Good news for travelers looking to spend an extended time in Vietnam soaking up the energy of Ho Chi Minh City‘s frenetic streets, reveling in Hanoi’s astounding cafés and food stalls, and sailing amid Ha Long Bay’s green-tinged islets: the nation has launched the first phase of its new “golden visa program.”
The three-part visa initiative was first announced in spring 2025 as part of a larger directive from Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh. The administration hopes that easing visa policies will help grow tourism in Vietnam to 23 million visits per year (from 17.5 million international tourist arrivals in 2024).
So-called golden visas typically allow travelers to live and work in a country for an extended period of time in exchange for investing in the nation’s economy. Countries like New Zealand, Botswana, and Malaysia have recently announced programs like these with investment requirements ranging from $75,000 to over $500,000.
However, Vietnam’s program looks a little different. The multi-part “golden visa” package contains three distinct visa categories: a general golden visa valid for 5-10 years, an investor visa valid for up to 10 years, and a special visa exemption card for skilled professionals, colloquially referred to as a “talent visa,” which is valid for 5 years.
The first and only one of these categories to have launched so far is the five-year talent visa exemption, which officially debuted in August 2025.
The talent visa is essentially a multiple-entry visa aimed toward attracting top professionals in specific fields. And although Vietnam’s government has lumped its new talent visa into the government’s broader “golden visa” program, it’s actually closer to a digital nomad visa in design. Whereas golden visas typically operate under residence-by-investment schemes, digital nomad visas seek to draw already skilled workers to help strengthen a nation’s economy for a set period of time.
However, experts say that the second visa to launch under Vietnam’s plan will likely be the 10-year investor visa, which is currently under government review. That golden visa will allow recipients to apply for permanent residency in Vietnam after five years. According to global residence and citizenship advisory firm Henley & Partners, the second visa option will likely launch sometime after 2026.
Here’s what travelers should know about Vietnam’s new golden visa categories before applying.
This story has been updated with new information since its original publish date.
Who can apply for Vietnam’s new talent visa?
Vietnam’s new multiple-entry visa for skilled professionals was approved in summer 2025. Its aim is to attract highly skilled and creative workers at the top of their fields, according to the government of Vietnam. The policy is officially called Decree No. 221/2025/NĐ-CP, and it went into effect on August 15, 2025.
