Vietnam 5-year talent visa in 2026: the exemption card and the new UĐ1 visa

Both can run for up to five years. That is where the similarity ends. The exemption card goes to a narrow group of people Vietnam actively wants: executives of the world's largest companies, award-winning scientists, top athletes, content creators with a million followers. UĐ1 is a work visa for one industry, and you can't get it without a Vietnamese sponsor either. Below: who qualifies for what, how the application actually works, and what the realistic options are if neither fits. For the wider picture of long-term statuses, see our guide to long-term residence options in Vietnam.

Two programs, not one: the Decree 221 card and the UĐ1 visa

Vietnamese law has no term for "talent visa." The press uses it for two documents with different legal natures: a card that exempts you from needing a visa, and a new UĐ1 visa with a family companion, UĐ2.

The card is a visa-free entry right for a small group of people Vietnam wants to attract. UĐ1 is a work visa for people employed in the digital technology sector by a Vietnamese sponsor.

"Decree 221 took effect from 15 August 2025, granting time-limited visa exemption to seven (7) groups of individuals"EY Vietnam, August 2025

Law 118/2025/QH15 also added a UĐ1 temporary residence card symbol. The conditions for switching from the visa to the card, the document list, and the fees are left to implementing regulations. As of late September 2026 we could not find a published UĐ1 filing procedure from the Ministry of Public Security, so ask your sponsor for the current status.

Who can get the card: seven groups under Decree 221/2025

Article 2 of the decree lists seven groups of foreigners. The detailed criteria sit in Appendix I, and they are read literally: you either meet the wording or you don't.

Guests of Vietnam's leadership

Foreigners invited by the General Secretary, the President, the Chairman of the National Assembly, the Prime Minister, their deputies, ministers, provincial leaders, and several other senior officials. Without such an invitation, this route doesn't exist for a private individual.

Scholars, experts, professors, tech talent

Scholars, experts, scientists, university and research institute professors, chief engineers, and high-quality digital technology workers. Under Appendix I, a scientist needs prestigious international awards or publications in high-impact journals. Some expert subcategories also require citizenship of an OECD member country.

This is where passport matters. US, UK, Canadian, Australian, Japanese, Korean and most EU citizens are OECD nationals. Citizens of non-OECD countries are shut out of those specific subcategories unless they hold a second passport.

Investors and leaders of the largest companies

Investors and executives of corporations on the list of the world's 100 largest companies by market capitalization, as published annually by recognized international organizations. Your nationality doesn't matter here. Your position does.

Culture, arts, sports and tourism

People with a "positive influence on the public" in culture, arts, sports and tourism. For footballers the appendix names specific bars: top individual titles such as the Ballon d'Or or the Golden Boot, or a place on an annual list of the world's 100 best players.

Content creators fall here too, with a threshold of at least 1,000,000 followers on social media. The draft decree discussed in summer 2025 also mentioned a content plan for the stay, endorsement from the relevant Vietnamese authority, and no public statements that harm Vietnam's reputation.

Honorary consuls of Vietnam

Foreigners serving as honorary consuls of Vietnam abroad.

Guests of universities, research institutes and large enterprises

People invited by organizations on an approved list. The government compiles that list based on proposals from ministries.

Other cases

Any other case the Minister of Public Security approves on foreign policy or economic development grounds.

"Investors or leaders of top global corporations and enterprises must belong to the annual list of the 100 largest market-cap companies published by reputable international organizations; scientists in science and technology must have received recognized international awards"VietNamNet, August 2025

What the card gives you and what it doesn't

The card lets you enter Vietnam without a visa for as long as it's valid, up to five years. Each entry allows a stay of up to 90 days, or until the card expires if that comes sooner. Entries are unlimited.

The most common misunderstanding: people read "5 years" as "5 years of living there without leaving." The decree says 90 days per entry. Extending your stay or switching to a visa or residence card is possible, but under the general immigration law and on a separate basis. Fly in in January, leave in April, come back in May: that's what life on the card looks like.

"Each entry grants a temporary stay of up to 90 days, or equal to the card's remaining validity if shorter"VietNamNet, August 2025

If you want to live in Vietnam continuously and work, you need a different status: a work visa backed by a work permit, an investor visa with a residence card, or a marriage-based card. Compare them in our guides to long-term residence options in Vietnam and the Vietnam temporary residence card.

How to get the card: six steps

You can't file for the card yourself. The request goes to the Immigration Department (Cục Quản lý xuất nhập cảnh) from the Vietnamese side: a ministry, agency, Party or state body, or an organization on the approved list. Your job is to find that party and convince it you qualify.

1. Check your category. Hold yourself against Appendix I. For an executive, that means the company's rank by market cap. For a scientist, awards and publications. For a creator, the follower count on one specific platform. If you don't clear the bar, stop here.
2. Find the inviting party. The slowest step. A scientist needs a Vietnamese university or research institute with a collaboration program. An executive needs a government body or partner the company works with in Vietnam. A creator needs a culture or tourism authority or organization. No written request from them, no card.
3. Gather documents. A valid passport plus proof of your category. The inviting party sets the final list, since the decree puts the filing on them, not on you.
4. Translate and certify. Foreign documents are usually translated into Vietnamese. Vietnam joined the Hague Apostille Convention with effect from 11 September 2026, so documents from other member countries can now carry an apostille instead of consular legalization. Confirm with the inviting party which form it will accept.
5. Wait for the decision. Under the decree, the Immigration Department handles the request in 3 working days for guests of state leaders and 5 working days for investors and experts. A physical chip card takes up to 7 working days.
6. Receive the card. The electronic and physical versions have the same legal force. Validity runs from the date of issue.

You don't have to hire a lawyer, but many people do: the Vietnamese side deals with immigration in Vietnamese, and someone has to manage that. Law firms quote individually. The decree text doesn't set a government fee for the card itself, so ask about it when filing.

Documents and requirements

The package splits into general documents and category proof. Below is a guide based on the logic of Appendix I. The inviting party produces the final list.

Where applications trip up:

• Passport validity. The card can't outlast your passport minus 30 days. A passport that expires in two years gets you a card of about 23 months at most.
• Certification. Until September 2026 Vietnam required consular legalization. Apostilles now work, but during the transition it pays to confirm what the specific agency wants.
• Followers. The count is per account, not a total across platforms. That's how every summary of the decree we've seen reads it.

The content creator route

For someone without an OECD passport, a senior job at a top-100 company, or an Olympic medal, the creator category is the one that looks open. It's also the one people ask about most.

The 1,000,000 threshold is written into Appendix I. The decree doesn't say what share of those followers must be in Southeast Asia. We couldn't find the rumored "30% Asian audience" rule or any named bot-checking service in the text.

The point of the category is promoting Vietnam: culture, food, tourism, crafts. That's how the program was described in the draft. A general travel channel where Vietnam is one of fifty countries is a harder sell to a Vietnamese sponsor.

You still need an inviting party, usually a culture or tourism authority or organization. A million followers without one gets you nothing.

UĐ1 and UĐ2: the new visas from 1 July 2026

Law 118/2025/QH15 of 10 December 2025 amended Vietnam's law on the entry, exit and residence of foreigners and added two visa types. They took effect on 1 July 2026.

UĐ1 goes to high-quality digital technology workers (nhân lực công nghiệp công nghệ số chất lượng cao) and to other categories named by National Assembly laws or resolutions.

UĐ2 is for the spouse and children under 18 of a UĐ1 holder. This is the key difference from the Decree 221 card: your family comes with you.

Who counts as a "high-quality digital technology worker" is already settled. Decree 353/2025/NĐ-CP, in force since 1 January 2026, sets several routes. For a foreign employee of a tech company, average income from digital work over two years must reach 3 times GDP per capita of their home country for nationals of developed countries, or 5 times for everyone else. There are separate routes for recent graduates (within three years) of top-500 world universities, PhD-level faculty and researchers, and authors of Q1 journal publications.

How UĐ1 differs from the card

• UĐ1 is a visa; the card is a visa exemption. UĐ1 needs an employer, university or research institute as sponsor. The card needs a request from a government body or listed organization.
• UĐ1 is tied to work. The card on its own gives no right to work.
• UĐ2 covers the family. With the card, every family member enters on their own basis.

Who UĐ1 is not for

Freelancers and remote employees of foreign companies. UĐ1 requires a Vietnamese sponsor, so despite what some social posts claim, it isn't a digital nomad visa. English teachers aren't on the list either.

How it compares with other long-term options

The card and UĐ1 aren't the only ways to stay in Vietnam long term. Here are the main 2026 options side by side.

When the card beats an investor visa

• You fit an Appendix I category and have an inviting party
• You don't want to lock capital in a Vietnamese company
• You travel in and out for one to three months at a time
• You don't plan to take a job in Vietnam

When an investor visa beats the card

• You don't fit any card category
• You're ready to invest and actually run a business in Vietnam
• You need a residence card (DT3 and above) and want to live there without regular exits
• You plan to hire staff

About the Golden Visa

A "golden visa" was discussed in spring 2025, with press reports mentioning $250,000 for five years and $400,000 for ten. As of September 2026 we found no law or decree creating such a program, and no applications are open.

What's realistic for most foreigners

If you hold a US, UK, EU, Canadian or Australian passport, your odds are better than most: the OECD condition in some expert subcategories doesn't block you. The other bars stay just as high, though. Awards, publications, a top-100 employer or a seven-figure audience.

If neither the card nor UĐ1 fits, these are the proven routes:

• The 90-day multiple-entry e-visa for $50, plus a trip out every quarter. Most remote workers live this way. Details in our Vietnam visa guide, visa run routes and Vietnam digital nomad visa options.
• A DT4 investor visa with under 3 billion VND (~$115,000) invested. Up to a year of legal stay and the right to work in your own company.
• An LĐ work visa with a work permit through a Vietnamese employer. Permits run up to two years and can be renewed. See our Vietnam work permit guide.
• A marriage-based card if your spouse is a Vietnamese citizen, up to three years and renewable.

Common mistakes and scams

People lose money and time on the "talent visa" for two reasons: they misunderstand what the document is, and they trust unlicensed middlemen.

1. Treating the card as a visa. It exempts you from a visa, but it isn't a work right and doesn't replace a residence card.
2. Expecting five years without leaving. Each entry allows up to 90 days. Longer stays need a separate basis under the general rules.
3. Trying to apply yourself. It's impossible: the Vietnamese side files. An agent offering the card "without an invitation" is selling something that doesn't exist.
4. Forgetting passport validity. The card ends at least 30 days before your passport. For a full five-year card you need a passport valid for more than five years and a month.
5. Reading UĐ1 as a freelancer visa. Without a Vietnamese digital tech employer, university or institute as sponsor, you won't get it.
6. Adding up followers. The 1,000,000 threshold applies to one account, not a sum across platforms.
7. Mixing up UĐ1 and the Decree 221 card. They are separate documents on separate legal grounds, and some online articles blur them.
8. Treating the card as residency. Residence cards come through work, investment at DT3 level and above, or marriage.
9. Ignoring tax. The 183-day rule applies whatever your entry status. See the next section.
10. Using an unregistered "fixer." Legal services in Vietnam are provided by firms licensed by the Ministry of Justice (Bộ Tư pháp). Check the firm's registration and the lawyers on the Vietnam Bar Federation register.

Red flags when choosing an agent

A real law firm works under a contract, invoices in stages and doesn't promise an outcome that depends on a government decision.

Tax after 183 days

The card doesn't change the tax rules. If you spend 183 days or more in Vietnam in a calendar year, or in 12 consecutive months from arrival, you're a tax resident. Residents pay tax on worldwide income at progressive rates. Non-residents pay a flat 20% on Vietnam-source employment income.

From the 2026 tax period a new five-bracket scale applies under Law 109/2025/QH15:

The scale applies to taxable income after deductions, so your effective rate is always lower than the top marginal rate. Vietnam has double tax treaties with dozens of countries. Check whether your home country has one in force and how it credits tax paid in Vietnam. How remote workers usually handle this is covered in our freelancer tax guide.

For living costs on the ground, see Vietnam prices in 2026.

FAQ

Read next: Vietnam residence card · Vietnam work permit · Digital nomad in Vietnam · Visa runs from Vietnam

VietnamSpot on InstagramTips, lifehacks and news for living in VietnamFollow@vietnamspot