MAIVN Consulting logo
← Back to all resources
Relocation

Moving to Vietnam from Germany, Austria or Switzerland (2026): Requirements

Updated on October 15, 2026·13 min read

German citizens can enter Vietnam without a visa for up to 45 days (Resolution 44/NQ-CP, 15 March 2025 to 14 March 2028). Anyone who wants to stay longer needs a reason for residence that Vietnamese law recognises: work, investment, family ties to Vietnamese citizens or study. The law does not name a general emigrant or retiree visa. This guide sets out entry, the residence card, documents and first steps as of 15 October 2026. It is not legal or tax advice.

Entry: 45 days without a visa

Article 1 of Resolution 44/NQ-CP exempts citizens of Germany, France, Italy, Spain, the United Kingdom, Russia, Japan, South Korea, Denmark, Sweden, Norway and Finland from the visa requirement for 45 days from entry. Passport type and purpose of entry do not matter. Under Article 2, the rule applies from 15 March 2025 to 14 March 2028 and is being reviewed for extension.

The usual entry conditions apply. The passport must be valid for at least six months (Law 47/2014/QH13, Art. 20(1)(a)). The Auswärtiges Amt (German Federal Foreign Office) adds: the national identity card is not enough, and for visa-free entry a printout of the return or onward flight ticket must be shown.

What the exemption does not allow:

  • Working. The resolution covers only the visa. Work permits and exemption certificates are governed by Decree 219/2025/NĐ-CP (Art. 1).
  • Staying. The stay ends after 45 days. Longer stays need a visa and, for long-term residence, a residence card. The Auswärtiges Amt notes that the penalties for overstaying were raised on 15 December 2025.
  • Residence through repeated entries and exits. The embassy in Berlin states that the 45 days start again at each entry. Entry can still be refused (Art. 21; the embassy states this as well). In our assessment, this pattern is not suitable as a basis for residence.

E-visa: The electronic visa is valid for up to 90 days (Law 47/2014/QH13, Art. 9(2)). According to the Auswärtiges Amt, it is valid for multiple entries but can only be used through certain airports. An extension is at the discretion of the authorities and is only possible with a follow-up visa from a sponsor.

Austria and Switzerland

Austria is not on the country list of Resolution 44/NQ-CP. The Austrian Foreign Ministry states that a visa is required and mentions the e-visa for up to 90 days (status of 15 October 2026). The passport must be valid for at least one month longer than the visa.

Switzerland: Resolution 229/NQ-CP (Art. 1 and 2) exempts Swiss citizens only for tourist trips, for 45 days, from 15 August 2025 to 14 August 2028. It does not apply to a move or to work. Check entry with the Vietnamese mission.

Routes to a longer stay

The visa types are listed in Art. 8 of Law 47/2014/QH13 (consolidated text 62/VBHN-VPQH). Residence cards (thẻ tạm trú) are governed by Art. 36 to 38. Law 118/2025/QH15 amended the text as of 1 July 2026. New are the UĐ1 and UĐ2 visas for highly qualified specialists in the digital technology sector, for other cases given priority by law or parliamentary resolution, and for their spouses and children (Art. 8 No. 22 and 23).

Work (employees, teachers). The employer applies for the work permit under Decree 219/2025/NĐ-CP. The decree distinguishes managers, executives, experts and technicians (Art. 3). Experts generally need a university degree and two years of relevant experience; in priority areas one year is enough. For teachers, Art. 19(3) refers to the qualification rules of education law.

The application includes, among other things, a health certificate (no more than 12 months old) and a criminal record certificate (no more than 6 months old) (Art. 18). The authority decides within 10 working days of a complete application (Art. 22(3)). The permit is valid for 2 years at most (Art. 21) and can be extended once by up to 2 years (Art. 29). Art. 7 lists exceptions, for example for members of a limited liability company with a capital contribution of 3 billion VND or more.

The work visa LĐ1 or LĐ2 (up to 2 years, Art. 9(5)) and the residence card follow. Anyone who holds a work permit and entered on an e-visa may change the purpose of the visa within the country (Law 47/2014, Art. 7(4)(d)).

Investors and founders. The investor visas ĐT1 to ĐT4 depend on the capital contribution (Art. 8 No. 7a to 7d): ĐT1 from 100 billion VND or in priority sectors, ĐT2 from 50 to under 100 billion, ĐT3 from 3 to under 50 billion, ĐT4 below that. For ĐT4, Art. 36 provides no residence card. See also our guide Starting a business in Vietnam.

Family of Vietnamese citizens or of employees. The TT visa is intended for spouses and children under 18 of foreigners who hold a work, investor (ĐT1 to ĐT3) or student visa. It also applies to parents, spouses and children of Vietnamese citizens (Art. 8 No. 18). For foreign spouses and children of Vietnamese citizens, the law also provides a visa exemption under a government regulation (Art. 12(5)). Check the details with the immigration authority.

Retirement. Art. 8 contains no separate visa category for retirees. According to the text of the law, anyone who neither works nor invests nor is related to Vietnamese citizens has no standard route to a residence card. Clarify your options in advance with the Vietnamese embassy.

Study and internships go through the DH visa (Art. 8 No. 12).

Duration of the residence card (Art. 36 to 38)

Visa and card type Maximum card duration
ĐT1, UĐ1, UĐ2 10 years
ĐT2, DH, LV1, LV2, LS 5 years
ĐT3, TT, NN1, NN2 3 years
LĐ1, LĐ2, PV1 2 years

The card is issued for a term at least 30 days shorter than the remaining validity of the passport (Art. 38(1)). Unlimited settlement (Art. 39 to 41) is an exceptional case. Anyone sponsored by a parent, spouse or child with Vietnamese citizenship who lives permanently in Vietnam (Art. 39(3)) needs, under Art. 40, at least three years of continuous residence, legal accommodation and a stable income.

Documents: legalisation instead of apostille

Vietnam has acceded to the Hague Apostille Convention (accession on 31 December 2025, entry into force for Vietnam on 11 September 2026). However, Germany (20 May 2026) and Austria (19 June 2026) have raised an objection under Art. 12(2) of the Convention. The HCCH list shows no objection for Switzerland.

For Germans and Austrians, this means the Convention does not apply in relation to Vietnam. Documents still need consular legalisation (Decree 293/2026/NĐ-CP, Art. 5(3)(b) and (4); in force since 11 September 2026). Decree 219/2025/NĐ-CP requires legalisation and a certified Vietnamese translation for foreign documents in the work permit application (Art. 5). For Swiss documents, the apostille is provided for under Decree 293/2026 (Art. 25(2)). Clarify the procedure in advance.

How it works in Germany (embassy in Berlin):

  1. Pre-authentication by the competent German body: depending on the document, for example a state authority, the Landgericht (regional court, for notarial documents) or, for criminal record certificates, the Bundesamt für Justiz (Federal Office of Justice).
  2. Legalisation by the Vietnamese embassy in Berlin, with an application form, a copy of your ID, the pre-authenticated original with a copy, and the fee. The embassy states a processing time of 1 to 2 working days.

The embassy points out that machine-issued criminal record certificates are not legalised because they carry no signature. Clarify the form beforehand with the embassy and the Bundesamt für Justiz. Plan for the time limits: the criminal record certificate may be no more than 6 months old at the time of application, and the health certificate no more than 12 months.

Arriving and living

Registering your accommodation. Foreigners are registered with the police through the person who runs the accommodation (Law 47/2014, Art. 33(1)). Under Circular 87/2026/TT-BCA (since 24 July 2026), electronic registration takes place immediately on arrival. The paper form NA17 must reach the commune police within 12 hours, or within 24 hours in remote areas. Details are in our guide Renting a home in Vietnam as a foreigner.

Bank account. What banks require is covered in our guide Opening a bank account in Vietnam.

Health insurance. Foreigners with an employment contract of at least 12 months with an employer in Vietnam are subject to compulsory social insurance (Law 41/2024/QH15, Art. 2(2)) and compulsory health insurance (Law 51/2024/QH15, Art. 1 No. 10). Exceptions apply, among others, to intra-company transfers and to people of retirement age when the contract is concluded. If none of this applies to you, check your status with the social insurance authority. In practice: many newcomers also take out private international health insurance. The Auswärtiges Amt strongly recommends travel health insurance with repatriation cover and describes medical care outside the big cities as limited.

Tax residence. Under Art. 2(2) of Personal Income Tax Law 109/2025/QH15, a person is resident if they spend 183 days or more in Vietnam in a calendar year or in 12 consecutive months from the first day of presence, or if they have a habitual residence there (registered permanent residence or a home rented for a fixed term). Residents are taxed on income in Vietnam and abroad (Art. 2(1)). The law applies from 1 July 2026, and to the salaries of residents from the 2026 tax year (Art. 29). For the classification of your case, contact a tax adviser.

Driving. Road Traffic Law 36/2024/QH15 recognises international driving permits under the 1968 Vienna Convention, together with the national driving licence (Art. 57(6)(b) and (8)). The Auswärtiges Amt requires the international driving permit in addition to the German licence and notes that class B is not enough for scooters above 50 cm³. We have not verified whether and when you need a Vietnamese driving licence if you live in Vietnam. Ask the local traffic authority.

On the German side

  • Abmeldung (deregistration at the residents' registration office). Anyone who moves out and does not take a new home in Germany deregisters at the Einwohnermeldeamt within two weeks after moving out. Deregistration is possible one week before moving out at the earliest (Bundesmeldegesetz [Federal Registration Act] § 17(2)).
  • Statutory health insurance. The entitlement to benefits is in principle suspended during a stay abroad, unless provided otherwise (§ 16(1) No. 1 SGB V [Fifth Book of the Social Code]). Clarify with your Krankenkasse (health insurance fund) how your membership continues.
  • Pension. Vietnam is not on the list of the 21 states with a social security agreement with the Deutsche Rentenversicherung (German Pension Insurance, DRV). For such states, according to the DRV, "there may be further restrictions". Transfers to foreign accounts are possible almost worldwide. Report the move to the Renten Service der Deutschen Post (the Deutsche Post pension service) at the latest two months beforehand. Ask the DRV before you leave.
  • Tax. A person with a home or habitual abode in Germany is subject to unlimited tax liability here (§ 1(1) EStG [Income Tax Act]; § 8 AO [Fiscal Code]). Clarify with the Finanzamt (tax office) whether a double taxation agreement applies.
  • Auswärtiges Amt. Read the travel and safety advice for Vietnam. Register on the Krisenvorsorgeliste ELEFAND (crisis-preparedness list). Registration is voluntary and also applies to people who live abroad permanently.

Austria and Switzerland: The rules on registration, pensions and health insurance differ. Ask your municipality, the pension insurance body or compensation fund (Ausgleichskasse), and your health insurer.

Checklist (practical tips)

Before departure

  • Clarify the reason for residence: work, investment, family or study.
  • Check your passport: at least six months of remaining validity, better more.
  • Order documents early and have them legalised, keeping the 6-month and 12-month time limits in mind.
  • Take out travel health insurance with repatriation cover.
  • Get an international driving permit.
  • Complete the deregistration, health insurer, pension office (two months beforehand), tax office and ELEFAND.
  • Print the return flight ticket if you enter visa-free.

First 30 days

  • Have your accommodation registered and keep the confirmation.
  • Check the entry stamp. You must be able to identify yourself at any time with your passport and a valid stamp (Auswärtiges Amt).
  • Apply for a visa or residence card in good time, not on day 44.
  • Open a bank account.
  • Clarify insurance cover and doctors locally.
  • Choose a school or nursery.
  • Keep a copy of your passport and a copy of the entry stamp ready.

Where MAIVN can help

We support arrival planning, the home search, school options, information on healthcare and insurance, and orientation on the ground. Whether we support you on site in your city or remotely, we clarify with you in advance. We can also support with documents for the visa and work permit. Please request this separately. We do not give legal or tax advice and do not recommend insurance products. We cannot guarantee results.

You can find the packages under Relocation to Vietnam. We discuss terms in a personal conversation. Write to us through the contact page.

Status

Status: 15 October 2026. Law and administrative practice change. English translations on luatvietnam.vn are unofficial. Check important points with the Vietnamese embassy, the immigration authority or a local law firm.

Sources

All pages were opened on 15 October 2026.

Vietnamese law

Apostille and legalisation

Germany, Austria, Switzerland

Also opened, not cited: https://evisa.gov.vn (page loads only via script), https://www.vietnambotschaft.org/konsularische-informationen/ (link list only), https://www.eda.admin.ch/eda/de/home/laender-reise-information/vietnam/reisehinweise-vietnam.html and https://www.eda.admin.ch/eda/de/fdfa/laender-reiseinformationen/vietnam/reisehinweise-fuervietnam.html (both without information on entry), https://vnembassy-jp.org/vi/mi%E1%BB%85n-th%E1%BB%8B-th%E1%BB%B1c-nh%E1%BA%ADp-c%E1%BA%A3nh-vi%E1%BB%87t-nam-cho-c%C3%B4ng-d%C3%A2n-13-n%C6%B0%E1%BB%9Bc (outdated, Resolution 32/NQ-CP).

Related MAIVN service

See how we can help

Related resources

Market entryWhy You Should Locate Your Business in the Right Place in VietnamRead guide →Visa ServicesVietnam Work Permit 2026: Document ChecklistRead guide →Market entryVietnam Market Entry 2026 for Foreign BusinessesRead guide →

Planning a project in Vietnam?

Tell us what you want to do. We will help you identify the next practical steps.

Discuss your project
← Back to all resources