🇻🇳 Southeast Asia Visa
Visas for Vietnam
Vietnam E-Visa (Tourist / Business)
Visa overview
Vietnam does not offer a dedicated digital-nomad visa like Thailand's Destination Thailand Visa (DTV) or Taiwan's Digital Nomad Visitor Visa. The standard pathway for Americans is the Vietnam E-Visa, an official electronic visa issued by the Vietnamese Immigration Department through an online application. The e-visa is valid for up to 90 days, single-entry (25 USD) or multiple-entry (50 USD), and can be used at 42 designated international border gates including all of Vietnam's international airports. There is no simple, widely available retirement visa; long-term residence beyond 90 days generally requires a separate legal basis such as a work permit, investment, marriage, or study. For most remote-working Americans, Vietnam works as a series of 90-day stays rather than a single long-term permit.
Who it may suit
Remote workers and digital nomads who want a low-cost, high-energy base for stays of up to 90 days at a time. It suits people who can run their life on a tourist-style e-visa and are comfortable doing periodic 'visa runs' or re-applying for a fresh e-visa between stays. It does not suit anyone who needs a single long-term residence permit or a dedicated nomad visa that explicitly authorizes remote work.
Eligibility
The e-visa is available to citizens of all countries, including the United States. There is no income, savings, or health-insurance requirement to apply. Applicants need a passport valid for at least six months from the planned entry date and a recent passport-style photo. Long-term residence (beyond 90 days) is a different process handled by Vietnamese immigration and requires a separate legal basis such as employment with a work permit, investment, marriage to a Vietnamese citizen, or enrollment in a Vietnamese school.
Required documents
1) A passport valid for at least six months from your planned date of entry. 2) A recent passport-style photograph meeting the portal's specifications. 3) A valid payment method for the e-visa fee (the portal accepts payment by bank transfer / card). 4) An email address to receive the issued e-visa. No proof of income, bank statements, or health insurance are required for the e-visa itself, though travel insurance is strongly recommended.
Income requirements
None for the e-visa
Stay length
The e-visa is valid for up to 90 days, single-entry or multiple-entry. Each entry allows a stay of up to the validity period printed on the e-visa. The 90-day e-visa is the longest standard tourist-style stay Vietnam currently issues to Americans.
Extensions
E-visas are generally not extended from inside Vietnam. To stay longer, the common practice is to exit Vietnam and apply for a new e-visa before re-entering (a so-called 'visa run'). Repeated, very frequent back-to-back entries can draw scrutiny from immigration officers, so many long-staying expats alternate Vietnam with stays in neighboring countries. Formal extensions of stay are handled by Vietnamese immigration offices only in limited circumstances and at their discretion.
Remote work rules
Vietnam's e-visa does not explicitly authorize remote work. In practice, many location-independent foreigners work remotely from Vietnam for foreign employers and clients on a tourist-style e-visa, but this is not the same as holding a work permit. Working locally for a Vietnamese employer, or being physically employed in the Vietnamese labor market, requires a work permit arranged by that employer. If your income is earned entirely from outside Vietnam and you are not employed in the local labor market, the e-visa is the typical pathway — but verify current rules with Vietnamese immigration before planning long stays.
Local employment rules
Local employment requires a Vietnamese work permit arranged by an employer.
Tax residency warning
Spending more than 183 days in Vietnam within a 12-month period can make you a Vietnamese tax resident under Vietnamese tax rules, which may create personal income tax filing obligations in Vietnam on worldwide income. U.S. citizens remain taxable to the IRS regardless of where they live; the U.S.-Vietnam tax relationship does not include a comprehensive double-taxation treaty, so careful planning is required for anyone approaching 183 days of presence. This is not tax advice — consult a qualified tax professional before structuring a long stay.
Application process
1) Go to the official e-visa portal at evisa.immigration.gov.vn (the portal linked from the U.S. Embassy's guidance). 2) Complete the online application with your passport details and upload a passport-style photo. 3) Pay the fee by bank transfer / card: 25 USD for single-entry or 50 USD for multiple-entry. 4) Receive the issued e-visa by email, typically within 3–7 business days. 5) Print the e-visa and present it with your passport at one of the 42 designated international border gates (including all international airports) on arrival. Apply well before travel; do not book non-refundable flights until the e-visa is issued. If you have questions about the application, use the support form on the official portal rather than third-party visa services, which charge extra fees for the same government e-visa.
This information is not immigration advice.
Educational use only: Verify with official agencies & qualified professionals. Not legal, tax, financial, or immigration advice.