Vietnam's New 5-Year UĐ1 Visa for Tech Talent, and UĐ2 for the Family (2026)
Since 1 July 2026 Vietnamese immigration law has two new visa symbols built for people in technology: UĐ1 for the worker and UĐ2 for the family, both up to five years. Here is what the law says, what it does not say yet, and where to check.
Quick answer: Since 1 July 2026, Law 118/2025/QH15 has added two visa symbols to Vietnam's law on foreigners: UĐ1 for foreigners who are high-quality digital technology industry personnel, or who are entitled to preferential treatment under National Assembly laws and resolutions, and UĐ2 for their spouse and children under 18. Both visas run for up to five years, and temporary residence cards for these categories can run up to ten. It is a sponsored talent route, not a remote-work visa, and the detailed criteria sit in implementing rules.
Key takeaways
- Two new symbols, effective 1 July 2026. Law 118/2025/QH15, passed on 10 December 2025, amended ten security and order laws, including the Law on Entry, Exit, Transit and Residence of Foreigners.
- UĐ1 for the worker, UĐ2 for the family. UĐ2 covers the UĐ1 holder's spouse and children under 18.
- Up to 5 years on the visa, up to 10 on the card. The amended law caps UĐ1 and UĐ2 visas at five years and their temporary residence cards at ten.
- The tech law sits behind it. The Law on Digital Technology Industry (71/2025/QH15), in force since 1 January 2026, promises five-year renewable residence cards for foreign high-quality digital technology personnel, matching cards for family, and income tax preferences under tax law.
- Not a digital nomad visa. It rests on qualifying as high-quality talent under the implementing rules, typically with an employer or institution behind the application.
Which network you get, and what it really costs
In Vietnam the Fizen eSIM roams on Viettel Mobile (4G). Vietnam is sold inside the Asia plan, which covers 18 countries. At 128 kbps you can still send messages and load map tiles, but not hold a video call.
| Plan | Days | Price | Per day | Per GB | After the high-speed data |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 GB | 3 | US$10.09 | US$3.36 | US$10.09 | slows to 128 kbps |
| 5 GB | 7 | US$17.19 | US$2.46 | US$3.44 | slows to 128 kbps |
| 5 GB | 15 | US$17.20 | US$1.15 | US$3.44 | slows to 128 kbps |
| 5 GB | 30 | US$18.22 | US$0.61 | US$3.64 | slows to 128 kbps |
| 10 GB | 7 | US$23.30 | US$3.33 | US$2.33 | slows to 128 kbps |
| 10 GB | 15 | US$24.32 | US$1.62 | US$2.43 | slows to 128 kbps |
| 10 GB | 30 | US$25.35 | US$0.85 | US$2.54 | slows to 128 kbps |
| 20 GB | 15 | US$38.58 | US$2.57 | US$1.93 | slows to 128 kbps |
| 20 GB | 30 | US$39.62 | US$1.32 | US$1.98 | slows to 128 kbps |
| 50 GB | 30 | US$79.32 | US$2.64 | US$1.59 | slows to 128 kbps |
Prices and carrier read from the Fizen catalogue on 12 November 2026. Data only, no calls or SMS.
Prices are before the welcome credit. A new user who opens the eSIM tab in the Fizen app for the first time gets US$10 of eSIM credit automatically, with no code, valid for 12 months. The app shows how much of it comes off your order. Paying by card on the web works too, but the credit only applies in the app.
For years the honest description of Vietnam was: one of the best places in Asia to work in tech, and one of the more awkward on paper. Renewals, short validity, and a family whose papers ran on a different clock from yours.
On 1 July 2026 that changed for one group of people. Two new visa symbols, UĐ1 and UĐ2, now exist in Vietnamese immigration law. Here is what they are, read carefully, with the official sources to check.
What are the UĐ1 and UĐ2 visas?
- UĐ1 is issued to foreigners who are high-quality digital technology industry personnel, and to those entitled to preferential treatment under laws and resolutions of the National Assembly or its Standing Committee.
- UĐ2 is issued to the spouse and children under 18 of a UĐ1 holder.
- Duration: both visas run for up to five years, the same ceiling as the investor (ĐT1, ĐT2) and lawyer (LS) visas.
The legal basis is Law 118/2025/QH15, which amends provisions of ten laws on security and order, including the Law on Entry, Exit, Transit and Residence of Foreigners in Vietnam. Provincial police published a summary of the changes taking effect on 1 July 2026, and VnExpress reported the two new visas in January 2026.
How long can you stay on a residence card?
Longer than the visa. According to an analysis in the State Management Review (Tạp chí Quản lý nhà nước, August 2026), the amended Article 38 allows temporary residence cards with the symbols ĐT1, UĐ1 and UĐ2 to run for up to ten years.
Separately, the Law on Digital Technology Industry, passed on 14 June 2025 and in force since 1 January 2026, says foreign high-quality digital technology personnel receive a five-year temporary residence card, renewable, with matching validity for their spouse and children under 18, plus help with schooling and job-search procedures for the family. How the five-year card under the tech law and the ten-year ceiling under the immigration law work together is a question for the implementing documents and the immigration office handling your case.
| What | Detail | Where it comes from |
|---|---|---|
| UĐ1 visa | High-quality digital tech personnel and preferential cases, up to 5 years | Law 118/2025/QH15, from 1 July 2026 |
| UĐ2 visa | Spouse and children under 18 of a UĐ1 holder, up to 5 years | Law 118/2025/QH15, from 1 July 2026 |
| Residence card (UĐ1, UĐ2) | Up to 10 years | Law 118/2025/QH15, amended Article 38 |
| Residence card under the tech law | 5 years, renewable, matching cards for family | Law 71/2025/QH15, from 1 January 2026 |
| Income tax | Preferences under personal income tax law | Law 71/2025/QH15 |
Who is UĐ1 really for?
It is a talent route. The application rests on meeting the definition of high-quality digital technology personnel, with the detailed criteria set in implementing rules, or on a preferential-treatment decision. In practice that points to engineers joining Vietnamese companies, specialists relocating with regional employers, semiconductor and AI researchers, and people covered by a National Assembly resolution. It is not a self-declared remote-work visa: if you freelance for clients abroad with no Vietnamese sponsor, read the implementing rules before assuming you qualify.
The detail that makes it different is UĐ2. Long visas for skilled workers are common in the region; long visas that bring the spouse and children on matching terms are not. For families weighing Ho Chi Minh City against Singapore or Kuala Lumpur, that is the part that matters.
Where should you check before applying?
- The official portal: evisa.gov.vn, run by the Immigration Department, is the only place to apply for an e-visa and the first place changes appear.
- The law text: the Government Gazette (congbao.chinhphu.vn) publishes the full text of both laws.
- Your employer or sponsor: the UĐ1 application stands on them, and they will know the current implementing documents.
- A local immigration adviser: offices apply new categories at different speeds in their first year.
What helps in your first week in Vietnam?
Two things bite before any residence card does. The first is data: install a travel eSIM before you fly so the ride app, the maps and the messages work from the airport, and keep your home SIM on for bank codes. Fizen eSIMs cover 150+ countries, paid by card via Stripe or with USDT on Solana or BNB Chain in the app, and new users find a US$10 eSIM credit waiting in the eSIM tab.
The second is paying at counters that only show a VietQR code, before your Vietnamese bank account is open. Foreigners can use Fizen QR Pay: deposit USDT on Solana or BNB Chain from your own Fizen wallet into QR Pay, then scan VietQR, VNPay, MoMo and ZaloPay codes of Vietnamese account holders. Limits are US$800 per payment and US$1,000 per week, so it suits cafes and shops, not rent. It is for foreign nationals only; Vietnamese family members cannot use it in Vietnam. Steps: the QR Pay getting started guide.
Frequently asked questions
What are Vietnam's UĐ1 and UĐ2 visas?
Two visa symbols added from 1 July 2026. UĐ1 is for foreigners who are high-quality digital technology industry personnel or entitled to preferential treatment under National Assembly laws and resolutions. UĐ2 is for their spouse and children under 18. Both run up to five years.
Which law created the UĐ1 and UĐ2 visas?
Law 118/2025/QH15, passed on 10 December 2025, which amends ten laws on security and order, including the Law on Entry, Exit, Transit and Residence of Foreigners. It took effect on 1 July 2026.
How long is the residence card for UĐ1 holders?
The amended immigration law allows UĐ1 and UĐ2 temporary residence cards of up to ten years. The Law on Digital Technology Industry separately provides five-year renewable cards for foreign high-quality digital tech personnel.
Can digital nomads get a UĐ1 visa?
Not by default. UĐ1 is for people who meet the high-quality digital technology personnel criteria or a preferential-treatment decision, usually with an employer or institution behind the application.
Is there a tax break for foreign tech workers in Vietnam?
The Law on Digital Technology Industry says high-quality personnel receive personal income tax preferences under tax law. The exact relief depends on the tax rules and your case; ask a Vietnamese tax adviser.
Where can I check Vietnam's visa rules officially?
On evisa.gov.vn, the Immigration Department's portal, and in the full law texts in the Government Gazette at congbao.chinhphu.vn.
Land connected, pay the QR codes
Travel eSIM in 150+ countries, and for foreigners in Vietnam, QR Pay for VietQR, VNPay, MoMo and ZaloPay codes, funded with USDT on Solana or BNB Chain from your own Fizen wallet. Up to US$800 per payment and US$1,000 per week. And a new Fizen programme: a US$10 eSIM credit waiting in the eSIM tab of the app for new users, taken off the bill automatically at checkout (up to 30% of each plan), no code.
Terms and conditions
- Information only. This article is information only, not an offer or sale, and not legal, immigration, financial or tax advice. It summarises Vietnamese legislation as reported up to 2 November 2026. Criteria and procedures depend on implementing documents, your nationality, sponsor and circumstances. Verify on evisa.gov.vn and take qualified Vietnamese advice before acting.
- For readers in the United States. This is information only, not an offer or sale, and not advice. Fizen products and services are not offered to US Persons.
- QR Pay availability. QR Pay is for cross-border use by travellers and foreigners in Vietnam and the Philippines only, and is not available to residents of those countries in their own country. It is funded only with USDT on Solana or BNB Chain, with no bank link or card; USDT on another network, or another token, cannot be deposited. In Vietnam it pays QR codes of Vietnamese account holders only. KYC, KYT, AML and sanctions checks apply. Use of QR Pay is governed by the Fizen QR Pay Terms.
- eSIM. Travel eSIM plans are data-only. Your phone must be eSIM-capable and carrier-unlocked. The US$10 eSIM credit is for new users in the app's eSIM tab only, applied automatically at checkout up to 30% of each plan.
Sources
- VnExpress International, Vietnam to have 2 new visas for digital technology professionals (15 January 2026)
- Nghe An Provincial Police, new entry and exit rules effective 1 July 2026 (Law 118/2025/QH15)
- Tạp chí Quản lý nhà nước, new points in the law on foreigners' entry and residence (4 August 2026)
- Can Tho legal information portal, attracting high-quality digital technology personnel (Law 71/2025/QH15)
- Fizen Docs, QR Pay getting started
Legal position checked on 2 November 2026 against the sources listed. QR Pay rules checked against Fizen product information on 2 November 2026.
