Does Vietnam's e-visa cover all visit purposes including work?
Vietnam e-visa is for tourism + permitted business activities only — NOT work. Working requires a Work Permit + Temporary Residence Card; e-visa work attempts trigger deportation + ban.
The truth
Vietnam's e-visa system (expanded August 2023 to most nationalities — ~80+ countries) provides 90-day single or multiple-entry electronic visas at USD $25 / $50. Eligible purposes: tourism, family visits, business meetings (not productive work), conferences, exploratory market research, intra-company training, attending trade fairs. NOT eligible: paid work for Vietnamese employers, productive employment, delivery of paid services to Vietnamese clients, journalism (separate Press Card required), missionary or religious activity, education / study (separate visa needed). Working in Vietnam requires: (1) Work Permit (Giấy phép lao động) issued by DOLISA (provincial Department of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs) — employer-sponsored, requires demonstration of need + Vietnamese-citizen recruitment effort; (2) LB visa (Working visa) issued after Work Permit; (3) Temporary Residence Card (Thẻ tạm trú) for stays beyond 90 days, validity 2-5 years. Exemptions from Work Permit: senior managers of companies established in Vietnam, intra-company transfers for 30 days or less, marriage to Vietnamese citizens, owners of Vietnam-registered companies. Working on e-visa is a violation of the Law on Foreigners' Entry, Exit + Transit (2014) — deportation + 3-year re-entry ban + fine ($300-3,500 USD typical).
Why this rumour persists
Vietnam's e-visa expansion + low cost makes it feel like a general-purpose entry — many travel + remote-work blogs incorrectly advise digital nomads to enter on e-visa + work for foreign employers, which is a grey area at best.
What to actually do
- Confirm your nationality is e-visa eligible — list updated periodically by Vietnamese Ministry of Public Security
- Use the official e-visa portal evisa.xuatnhapcanh.gov.vn — not third-party agencies that mark up the fee
- For paid work for Vietnamese employer, apply for Work Permit + LB visa BEFORE arrival — DOLISA processing 2-3 months
- Remote work for FOREIGN employers while on tourist e-visa is in a legal grey area — Vietnam has not formally legalised digital-nomad working
- For paid services to Vietnamese clients, register either as a Vietnamese-employed worker or as a Vietnam-registered company
- Working without Work Permit triggers deportation + ban — not worth the risk for short-term financial gain