NN1 visa
For the head of a representative office or project of an international organization or foreign NGO.
- Visa valid up to 12 months
- Residence card up to 3 years
- Stay on the card, not a yearly visa
Foreign Organization Visa · Vietnam
NN Visa for Foreign Organizations in Vietnam
The NN visa is for the heads and staff of foreign NGOs, international organizations, and the representative offices and branches of foreign companies in Vietnam. Three types, NN1 to NN3, set by your role. Emerhub sets up the office and handles the visas.
Three types, NN1 to NN3Up to 12 monthsNN1 and NN2 card to 3 yearsSponsor required
Overview
What is the Vietnam NN visa?
The NN visa is issued to foreign nationals coming to work with a foreign organization established in Vietnam — an international organization or NGO, or the representative office or branch of a foreign company. It comes in three types, NN1 to NN3, set by your role, and runs up to 12 months. The organization in Vietnam sponsors the application.
It is tied to that organization and the work you do for it. The visa does not let you take up other employment, and it is separate from the diplomatic and official visas, the NG series, that cover government delegations.
NN1 and NN2 open the way to a residence card. Heads of organizations and offices, on NN1 or NN2, can hold a residence card valid up to three years, so they stay without renewing a visa each year. NN3 staff stay on the visa itself. The detail is in the types below.
The three types
NN1, NN2, and NN3 — which type of NN visa you need
All three run up to 12 months. Your role decides the type, and the type decides whether a residence card follows.
NN2 visa
For the head of a representative office or branch of a foreign company, or of another foreign economic, cultural, or professional body.
- Visa valid up to 12 months
- Residence card up to 3 years
- Family sponsorship on a TT visa
NN3 visa
For staff who come to work with those organizations, offices, or branches, with no residence card.
- Visa valid up to 12 months
- Single or multiple entry, as approved
- Renewed as the work continues
In practice, the people who run the office, NN1 and NN2, settle onto a residence card of up to three years and can sponsor their spouse and children. NN3 staff stay on the visa and renew it while they are working with the organization.
What you can do
What the NN visa allows in Vietnam
It is a working visa for your role at the organization that sponsors you.
Carry out your role at the organization, office, or branch
Business activity within the organization’s scope
Tourism and travel within Vietnam
Multiple entry, where the visa is issued for it
What it does not cover. The NN visa does not let you work for, or take income from, other companies or organizations, and it does not cover activity outside the sponsoring organization’s scope. Converting it to another visa type is generally not possible, so a change of purpose usually means a fresh application.
What to prepare
Documents required for the NN visa
The set is much the same across the three types, apart from the proof of your role.
- A passport valid for at least six months.
- An invitation and guarantee from the sponsoring organization, office, or branch in Vietnam.
- The organization’s license to operate in Vietnam, such as the NGO operating license or the representative office or branch license.
- For NN1 and NN2, proof that you head the organization, office, or branch. For NN3, confirmation that you work with it.
- A visa application form and passport photos.
We confirm the exact set for your type and prepare the organization’s side with you.
How Emerhub helps
How to apply for the Vietnam NN visa
An NN visa rests on the organization’s presence in Vietnam, so the process starts there, and we can set that up as well as the visas.
1
Establish the presence
The office, branch, or organization must be registered and licensed in Vietnam to sponsor you. Emerhub sets up representative offices and branches where you do not have one yet.
2
File the approval
The organization files the entry approval with the Immigration Department, naming you and the NN type for your role.
3
Collect the visa
With the approval letter, you have the visa stamped at a Vietnamese mission abroad or on arrival.
4
Apply for the residence card
On NN1 or NN2, we convert your visa to a residence card of up to three years, so you stay without renewing.
Setting up a foreign office in Vietnam?
Tell us about your organization and team, and we’ll set up the representative office or branch, sponsor the NN visas, and arrange the residence cards end to end.
Common questions
Vietnam NN visa FAQs
The questions foreign organizations and their teams ask most about the NN visa.
What is the NN visa?
It is Vietnam’s visa for foreign organizations, issued to the heads and staff of foreign NGOs, international organizations, and the representative offices and branches of foreign companies. It comes in three types, NN1 to NN3, by role, and runs up to 12 months.
NN1, NN2, or NN3, which applies?
NN1 is for the head of an international organization or NGO office or project. NN2 is for the head of a foreign company’s representative office or branch, or another foreign economic, cultural, or professional body. NN3 is for staff who work with any of these.
How long is the NN visa valid?
All three run up to 12 months. On NN1 and NN2 you can then hold a residence card valid up to three years, which removes the yearly renewal. NN3 stays on the visa and is renewed as needed.
Can I get a residence card on the NN visa?
On NN1 and NN2, yes, up to three years, and you can sponsor your spouse and children alongside it. NN3 does not qualify for a residence card, so staff stay on the visa.
Is the NN visa the same as a diplomatic or delegation visa?
No. Diplomatic and official visas are the NG series, for government missions and delegations. The NN visa is for foreign NGOs, international organizations, and foreign companies’ offices and branches, which are private or non-governmental.
Can I work for another company on the NN visa?
No. The NN visa is tied to the organization that sponsors you and the work you do for it. Other employment, or activity outside its scope, needs a different visa, and the NN visa generally cannot be converted to one.
Can Emerhub set up the office and handle the visas?
Yes. Where you do not yet have a presence in Vietnam, Emerhub registers the representative office or branch, then sponsors the NN visas and arranges the residence cards for your team end to end.
Setting up an office in Vietnam?
Talk to our Ho Chi Minh City team
A free, no-obligation call: thirty minutes with our Vietnam team to confirm the right NN type for each person on the team, walk through the office or branch setup, and lay out the timeline through to the residence cards.