Is there a Vietnam digital nomad visa yet? UD1, the talent card and the golden visa explained

No, Vietnam does not have a digital nomad visa in September 2026, and none of the three new schemes that headlines call one (the UD1 visa, the Decree 221/2025 talent card and the golden visa) is open to a remote worker paid from abroad. Most remote workers still use the 90 day e-visa or a 45 day exemption.

The confusion is understandable. Vietnam changed its visa system several times in 2025 and 2026, and two of the new schemes last five years. Below we take each one in turn, then list the routes that actually exist today.

Does Vietnam have a digital nomad visa?

Vietnam has no visa category for remote work, as of 26 September 2026. Its entry law lists visa types by purpose in Article 8, and none of them covers self sponsored remote work for a foreign employer, as ExpatDen's guide (updated 20 August 2026) sets out. Work visas (LD1 and LD2) need a Vietnamese employer. Investor visas (DT1 to DT4) need capital in a Vietnamese company. Business visas (DN1 and DN2) need a Vietnamese entity to work with.

So when a headline says "Vietnam digital nomad visa", it almost always means one of the three schemes below.

Is the UD1 visa a digital nomad visa?

No: UD1 is a visa for digital technology talent, not for freelancers or remote employees of foreign companies. VnExpress International reported on 14 January 2026 that Law No. 118/2025/QH15, which amends ten laws on security and order, creates two new visas from 1 July 2026:

1. UD1, for high quality digital technology professionals and others eligible for preferential treatment under the law.
2. UD2, for the spouse and children under 18 of a UD1 holder.

The visas last up to five years, and UD1 and UD2 temporary residence cards can last up to ten years (Ministry of Public Security). Asia Unmasked adds that processing is capped at three working days, and it is blunt about who UD1 is for: "The UD1 is not a digital nomad visa. It is not aimed at remote workers, freelancers, or self-employed professionals." Like other Vietnamese visas, it goes through an inviting agency or organisation in Vietnam. If you work for a company in Berlin from a cafe in Da Nang, UD1 was not written for you.

What is the Vietnam talent card under Decree 221/2025?

The talent card is a five year, multiple entry visa exemption card, but each stay is still capped at 90 days. The Government issued Decree 221/2025/ND-CP on 8 August 2025, in force from 15 August 2025, according to the decree text published by LuatVietnam. The card lasts up to five years and must expire at least 30 days before your passport. Each entry gives a 90 day temporary stay, or less if the card runs out sooner (VietNamNet, 11 August 2025).

Eligibility is by category and invitation, not by income. The decree lists guests of senior leaders, scholars, scientists and experts, investors and leaders of large companies, influential figures in culture, sports and tourism, honorary consuls, and guests of research institutes, universities and large enterprises. A written request from a competent authority is required. For a freelancer, that rules it out. And even for a holder, 90 days per entry is exactly what the ordinary e-visa gives.

Is the Vietnam golden visa available?

No: the golden visa is still a proposal with no decree and no application channel. The Tourism Advisory Board put a ten year visa idea to the Prime Minister in 2025, and as of April 2026 it had no decree number and no National Assembly schedule (Shareuhack golden visa guide). Anyone offering to "process" a Vietnam golden visa is selling something that does not exist. We track its status, and the investor visa that does exist, in Vietnam golden visa: no, it has not launched.

Can you work remotely in Vietnam on a tourist visa?

The law does not authorise it: a tourist e-visa or exemption does not grant permission to work, and remote work for a foreign employer sits in a grey area. ExpatDen describes the same position. Thousands of people do it, but no rule blesses it. Our answer on working remotely in Vietnam on a tourist visa covers what that grey area means in practice.

The work permit decree that took effect on 7 August 2025 (Decree 219/2025/ND-CP) did not change this. Vietnam Briefing reports that it exempts managers, executives, experts and technical workers who work in Vietnam under 90 days in total per calendar year from a work permit, provided the employer notifies the authorities three working days before they start. That is a clause for staff sent by an employer, not a nomad clause. The Sentry, a Vietnamese advisory firm, cites the penalty for working without a valid permit under the same decree: VND 15 to 25 million, plus deportation and a period of ineligibility to return.

What is the best visa for remote workers in Vietnam?

For most readers the best option is the 90 day multiple entry e-visa at USD 50. Here are the routes that exist on 26 September 2026:

The e-visa fees and the three working day processing time come from the Immigration Department's official portal. The exemption lists and dates come from the Embassy of Vietnam in Japan. The DT3 band comes from Vietnam Briefing. The e-visa cannot be extended inside Vietnam, so a longer stay means leaving and applying again, and frequent re-entries can draw questions at the border. Americans, Canadians and Australians are on neither exemption list. Run your passport through the visa check tool to see which rows apply to you.

What a year of 90 day cycles costs in flights and lost days is worked out in What a Year of Visa Runs from Da Nang Really Costs, and the comparison with Thailand's DTV is in Thailand DTV vs Vietnam e-visa: which works better for remote workers?.

When does a long stay make you a Vietnam tax resident?

You become a Vietnam tax resident after 183 days of presence in a calendar year or in any 12 consecutive months from arrival, or if you have a permanent residence there. PwC's Worldwide Tax Summaries (reviewed 23 September 2026) count a registered residence or a rented house with a definite lease term as a permanent residence. So a nomad who cycles e-visas correctly can still become tax resident through a long lease. The visa question and the tax question meet around month six; we cover the tax side in our post on Vietnam's 183 day rule.

What should you do while you wait?

Plan in 90 day blocks until a decree with a number says otherwise. In practice:

1. Check your passport in the visa check tool.
2. Apply for the e-visa only on the official portal, never through a reseller.
3. Count your days for tax, not just for immigration.
4. Treat any "digital nomad visa" headline as unconfirmed until it names a decree or law number.

If a real remote work visa appears, this page will change the same day.

Updated on 26 September 2026. Rules and prices change: confirm with the official source linked above before you act.