Vietnam has become a popular base for remote workers, but its immigration rules were not written with them in mind. There is no digital nomad visa, and the questions clients bring us are always the same: which visa to use, whether working online for a foreign employer is allowed, when tax becomes due, and how to rent and bank safely. This guide answers them as Vietnamese law stands today.
There is no digital nomad visa — yet
Entry and stay are governed by the Law on Entry, Exit, Transit and Residence of Foreigners in Vietnam (Law No. 47/2014/QH13, amended in 2019 and 2023). The law has no category for people who live in Vietnam while working for clients or employers abroad, and proposals for long-stay or "golden" visas have not become law. Remote workers therefore rely on the ordinary options:
- Visa exemption. Nationals of countries covered by Vietnam's unilateral exemption may stay up to 45 days per entry; bilateral agreements set other periods.
- E-visa. Since 15 August 2023 the e-visa is available to all nationalities for up to 90 days, single or multiple entry, applied for online.
- A sponsored visa. Business (DN), investor (ĐT) or employment (LĐ) visas require a Vietnamese sponsor and a genuine purpose.
An extension of stay under Law 47/2014 generally requires a sponsoring agency, organisation or individual in Vietnam. A tourist with no sponsor should plan to leave before the permitted stay ends rather than count on an extension. Overstaying is penalised under Decree No. 282/2025/ND-CP, and serious cases can lead to deportation and a re-entry ban.
Is working online from Vietnam legal?
This is a genuine grey area, and it is better to understand it than to rely on what others are doing. Two rules apply.
First, work permits. The Labour Code 2019 and Decree No. 219/2025/ND-CP require a work permit (or a certificate of exemption) for foreigners working in Vietnam under specified forms — a labour contract with a Vietnamese employer, an intra-company transfer to a presence in Vietnam, performance of contracts or services in Vietnam, and so on. A person employed by a foreign company that has no entity or project in Vietnam, and who serves only foreign clients, does not fit neatly into those forms, and in practice no work permit is issued for that situation.
Second, visa purpose. A foreigner must act in line with the purpose stated on the visa. A tourist (DL) visa is for tourism; the law does not say that answering emails from a laptop is tourism, but it does not say it is work for a Vietnamese party either. The risk rises sharply as soon as the activity touches Vietnam: invoicing Vietnamese clients, teaching classes, working at a Vietnamese company's office, or running a local business. Those activities need the correct visa and, usually, a work permit or an enterprise of your own.
Our practical view: purely foreign remote work on a tourist status is tolerated in practice but not expressly authorised; anything with a Vietnamese counterparty should be structured properly from day one.
Tax: the 183-day line
Tax residence does not depend on your visa. Under Vietnam's personal income tax rules, an individual present in Vietnam for 183 days or more in a calendar year or in twelve consecutive months from arrival — or who has a registered residence or a rented home for the required period — is a tax resident, taxable on worldwide income. A nomad who stays most of the year may therefore owe Vietnamese tax on a salary paid abroad, subject to any double taxation agreement between Vietnam and the home country.
Below that threshold, income for work physically performed in Vietnam can still be regarded as Vietnamese-source income. In practice, nomads who stay long term should obtain a tax residence certificate from their home country, keep entry and exit records, and take advice before crossing 183 days. The new Law on Personal Income Tax (No. 109/2025/QH15), in force from 1 July 2026, changes rates and deductions but not the basic residence concept.
Where you sleep must be declared
Every foreigner staying overnight must be declared to the local police by the place of accommodation — hotel, homestay, serviced apartment or private landlord, including short-term rental hosts. Since the July 2025 local government reform this is done with the commune- or ward-level police. Many private hosts skip it. The foreigner then has no proof of address, which causes problems at banks, at immigration and at police checks. Ask for the declaration each time you move.
Renting a home
Under the Housing Law 2023, a residential lease must be in writing but does not have to be notarised unless the parties choose to. Before paying a deposit, check the landlord's certificate of ownership (or the owner's authorisation if you are dealing with an agent or a sublessor), state the deposit, notice period and conditions for its return, and record the condition of the apartment with photographs. Disputes over deposits are the most common problem foreign tenants bring us; a clear clause and a signed handover record settle most of them.
Banking and receiving money
Foreigners can open a Vietnamese bank account with a passport bearing a valid visa or stay permission; the account and card are generally tied to the remaining period of lawful stay, so a short e-visa means short-lived banking. Large or regular inflows from abroad will raise questions about their source, and banks increasingly ask for documents. Keep your foreign employment contract or client invoices to hand.
Insurance, health and driving
Vietnam's social and health insurance schemes cover employees of Vietnamese employers, not foreign remote workers. Private international health insurance is therefore essential; check that it covers motorbike accidents. To drive legally you need an international driving permit issued under the 1968 Vienna Convention together with your national licence, valid for the vehicle class — a car licence does not cover a motorbike.
When to set up properly
If you plan to stay for years, or start working with Vietnamese clients, it is usually better to set up a structure: employment with a Vietnamese entity and a work permit, or your own company. Under the Law on Investment No. 143/2025/QH15 (in force since 1 March 2026), a foreign investor that meets market access conditions may establish an enterprise before having an investment project, which simplifies the start; an investor visa and temporary residence card then follow from the investment.
Quick Q&A
Does Vietnam have a digital nomad visa?
No. As of 2026 there is no visa category for remote workers. Most use visa exemption where available or the e-visa of up to 90 days, single or multiple entry.
Do I need a work permit to work online for a foreign employer while in Vietnam?
Work permits under Decree 219/2025/ND-CP cover work for Vietnamese employers and other specified forms in Vietnam; purely foreign remote work does not fit those forms and is a grey area. Anything involving a Vietnamese employer or client needs the correct visa and normally a work permit.
When does a digital nomad become a Vietnamese tax resident?
When present in Vietnam for 183 days or more in a calendar year or in twelve consecutive months, or when having a registered residence or rented home for the required period. Residents are taxed on worldwide income, subject to double taxation agreements.
Must my Airbnb host declare my stay?
Yes. Every place of accommodation, including private and short-term rental hosts, must declare foreign guests to the local police. Ask for it each time you move.
Note: This article summarises rules in force at the time of publication and is for general reference only; it is not a legal opinion on any specific matter. Legislation may be amended — please check the latest text or consult a lawyer before acting.