Ask question
This is NOT an official government website. We are an independent resource providing information and assistance to travelers.

What are the requirements and processing times for a 5-year DTV visa in Vietnam?

Mar 24, 2026
a month ago
Mark *****
ORIGINAL POSTER
I got approved for a 5 year DTV (workcation) at HCMC. I'm leaving this info to help anyone.

First off a big thanks to all the helpful people who gave me advice here!

I applied on March 6th, got approved on Mar 24th. I do freelance tutoring for international students looking to study in the USA/UK and have a different set up than other teachers here. I had to provide...

A demonstration on Zoom how I teach (screenshots of how I set up my lessons)

Two different bank accounts (3 months worth), one of them highlighted showing the cash in USD (foreign and my USA account)

My schedule, Zoom logs, correspondence with students/clients

My freelance profiles

My bank only releases a statement once a month, which I was worried about since I need to leave Vietnam by April 4th, but they accepted a web print off for March. The statement still hasn't been published for March by my bank and probably won't be till the 30th.

They came back to me twice asking for documents. The first time was the one which required a whole afternoon to assemble. The second time was just asking for corrections with my highlights (probably so it was clearer and easier to read since there was some overlaps in data) of my US bank statements.

This is a big relief for me since I thought I may not get it in time.

The consulate site says 4-5 business days for processing but it takes longer. I would budget minimum a month for this if you consider yourself clever enough to assemble all the documents (you merge them on ilovepdf).

There isn't really any reason to pay anyone to do this since you would be doing 85% of the work yourself gathering documents. The only reason to hire an agent is if you are so loaded that you care about the afternoon of work it will save you and concentration you need to give to it.

I used Claude AI to organize everything and assist me which was great, just check for typos and errors.
1,820
views
57
all likes
20
replies
8
users
TLDR : Answer Summary
The user shares their experience applying for a 5-year DTV (workcation) visa in Vietnam, detailing the application process, documentation needed, and processing times. They highlight the importance of timely document submission, the need for thorough preparation, and the use of AI tools for organization. The user emphasizes that applicants should expect delays beyond the consulate's stated processing time of 4-5 business days and offers advice on document requirements for freelance workers. Community comments reflect on visa application nuances and suggest further research on consular requirements.
DTV VISA RESOURCES / SERVICES
Johnny *****
People dont hire agents to do paperwork for them, they hire DTV agents to make up stuff and show that they are doing something genuinely when they arent.
Like
Reply
Mark *****
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Johnny ****
Yes that's what I figured
Like
Reply
Reply to
Mark *****
Reply
James ********
Thank You for your helpful report 👍

Congratulations 👏👏👏

PRINT OUT THE EMAIL THAT HAS YOUR DTV VISA.

That's what you should do... print it out.

You may have to show PROOF of your DTV Visa to airline staff on check-in for your flight ✈️ to Thailand...even to the connecting airline staff. Or to the land border crossing entry Thai Immigration Officer.

Upon arrival into Thailand, show the DTV visa to the Thai Immigration Officer and look at the STAMP placed in your passport to be sure you are STAMPED in for 180 days.
Like
Reply
Mark *****
ORIGINAL POSTER
@James *******
Thank you!!!
Like
Reply
James ********
@Mark ****
enjoy your next 5 years of the DTV visa 🤗
Like
Reply
Reply to
James ********
Reply
James ********
Like
Reply
James ********
Like
Reply
Reply to
James ********
Reply
Abis *******
Many people are applying from neighbouring Asian countries. Is this a requirement or i can apply from my own country directly?

As long as there is an embassy, it should be possible, right?
Like
Reply
Unforgettabl*************
@Abis ******
You have to apply to the embassy/consulate that has jurisdiction over where you physically are so if you’re in Cambodia you’d have to apply through the Embassy in Phnom Penh or if you’re in the UK you’d apply through the Embassy in London.
Like
Reply
Jeff *******
@Abis ******
why ask Mark? Make a post and get better answers. Better yet, peruse the posts and find out or ask Chatgpt
Like
Reply
Unforgettabl*************
@Jeff ******
I really wouldn’t recommend AI LLMs for nuance on visa applications as they can give you patently false information.
Like
Reply
Reply to
Unforgettabl*************
Reply
Mark *****
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Abis ******
I’m not sure. I think it depends on the exact country you apply from and your status there. They let people on a Vietnam tourist evisa apply in Vietnam. But I don’t know if that applies to all nationals/passports. You have to search for posts here made by people who were in the same situation you are in. They requests different documents around work as well depending on what you do.
Like
Reply
Reply to
Mark *****
Reply
Jeff *******
Hi, congratulations. After your application read pending approval, did they request anymore documents?
Like
Reply
Mark *****
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Jeff ******
I never saw it say pending approval. They asked me twice for stuff like I said after my initial application. I submitted the new highlighted statements at 2:30am today this afternoon I got the approval email. I emailed them questions twice and they not once wrote me back. They don’t answer DTV questions at the hcmc consulate via email.
Like
Reply
Reply to
Mark *****
Reply
Wannikea *********
Document requests reset the processing time clock
Like
Reply
Mark *****
ORIGINAL POSTER
Wannikea Wanbleethe first round of requests was the longest, maybe 8 business days. My initial application they replied in 3 business days.
Like
Reply
Jeff *******
Like
Reply
Wannikea *********
@Jeff ******
well that would account for the guy being surprised that it took longer than five business days
Like
Reply
Reply to
Wannikea *********
Reply
Alisa ************
Sounds like you didn’t need to go in for an interview?
Like
Reply
Mark *****
ORIGINAL POSTER
@Alisa ***********
No they didn’t ask. I applied online from DaNang
Like
Reply
Reply to
Mark *****
Reply
The ask:thailand community, consisting of multiple Q/A groups with over 100,000 members, powers this platform. It is not an official government resource. Our members actively contribute to this resource, and while we strive for accuracy, we cannot guarantee its complete reliability. Assistance to travelers is provided as a community service.