🔄 Last updated: 11 July 2026
Have you actually looked at your visa?
Somewhere on that sticker or stamp are two to four letters: DL · EV · DN1 · LĐ2 · TT. Those letters decide how long you can stay, what you're allowed to do, and whether you can ever get a residence card.
Most foreigners in Vietnam don't know which code they're holding.
Here's the glossary.
Part 1 — The six pairs people confuse most
1️⃣ VISA ≠ TEMPORARY RESIDENCE CARD (TRC)
| Visa | Temporary Residence Card | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Permission to enter | A long-term residence document |
| Value | Lets you into Vietnam | Has the value of a visa |
| Duration | 30 days – 5 years by code | 2 – 10 years by code |
| Who gets one | Almost any foreigner | Only certain categories (E-Visa/DL don't qualify) |
2️⃣ VISA ≠ TEMPORARY RESIDENCE CERTIFICATION (the entry stamp)
The most dangerous confusion for anyone entering visa-free.
The temporary residence certification is the stamp put in your passport on entry, reading "Permitted to remain until…" — usually handwritten.
⚠️ The date on that stamp is the date you must leave Vietnam. Not the date on your visa. Not "45 days from today" as you remember it.
Photograph that stamp at the airport.
3️⃣ VISA RUN ≠ BORDER RUN
| VISA RUN | BORDER RUN | |
|---|---|---|
| Purpose | Exit to activate a new E-Visa | Exit to reset the visa-free stamp |
| What you get | A new visa (90-day E-Visa) | A new stay stamp (45 days) |
| For whom | Any nationality | Only visa-exempt nationalities |
| Preparation | You need the E-Visa before you go | Just a valid passport |
→ Visa Run · Border Run · Why it has so many names
4️⃣ EXTENSION ≠ NEW VISA ≠ CHANGE OF PURPOSE
Three different things — and this is where nearly everyone goes wrong.
- EXTENSION OF STAY — lengthening your stay while the visa is still valid. Requires a sponsor.
- NEW VISA — the old visa expired → apply for a completely new one. Usually means exiting.
- CHANGE OF PURPOSE — switching from one symbol code to another without leaving the country.
🔑 What almost nobody knows: a visa cannot be changed to another purpose, except in 4 cases under Law 51/2019 — and one of those four is: entering on an electronic visa (E-Visa) and holding a work permit, or a confirmation of exemption from the work permit requirement.
In other words: an E-Visa cannot be extended — but with a work permit, it can be converted. This is exactly why online sources contradict each other about "can an E-Visa be extended".
→ 6 misconceptions about visa extension
5️⃣ SUSPENSION OF EXIT ≠ FORCED EXIT ≠ DEPORTATION
- Suspension of exit → you cannot LEAVE Vietnam
- Forced exit → re-entry ban of 6 months
- Deportation → re-entry ban of 3 years
→ The 9 grounds for refusal of entry
6️⃣ RESIDENCE DECLARATION ≠ RESIDENCE CARD
- Temporary residence declaration — your landlord tells the police where you're living, within 12 hours. Free.
- Temporary residence card — a long-term document with the value of a visa. Fee around USD 145–155.
And a valid declaration is one of the conditions for getting the card.
🔔 Which code are you holding — and how many days are left?
Knowing the code is one thing. Knowing the expiry date is what saves you from a fine.
👉 Turn on free visa expiry reminders with Visa Tracker — works for E-Visas, sticker visas, visa-free stamps and residence cards. Free, no account needed.
Part 2 — 📖 The visa symbol glossary
Under Article 8 of the Law on Entry, Exit, Transit and Residence of Foreigners in Vietnam (Law 47/2014/QH13, amended 2019).
🎒 The codes most foreigners actually meet
| Code | Issued to | Max duration |
|---|---|---|
| EV | Electronic visa (E-Visa) — any nationality, applied for online | 90 days |
| DL | Tourism | 3 months |
| DN1 | Working with a Vietnamese enterprise or legal entity | 12 months |
| DN2 | Coming to offer services, establish a commercial presence | 12 months |
| TT | Family visit — spouse/child under 18 of a holder of LV1, LV2, LS, ĐT1–ĐT3, NN1, NN2, DH, PV1, LĐ1, LĐ2; or parent/spouse/child of a Vietnamese citizen | 12 months |
| VR | Visiting relatives or other purposes | 6 months |
| HN | Attending a conference or seminar | 3 months |
| DH | Study or internship | 12 months |
💼 Employment
| Code | Issued to | Max duration |
|---|---|---|
| LĐ1 | Working in Vietnam, confirmed NOT to require a work permit | 2 years |
| LĐ2 | Working in Vietnam, requiring a work permit | 2 years |
💰 Investment — banded by capital contribution
| Code | Capital contribution | Max duration |
|---|---|---|
| ĐT1 | VND 100 billion or more, or investment in a preferential sector/area | 5 years |
| ĐT2 | VND 50 to under 100 billion, or an encouraged sector | 5 years |
| ĐT3 | VND 3 to under 50 billion | 3 years |
| ĐT4 | Under VND 3 billion | 12 months |
🏢 Organisations, professions, press
| Code | Issued to | Max duration |
|---|---|---|
| LS | Foreign lawyers practising in Vietnam | 5 years |
| NN1 | Head of a representative office/project of an international organisation or NGO | 12 months |
| NN2 | Head of a representative office or branch of a foreign trader | 12 months |
| NN3 | Working with an NGO or foreign representative office | 12 months |
| PV1 | Resident correspondent in Vietnam | 12 months |
| PV2 | Journalist on a short assignment | 12 months |
| LV1 / LV2 | Working with Party and State agencies | 12 months |
| NG1 – NG4 | Diplomatic — high-level guests, diplomatic and consular missions | 12 months |
| SQ | Cases under Article 17(3) of the Law | 30 days |
🆕 New from 1 July 2026
| Code | Issued to | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| UĐ1 | Digital technology talent (amended Immigration Law, in force 1 July 2026) | up to 5 years |
| UĐ2 | Family members of a UĐ1 holder | up to 5 years |
→ The amended Immigration Law from 1 July 2026
Part 3 — 🪪 Residence card codes and durations
A residence card carries the same code as the visa you entered on (except NG3).
| Card code | Max duration |
|---|---|
| ĐT1 | 10 years |
| NG3 · LV1 · LV2 · LS · ĐT2 · DH | 5 years |
| NN1 · NN2 · ĐT3 · TT | 3 years |
| LĐ1 · LĐ2 · PV1 | 2 years |
Two rules to memorise:
- A residence card is always at least 30 days shorter than your passport
- A residence card cannot be extended — when it expires you apply for a NEW card, assessed from scratch
⚠️ Note what's missing: EV and DL. Which means: entering on an E-Visa or a tourist visa does NOT qualify you for a residence card.
Part 4 — 📌 Documents & border terminology
| Term | What it means |
|---|---|
| Temporary residence certification | The "Permitted to remain until…" stamp — your actual date to leave Vietnam |
| NA5 | The form for visa issuance / extension of stay |
| NA17 | The temporary residence declaration form for foreigners |
| Diplomatic note | A document from your consular mission — needed if you lose your passport |
| Emergency travel document | Temporary document issued by your embassy to get you home |
| Digital arrival card (QR) | Filed at prearrival.immigration.gov.vn within 72 hours of arrival. Free. Does NOT replace a visa. |
| Single / Multiple entry | One entry / several entries during the validity period |
| Immigration Department | Ministry of Public Security (Hanoi: 44–46 Tran Phu · HCMC: 333–335–337 Nguyen Trai) |
| Provincial Immigration Division | The provincial/city police immigration office |
🔑 The golden rule of the E-Visa: you must enter through the checkpoint you declared. You may exit through any checkpoint. → Choosing a land border crossing
Part 5 — ⚠️ Common misconceptions
❌ "An E-Visa and a sticker visa have different legal weight." → FALSE. An E-Visa has equivalent legal value to a sticker visa. The differences are how it's issued, and that an E-Visa binds you to the declared entry checkpoint.
❌ "My visa says 90 days, so I get 90 days from the day I arrive." → FALSE. The period runs by the dates printed on the visa (from … until …), not from your actual arrival. Arrive late, lose days.
❌ "I'm on a DL visa, I'll get a residence card later." → YOU CAN'T. DL and EV are not on the list of codes eligible for a residence card.
❌ "The code is just paperwork, it doesn't matter." → FALSE. The code determines your duration, your right to work, and your eligibility for a residence card. Acting outside the purpose of your code can draw a fine of VND 20–25 million.
❌ "A temporary residence card is the same as permanent residence." → FALSE. Permanent residence is a separate, far more demanding status under Articles 39–43 of the Law.
❌ "When the residence card expires, I'll extend it." → FALSE. A residence card cannot be extended. You apply for a new card.
Part 6 — 🗂 Look it up by your situation
| If you're… | Read this |
|---|---|
| Worried about overstaying | Overstay fines under Decree 282/2025 |
| Planning a 3–6 month stay | Staying 3–6 months legally |
| Thinking about extending | 6 misconceptions about extension |
| Aiming for long-term residence | The Temporary Residence Card |
| Just moved into a rental | Temporary residence declaration |
| Preparing an overland visa run | Choosing a crossing |
| Missing a passport | The 3-step process |
| Bringing children or family | Do kids need their own visa? |
| Afraid of an entry ban | The 9 grounds & 3 levels |
| Refused an E-Visa | The 7 common errors |
| Registering for VNeID | VNeID for foreigners |
Services: E-Visa · Visa Run · Border Run · Fast Track · eSIM Free tools: Visa Tracker · Advisor
Sources
- Law on Entry, Exit, Transit and Residence of Foreigners in Vietnam (Law 47/2014/QH13) — Art. 8 (visa symbols), Art. 9 (visa durations), Art. 31 (temporary residence certification), Arts. 36–38 (residence cards)
- Law 51/2019/QH14 — amendments, including the rules on changing a visa's purpose
- Law 23/2023/QH15 — electronic visas of up to 90 days
- Amended Immigration Law (in force 1 July 2026) — new UĐ1, UĐ2 visas
- Vietnam Immigration Department — Ministry of Public Security:
evisa.gov.vn
Note: This article is informational and compiled at the time of the last update. The durations above are the statutory MAXIMUMS — the period actually granted is decided case by case by the competent authorities. Issuance of visas, residence cards and changes of purpose all rest with the immigration authorities. ViEntry is a technology platform connecting users with independent service operators; ViEntry is not an immigration authority and does not provide legal advice.
Not sure which code you're holding? Telegram @vientry_support · WhatsApp +84 963 091 001 · Hotline 0963 091 001
