Vietnam’s July 2026 preferential visas: who the new UĐ categories cover
Understand the UĐ1 and UĐ2 visa categories effective in July 2026, their specialist scope and why ordinary leisure trips need a separate entry basis.
Cat Ba Connect3 min read
The short answer
Law 118/2025/QH15 took effect on 1 July 2026 and introduced UĐ1 and UĐ2 visa categories. The Ministry of Public Security describes UĐ1 as covering qualifying high-quality digital-industry personnel and other legally preferential cases, with UĐ2 for their spouses and children under 18. These are specialised categories, not an automatic long-stay tourist entitlement. Visitors should identify their actual eligibility and sponsoring procedure before changing a holiday into a work or family-residence plan.
Locate the change in the legal timeline
The government legal database records Law 118/2025/QH15 as issued on 10 December 2025 and effective on 1 July 2026. The ministry’s explanation followed on 17 August 2026. Read those dates separately: enactment, commencement and a public explanation can fall months apart. A headline using the word new does not tell you which date controls a proposed application, and it does not mean every previous visa category disappeared when the amendment commenced.
Identify the principal and dependent categories
The ministry distinguishes a principal category, UĐ1, from UĐ2 for the principal holder’s spouse and children under 18. That relationship matters when an employer discusses relocating a whole household: one person’s qualifying role is not a general entitlement for unrelated companions. Ask the responsible organisation to identify the legal category proposed for each family member and the evidence supporting it before buying tickets based on a general recruitment presentation or an informal message.
Read maximum durations as ceilings
The ministry reports visa terms of no more than five years for these categories and temporary residence cards of no more than ten years for UĐ1 and UĐ2. A statutory maximum does not promise that every applicant will receive that duration. Keep the proposed visa, a later residence-card application and any employment-related permission distinct when comparing an offer. Ask what document will actually be issued first, by which authority, and with what stated expiry.
Keep a leisure visit on its own lawful basis
A traveller coming for a museum holiday or a family sightseeing trip should continue checking the entry permission appropriate to that purpose and passport. Do not select a preferential category merely because it appears to offer a longer stay. If a trip combines meetings, possible employment and tourism, explain the actual activities to the inviting organisation and Vietnamese authorities. A category label chosen for convenience cannot substitute for eligibility or establish the right to work.
Prepare questions before committing to relocation
A useful enquiry specifies nationality, passport type, the proposed professional role, family relationships and intended dates. Request the formal application route and the current supporting-document list rather than asking only whether a five-year visa exists. Keep a short visit and a future relocation as separate decisions until the appropriate permission is clear. This avoids interpreting a genuine 2026 legal change as a blanket promise that any remote worker or accompanying friend can enter under it.
Questions travellers ask
Does UĐ1 automatically cover every remote worker?
No. The ministry describes defined preferential groups; a remote-working arrangement alone does not establish eligibility.
Are five years guaranteed?
No. The stated duration is a maximum, subject to the category and the document actually granted.
