American entering Vietnam for business purposes have to apply Vietnam Business Visa (also known as a Vietnam DN Visa). Vietnamese Business Visa is a short-term visa, issued to American who will be working with a company in Vietnam, attending a meeting/negotiation, signing a contract, etc. but do not have a work permit.
Yes, American passport holders can work in Vietnam if they hold a Business Visa, as long as the duration of each entry does not exceed 90 days.
If American are going to be working for longer than three months, American should apply Vietnam Work Permit and temporary resident card.
In order to apply Vietnamese business visa, American need to prepare these below documents:
a/ American passport, which has at least six months’ validity.
b/ Passport-size picture(s) with the following specifications:
c/ If American apply Vietnamese business visa at an Embassy/Consulate:
d/ If American apply Vietnamese Business Visa On Arrival:
American can apply Vietnamese Business Visa through one of the following ways:
3.1/ Getting Vietnam Business Visa at an Embassy/Consulate in United States of America
If American want to apply Vietnamese Business Visa, American have to approach the nearest Vietnam Embassy or Consulate. There is a Vietnam embassy in Washington and a Vietnam consulate in Houston or San Francisco or New York, which all American and foreigners can come to submit visa application.
The application process when American apply Vietnamese business visa at an Embassy/Consulate is:
a/ The sponsor company in Vietnam applies for a Letter of Sponsorship or Letter of Entry Clearance from the Immigration Services in Vietnam after American send them the following information:
b/ The application for Letter of Sponsorship/Letter of Entry Clearance takes about 7 days to process for American. After it is issued, the sponsor in Vietnam will send to American applicant email.
c/ American submit the application for a Vietnamese Business Visa along with the Letter of Sponsorship/Letter of Entry Clearance at the Embassy or Consulate.
3.2 Getting Vietnamese Business Visa On Arrival for American
Applying for a Vietnamese Business Visa On Arrival is a faster and easier option than applying at an Embassy. However, American can only get a visa on arrival at one of the following ports of entry:
To apply Vietnamese Business Visa On Arrival, American first have to get a Letter of Approval from the Vietnamese Immigration Department. American can get the Letter of Approval online, by contacting one of the private travel agencies or companies that are authorized by the Immigration Department to request Letters of Approval on behalf of the applicants.
Once American have Letter of Approval, American can travel to Vietnam, where American have to line up at the visa-issuing counters at the airport and wait to get business visa stamped on passport.
3.3/ Getting a Vietnam Business E-Visa online for American
American citizenship is able to get Vietnamese Business E-Visa online, through the Vietnam E-visa Portal. However, the validity of Vietnam e-Visa is only 30 days for a single-entry. If American want to stay longer, American will have to apply Business Visa through one of the other two options.
Steps to apply Vietnamese business E-visa for American:
American businessmen can apply directly by access the Vietnam e-visa application website and fill out all required information:
After finishing visa application form, visa for American will be process. It takes 3 working days to process E-visa and the visa PDF result will be sent to email registered in application form.
Vietnamese Business Visas for American can be issued for 1 month, 3 months and for single, or multiple entries.
For a longer working trip to Vietnam, American need to ask the sponsor company in Vietnam to apply work permit and then getting temporary resident card. Vietnam work permit and temporary resident card for American are both valid for 2 years. It is used as long term visa for American in Vietnam.
American can apply to extend Vietnamese Business Visa at the nearest Immigration Office in Vietnam. American will need a letter of invitation or sponsorship from the inviting company. American can also ask the local visa agent in Vietnam to handle visa extension to simplify the process.
Vietnam business visa for American can be extended up to 3 months.
In brief, American can apply Vietnamese business visa for a short business trip to Vietnam, while American should apply work permit to work long term in Vietnam. American can apply business visa at Vietnam embassy or consulate in United States of America or apply E-visa online or apply visa on arrival at the airport. For more information about Vietnam business visa for American, please contact us through email info@vietnamimmigration.com
