LD Work Visa (LD1 Exempt / LD2 With Work Permit) for Vietnam (2026 guide)
Vietnam's primary work visa for employed foreigners, issued for up to 2 years and covering both work-permit-exempt roles and those requiring a MOLISA work permit. Every number below comes from the route itself: the income bar, the documents, the fees, the clock. Check yourself against the real requirements before you commit to Vietnam, so the consulate is a formality instead of a surprise.
The LD Work Visa (LD1 Exempt / LD2 With Work Permit), in numbers
What Vietnam actually asks of you on this route. If a fact is not confirmed in the Nomad knowledge graph, it is not shown here.
- Renewable
- Yes
- Renewable up to
- 2 years total
- Family can come
- Yes
- Remote work for a foreign employer
- Not allowed
- Tax treatment
- LD holders are Vietnamese tax residents from day 1 of employment if expected to stay 183+ days. Vietnamese-source employment income is taxable at progressive rates 5 to 35 percent. Worldwide income taxed for residents.
The 9 documents your application stands on
Applications rarely fail on eligibility. They fail on one missing paper, discovered at the appointment. Gather these before you book anything and the filing week goes quiet.
- Passport 6mo Validity
- Vietnam Work Permit
- Vietnam Work Permit Exemption Certificate
- Sponsor Letter Vietnamese Employer
- Health Certificate Vietnamese Hospital
- Criminal Background Check
- Hague Apostille Or Consularization
- Application Form NA5
- Recent Color Photo Vietnam
How this route fits your move
A visa is not a decision on its own. It sets your move date, the documents you chase first, and in some cases where your taxes land. The facts above tell you whether the LD Work Visa (LD1 Exempt / LD2 With Work Permit) clears your situation on paper. What they cannot tell you is the order: which document to start first because it expires, when to book the appointment, what has to be apostilled before it crosses a border.
That sequencing is where moves stall. If this route fits, work backward from your target date. If the income bar or the document list rules it out, compare the other Vietnam routes below before you rule out the country, because most destinations have more than one way in.
Other ways into Vietnam
- 5-Year Visa Exemption Certificate (Vk)
- DH Student Visa
- DT1 Investor Visa (Major Investor)
- DT2 Investor Visa (Mid-Tier Investor)
- DT3 Investor Visa (Standard Mid-Range)
- DT4 Investor Visa (Small Investor)
- E-Visa (Electronic Visa)
- HN Marriage/Family Visit Visa
- LV1 and LV2 Council/Government Working Partner Visa
- Vietnamese Naturalization (Citizenship by Residence)
- Permanent Residence Card (PRC / Thuong Tru)
- Temporary Residence Card (TRC)
- TT Family Visa (Dependent of Foreign Visa Holder)
- Visa Exemption (Visa-Free Entry)
The LD Work Visa (LD1 Exempt / LD2 With Work Permit), answered
- How long does the LD Work Visa (LD1 Exempt / LD2 With Work Permit) last?
- The initial grant runs 2 years. It is renewable for up to 2 years in total.
- Can my family come with me on the LD Work Visa (LD1 Exempt / LD2 With Work Permit)?
- Yes, this route allows dependents.
- What does the LD Work Visa (LD1 Exempt / LD2 With Work Permit) cost?
- The application fee is $100. All in, expect about $1,500 once supporting documents and filings are counted.
Turn the LD Work Visa (LD1 Exempt / LD2 With Work Permit) into a dated plan.
Start a plan and this route becomes dated tasks: each document sequenced backward from your move date, alongside the taxes, the logistics, and everything else Vietnam will ask of you. About 90 seconds to a real plan.
Free to start. No card required for the plan preview.
Not immigration, tax, or legal advice. Always confirm requirements with the official source before you file.