Come to Vietnam for business with a local company on the DN visa, for stays of up to a year. It covers meetings, deals, and setting up a presence, but not paid employment. Emerhub provides the sponsor and handles the visa.
The Vietnam business visa, the DN visa, is for foreign nationals coming to do business with a Vietnamese company. It comes in two types, DN1 and DN2, set by the kind of entity you deal with and the purpose of the visit. A Vietnamese entity with a valid Enterprise Registration Certificate has to sponsor your application.
It is meant for business activity rather than employment: meetings, negotiations, trade events, market visits, and setting up a commercial presence. The law allows a DN visa to run up to 12 months, single or multiple entry, though it is often issued for one or three months at a time.
Both types permit business activity only, and neither replaces a work permit. The difference is the entity you engage with and the purpose of the visit.
For working with an enterprise or organization that has legal status in Vietnam.
For offering services, establishing a commercial presence, or acting under an international treaty Vietnam has signed.
For a short trip you may not need a sponsored DN visa at all. Vietnam’s e-visa now covers all nationalities for up to 90 days and is applied for online, without a sponsor. The DN visa is the better fit when the engagement is longer or ongoing, or when a Vietnamese company is formally hosting you.
| Business visa (DN) | E-visa | |
|---|---|---|
| Validity | Up to 12 months | Up to 90 days |
| Sponsor | A Vietnamese entity | None |
| Entries | Single or multiple | Single or multiple |
| Best for | Ongoing or longer business engagement | A one-off or short trip |
Both are for business activity, and neither lets you take up paid employment in Vietnam.
The sponsoring company files most of the dossier. You provide your passport and photos.
We confirm the exact set for your situation, prepare the company’s side, and file it with you.
A DN visa needs a Vietnamese sponsor, so the process starts there. If you do not have one, we can sponsor it.
A Vietnamese entity with a valid Enterprise Registration Certificate agrees to host your business activity. Where you have no local entity, Emerhub acts as the sponsor.
The sponsor files the entry-approval dossier with the Immigration Department, stating the purpose and whether you need DN1 or DN2.
With the approval letter, you have the visa stamped at a Vietnamese mission abroad or on arrival, depending on the approval issued.
You enter Vietnam and carry out the activities the visa covers, for the length of its validity.
Tell us who you are meeting and how long you need, and we’ll confirm whether the business visa or the e-visa fits, then handle the sponsor and filing end to end.
The questions companies and business travelers ask most about the DN visa.
It is Vietnam’s business visa, for foreign nationals coming to do business with a Vietnamese company. It comes in two types, DN1 and DN2, runs up to 12 months, and requires a Vietnamese entity to sponsor the application.
DN1 is for working with an enterprise or organization that has legal status in Vietnam, the common case for meetings, consulting, and trade. DN2 is for offering services, establishing a commercial presence, or acting under an international treaty. We confirm the correct type before filing.
Up to 12 months by law, single or multiple entry, though it is often issued for one or three months at a time. The exact term depends on your purpose and what the Immigration Department approves.
No. The DN visa covers business activity, not employment. To be employed and paid by a Vietnamese company you need a work visa and a work permit. Using a business visa for paid work is a breach of the rules.
No. A DN visa does not qualify for a temporary residence card. For a multi-year stay you move to the right pathway first: a work visa and permit for employment, or the investor (DT) visa if you contribute capital.
Yes. A DN visa must be sponsored by a Vietnamese entity with a valid Enterprise Registration Certificate. If you do not have a local company hosting you, Emerhub can act as the sponsor and file the approval.
For a short trip of up to 90 days the e-visa is simpler, since it is online and needs no sponsor. The DN visa suits a longer or ongoing engagement, or one where a Vietnamese company is formally hosting you, and it can run up to 12 months.
Yes. If you have no Vietnamese entity to host you, we can act as the sponsoring company, file the entry approval, and arrange the visa, so a missing local sponsor does not hold up the trip.
A free, no-obligation call: thirty minutes with our Vietnam team to confirm whether the DN business visa or the e-visa fits your engagement, walk through the sponsor side, and lay out the timeline.