.
The investor's role requires a work permit or qualifies for an exemption.
A reduction, transfer, suspension, or restructuring of the investment will not undermine the residence basis.
Family members need separate dependent or family-member immigration status.

The DT visa is a residence pathway, not a "golden visa" or automatic permanent-residence program. The practical decision rule is: DT3 is the common investor route for contributions from VND 3 billion to under VND 50 billion; DT4 supports investment but generally does not support a long-term investor TRC.