Changing visa purpose in Vietnam: when you can switch to a work, investor or family visa

Many foreigners come to Vietnam as tourists or to explore the market, then receive a job offer or decide to invest in a company. The first question is whether the visa can be changed in Vietnam or whether they must go home and apply again. The answer depends on Article 7(4) of the Law on Entry, Exit, Transit and Residence of Foreigners in Vietnam, added by Law 51/2019/QH14.

The rule: visas cannot change purpose

Each visa matches one purpose of entry. The Law says a visa cannot change purpose, except in four cases:

• You have documents proving you are an investor or the representative of a foreign organisation investing in Vietnam under Vietnamese law.
• You have documents proving you are the parent, spouse or child of the individual inviting or sponsoring you.
• An agency or organisation invites or sponsors you to work and you have a work permit or a confirmation of exemption from a work permit.
• You entered on an e-visa and you have a work permit or a confirmation of exemption from a work permit.

From an e-visa to a work visa

This is the most common case. Someone who entered on an e-visa can switch once they hold a work permit or exemption confirmation. The catch is timing: a work permit needs documents from abroad, a health check, a criminal record certificate and the authority's processing time. An e-visa lasts up to 90 days, so if you only start preparing once you are in Vietnam, the permit is often not ready before the e-visa expires.

Once the permit is issued, the sponsoring employer requests an LĐ2 visa (or LĐ1 with an exemption confirmation), followed by a temporary residence card.

From a tourist or business visa to a work visa

Holders of a DL or DN visa must fit the third case: sponsored to work by an organisation in Vietnam and already holding a work permit or exemption confirmation. Without the permit the visa cannot be changed, even if the contract is signed.

Switching to an investor visa

Someone who has contributed capital to a company in Vietnam and can prove investor status (for example an enterprise or investment registration certificate showing their name and capital) can request an ĐT visa according to the capital level. At VND 3 billion or more, the next step is an ĐT1, ĐT2 or ĐT3 residence card.

Switching to a family visa

Spouses and children of foreigners residing on work or investment grounds, or parents, spouses and children of Vietnamese citizens, can switch to a TT visa if they prove the relationship with the person sponsoring them. Marriage and birth certificates issued abroad need an Apostille or consular legalisation depending on the country, then a certified translation.

If you entered visa-free

Visa-exempt visitors have no visa to convert. For citizens of countries Vietnam has unilaterally exempted, the Law grants a 45-day stay and says they may be considered for a visa or an extension of stay. A new visa for a different purpose still has to meet that visa's conditions and needs a sponsor. For other visa exemptions, ask first, because handling depends on the case.

How it is done

• The sponsor (the company, or a family member for a family visa) files a request for a new visa with the foreigner's passport at the immigration authority.
• Attach proof that one of the four cases applies: work permit, exemption confirmation, investment documents or proof of family relationship.
• Under the Law, the immigration authority considers the visa within 5 working days of receiving a complete file.
• Once you hold the right visa, apply for a temporary residence card if your category qualifies.

If you do not qualify

If none of the four cases applies, the safe route is to leave before your permitted stay ends, wait for the company to finish the entry approval or work permit, and come back on the right visa. Do not stay on and wait: overstaying even by one day is penalised and recorded.

Frequently asked questions

I have signed a contract but have no work permit yet. Can I change my visa? Not yet. The condition is a work permit or exemption confirmation, not a contract.

Do I have to leave Vietnam to change visa purpose? No, if one of the four cases applies and the file is accepted. Your passport is submitted with the file, so you cannot travel while it is processed.

Gateway checks your current visa, its expiry date and your work permit progress to decide between switching in Vietnam and leaving to reapply, before you risk overstaying.