Vietnam

Vietnam has one of Asia’s fastest-growing economies, with a manufacturing boom, an expanding technology sector and active real estate markets in Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi.

It offers no golden visa or citizenship by investment program, and the investor visas that do exist deliver considerably less than the established routes available to Vietnamese nationals abroad.

Vietnam Golden Visa

Vietnam does not offer a golden visa or citizenship by investment program comparable to those in other countries. Vietnam’s Tourism Advisory Board has submitted a proposal to the Prime Minister calling for long-term options, including a ten-year investor visa and a five-year talent visa, but nothing has been enacted and no thresholds have been published.

Vietnam Investor Visa

The DT visa is granted to foreign nationals establishing or investing in a Vietnamese business, with validity running from twelve months to five years according to the capital committed. Holders can apply for a Temporary Residence Card, though the visa leads to residence rather than citizenship.

Vietnamese naturalisation is rarely granted to foreign investors. It requires five years of continuous residence, Vietnamese language ability and, in most cases, renunciation of the applicant’s existing nationality.

Investment Migration From Vietnam

Vietnam consistently ranks among the top countries in Asia by the number of citizens participating in investment migration programs, and the established programs deliver a materially different outcome.

The Caribbean programs grant citizenship in four to eight months with no requirement to relocate. Grenada ranks 63rd on the Index, reaching 179 destinations, 59.6% of world GDP and 79.4% of global travel, and holds an E-2 treaty with the United States allowing citizens to apply for a US investor visa.

Antigua And Barbuda sits 65th with 186 destinations and covers a spouse, children and dependent parents on a single application. St Kitts And Nevis reaches 191 destinations, the widest count of any Caribbean citizenship.

For investors taking a longer view, the Portugal Golden Visa requires a qualifying fund investment from €500,000 and asks for only seven days a year in the country, with permanent residence available after five years.

The Portuguese passport ranks 15th on the Index, reaching 214 destinations, 99.4% of world GDP and 99.6% of global travel. The EB-5 program in the United States, Canada and Australia remain popular routes for Vietnamese investors seeking permanent residence.

Our Passport Value Report models what each option adds on top of the passport you already hold, so you can compare the incremental gain rather than the headline cost.

Vietnam Passport Strength And Ranking

Vietnam ranks 139th of 199 on the La Vida Passport Value Index. The Vietnamese passport reaches 106 of the world’s 227 destinations without a prior visa, representing 15.2% of world GDP and 25.9% of global travel measured by international visitor arrivals.

Economic access at 15.2% is the constraint that matters most for business travellers, and Vietnamese nationals require advance visas for the United States, the United Kingdom, the Schengen Area, China and Japan. That gap is why demand for a second passport among Vietnamese families has grown so consistently.

Citizenship and Residency by Investment Programs

See below a selection of countries offering residency and citizenship investment programs.

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