# Got my DTV Visa (Remote Work) approved in HCMC, Vietnam.
I will share the full story (I was asked twice for additional documents), but first here are some short notes:
- Applied from Phu Quoc Island, Vietnam
- Used Revolut account (including Pockets)
- German Passport
- Remote work with a US LLC
Short Timeline:
Monday, November 10 – 10:11 am – submitted application
Wednesday, November 12 – 4:40 pm – requested further documents
Friday, November 14 – 11:45 am – submitted additional documents
Monday, November 17 – 3:30 pm – requested further documents
Monday, November 17 – 11:48 pm – submitted additional documents
Tuesday, November 18 – 10:11 am – visa approved ✅
Because not many people share this, and I was a bit confused at the beginning about these parts:
— Address information: You must first enter your current location address, then click “No” when asked if this is also your permanent address. After that, add the address where you live most of the time.
— Intended Date of Arrival: The date when you plan to enter Thailand.
— Intended Date of Departure: The date when you plan to leave Thailand (within 180 days).
— Last Port of Embarkation: The country you were in right before entering Thailand on your last entry.
— Flight number: If you have not booked a flight yet, just check Google Flights and enter a flight number.
⸻————————
And now, the full story:
Applied in HCMC, Vietnam (from Phu Quoc Island).
For everyone staying in Phu Quoc and confused that the district (Kien Giang) is listed for the Hanoi embassy: I called the Hanoi embassy, and they told me I can apply at both, but I should apply in HCMC. I think it’s better there, but Hanoi would also accept.
Applied as Business owner with a US LLC – income more than 80,000 USD / year.
Submitted documents (10th of November 2025):
—> Passport bio-data page
—> Photograph
—> Financial evidence:
(1) Self-written letter with an overview of my bank statements, including total balances on August 1, in between, and on November 7 (more than 500,000 THB). I added the euro amounts from personal and Pocket accounts and converted them to THB.
(2) Revolut bank statements (33 pages) with highlighted income payments. Most of the funds were in Pockets and only a small amount in my personal account. For those using Revolut: I explained in the letter on the first page that both are part of the same personal account—they are just separated in the statements.
—> Business:
(1) Cover letter + information about additional documents
(2) Business registration certificate (US LLC)
(3) Full portfolio (including an introduction about me, how I work, what I offer, tools I use, visual work examples, website links, pictures, sample pricing packages, client feedback)
(4) Cooperation agreement with one of my clients
(5) Four business invoices from 2024 and 2025
(6) Table with an overview of business income in 2025
(7) Proof of remote work letter
(8) Screenshots from my website
—> Current location
(1) Accommodation booking confirmation on Phu Quoc (two weeks via Agoda)
(2) Flight confirmation from Koh Samui, Thailand to Phu Quoc, Vietnam
(3) Boarding pass
(4) Vietnam entry stamp
(5) Photo of me with my passport in front of the hotel
To be honest, I thought I had already given more than enough, but after two days they asked for additional documents (12th of November 2025):
***Povide your income tax for the last 2 years.
***Provide more information about your experience in this field and details about your current work, including (1) your CV or portfolio and (2) examples of your work, along with any supporting materials demonstrating your experience and qualifications.
Submitted additional documents (14th of November 2025):
—> For income tax:
(1) Income tax return from 2023 from Germany (English certified translation + German original)
(2) Letter explaining that I was temporarily residing in Thailand in 2024 (stayed over 180 days) and paid taxes according to Thai rules (only money transferred to Thailand), and listing the attached documents
(3) Thai income tax declaration (Thai and English versions)
(4) Overview (Excel screenshot) of income in 2024
(5) Official business statements from Wise Business Account for 2 months in 2024 (to support the Excel data)
Explanation: The 2024 tax declaration does not show my full real income because I did not transfer everything into Thailand. To avoid further questions about my income in 2024, I proactively added the income overview and statements.
—> For business:
(1) Letter outlining professional background and experience
(2) CV listing all relevant periods since becoming self-employed / founding my company, to show the timeline and development
(3) Additional portfolio pages covering services I offer (again!), 2 detailed project examples (with screenshots, descriptions, results, project dates), client feedback (again!), screenshots and website links (again!)
I did not expect another request, but they asked again.
This time they asked for (17th of November 2025):
***Please provide evidence of all previous employment listed in your CV, including employment contracts from former companies, photos at previous workplaces, and any other relevant documentation.
***Document indicating current location (e.g., valid visa, receipts / proofs of payment for airline tickets or accommodation, etc.): Provide the full passport, including empty pages (TAKE A PHOTO, DO NOT SCAN). The date the photograph was taken is required.
***Please describe your journey entering the job market, including your starting salary and the steps you took to negotiate and reach your current salary level.
Documents I submitted (17th of November 2025):
—> For employment evidence:
(1) Letter explaining that I am not employed and cannot provide employment contracts. Everything listed in the CV is self-employment / business activity, and I added proof of my self-employed work since 2022.
(2) Another client cooperation agreement (client since 2022)
(3) Another business invoice (from 2022 – to show when I started; English + German)
(4) A photo of me working on my laptop in an apartment while traveling
—> For passport:
(1) Photos with timestamp and location (there is an app like “Timestamp Camera”) of all passport pages — do not forget the cover page and the last outer page!
—> For job journey:
(1) A letter describing how everything started, where I found clients, how my expertise grew, the natural progression of improving my services and increasing income, and where I stand today.
I submitted everything on November 17 late in the evening (just before midnight) and finally received approval on November 18 around 10 am. 🥳
Overall, it took about one week, which is okay.
If you have any questions, feel free to ask.
