How to extend your Vietnam visa

Visa extension is an important procedure for foreigners staying in Vietnam. It is also a compulsory procedure to maintain legal residence and avoid any legal risks. This article provides the latest information on conditions, documents, procedures and important notes when applying for a visa extension in Vietnam!

What is visa extension?

Vietnam visa extension is an administrative process that allows foreigners who are temporarily residing in Vietnam to extend their legal stay without leaving the country or applying for a new visa. This procedure applies to many groups such as tourists, workers, investors, foreign students, interns, or family members who need additional time to complete their activities in Vietnam.

The extension period is specified based on the original entry purpose and current regulations (commonly 1, 3, 6, or 12 months) and will be stamped on your original passport.

When need visa extension

A visa extension is essential to avoid overstaying a Vietnam visa. However, not everyone needs a visa extension. You might need this procedure in the following situations:

You have business, work, investment activities, or study programs that require you to stay longer.
You want more time to visit relatives in Vietnam.
You have unexpected plans like health issues, personal emergencies, business negotiations, etc.

Risk of late visa extension

Visa extensions must be processed on time to maintain legal status and guarantee your safe residence during your stay in Vietnam. Overstaying is illegal and can lead to serious consequences, including:

Administrative fines: Foreigners who overstay their visa may be fined from VND 500,000 to VND 40,000,000, depending on the length of the overstay.
Compulsory exit: If the overstay is too long, the foreigner may be forced to exit the country as a decision of the Vietnamese immigration authority.
Banned from entering Vietnam: Serious overstay violations may cause a ban on entry for a period of time.
Difficulties in applying for a Vietnam visa in the future: A history of overstaying may result in many challenges in applying for or extending a Vietnam visa in the future. This highly affects personal plans or business in Vietnam.

What visa can be extended?

Common types of visas that are allowed to be extended when meeting legal conditions:

Business Visa (DN1, DN2): For foreigners doing business at a Vietnamese enterprise if they have a sponsor and continue legal activities.
Work Visa (LĐ1, LĐ2): For foreigners working in Vietnam if they have a Work Permit or Certificate of exemption from a Work Permit.
Investment Visa (ĐT1, ĐT2, ĐT3, ĐT4): For foreigners investing in a legal business if they have a certificate of capital contribution.
Visiting-relative Visa (TT, VR): For foreigners visiting relatives (spouse, children, parents of Vietnamese or foreigners with a Vietnam Temporary Residence Card) if they have valid relationship documents.
Study Visa (DH): For foreign students or interns having a valid course or training program.

Notes:

According to the latest regulations, Tourist visas (DL) and E-visas (EV) in Vietnam are usually not eligible for extension (except in rare cases approved by the Government).
Some special visas (such as NG, LV) can only be extended in exceptional cases and require approval from the government authorities.

Conditions

To extend a visa in Vietnam, visa holders must comply with the following conditions:

1- Holding a valid visa

If a visa has expired, foreigners must handle the overstaying violation before applying for an extension. Hence, check the visa validity carefully upon issuance and ensure to process visa extension when your current visa is still valid or just about to expire.

2- Having a valid reason to continue staying

With eligible visa types for extension, common valid reasons are:

Continue work, project or labor contract in Vietnam.
Extend the time for visiting relatives.
Continue to study at a Vietnamese institution.
Continue investing in a legal Vietnamese enterprise.
Other special cases, confirmed by the relevant authority.

3- Having valid documents

Upon the purpose of stay and the visa type, foreigners need to prepare full documents as required, such as:

Valid passport with at least 1 month of remaining validity beyond the extension date.
Work permit or certificate of work permit exemption (for work visas).
Guarantee letter from a sponsoring company or organization (for business visas).
Documents proving family relationship (for visiting relative visas).

4- Not violating residence regulations

To extend the stay in Vietnam, visa holders must:

Not violating Vietnamese law during the previous stay.
Not overstaying the visa.
Not subject to administrative or criminal sanctions related to public order and security.
Not subject to entry/exit ban/temporary suspension.

How to extend a Vietnam visa

Different visa types may require different documents and have different processes. Insufficient documents or incorrect procedures may result in the refusal of extension or a long processing time. Check out the documents and procedures for Vietnam visa extension below!

Documents

Valid passport: Original passport valid for at least 30 days from the date of extension and a copy of pages with personal information, visa, most recent entry stamp.
Visa extension form (NA5 form): All personal information and extension reason needed.
A copy of valid visa or temporary residence card.
Proof of local residence: Certificate of temporary residence issued by the local police in Vietnam.
Documents proving the purpose of extension:
- Work Visa (LĐ1, LĐ2): Work Permit or Certificate of exemption from a Work Permit.
- Business Visa (DN1, DN2): Guarantee letter from a sponsor enterprise/organization, valid labor contract.
- Investment Visa (ĐT1, ĐT2, ĐT3, ĐT4): Investment certificate or Certificate of capital contribution.
- Visiting-related Visa (TT, VR): Documents proving the family relationship (birth certificate, marriage certificate, etc.).
- Study Visa (DH): Guarantee letter from a Vietnamese institution.

Procedure

Step 1: Prepare documents
Make sure all documents required are valid and the information provided is accurate.
- Visa extension application (form NA5)
- Original passport
- Valid visa
- Supporting documents based on the purpose of stay
- Temporary residence confirmation
Step 2: Submit the documents
Foreigners can choose to submit documents to one of 2 places:
- Vietnam Immigration Department in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City or Da Nang.
- Provincial Immigration Department in the province where the foreigner is temporarily residing.
Note: Bring the original documents for verification if needed.
Step 3: Pay the extension fee
Foreigners pay the fee based on the extension period (1 month, 3 months...) as regulated.
Step 4: Wait for the review process
The review time is usually 5-7 working days. This process may take longer if the documents are invalid or inadequate. If you need an urgent extension, emergency visa extension service can be processed by a visa agency within a few hours to 1-2 working days.
Step 5: Receive the visa extension result
If the application is approved, foreigners receive an extension stamp on their passport. Double-check all the information on the new period of stay.

Processing time

Normally, if the application is complete and submitted to the correct address, the processing time is stable within 5-7 working days. However, it may change depending on requests for additional documents from the review department or urgent needs of applicants. Specifically:

Standard time: 5-7 working days (except for Saturdays, Sundays and holidays).
Urgent cases: 1-3 working days, usually by using the services of a visa agency.
Incomplete documents: Processing time depends on the time when documents are supplemented.

Notes:

Submit the visa extension fee at least 7 days before the visa expiry date, in case the process takes longer and to avoid overstaying penalties.
Contact a visa agency for urgent service if you need an urgent visa extension.

Visa extension fee

If foreigners apply for a visa extension themselves, they only need to pay the government fee. This may vary depending on policy changes. Current government fees are:

Extension period	Government fee
1-month extension	VND 800,000
3-month extension 3 months	VND 1,600,000
3 - 6 month extension	VND 2,800,000
6 - 12 months extension	VND 5,000,000

If using services of a visa agency, foreigners must pay both government fee and an additional service fee which varies by visa type, processing time (normal, expedited, or urgent), and application location (Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Da Nang, etc). Typical service fees are:

Standard extension: VND 1,500,000 - 3,500,000.
Urgent extension (1–2 days): From VND 4,000,000.

When your visa cannot be extended and what to do

There are many cases where applicants do not meet the requirements or their extension application is not approved. Below are some common situations and suggested solutions you need to know.

1- Your visa and permitted stay have expired

Not extending the visa on time results in overstaying. Foreigners must handle any overstay penalties before requesting a visa extension.

What to do?

Pay administrative fines as required by Vietnamese law to legalize your stay
Apply for a short-term extension or a new visa if eligible.
In serious violations, you may be forced to leave Vietnam at the decision of the authorities.

2- Purpose of stay has changed

Your visa cannot be extended if you use it for the wrong original purpose. For example, if you enter Vietnam to travel or visit relatives but stay to work, you cannot extend your visa. A purpose change is compulsory to continue the stay.

What to do?

If eligible, apply for a change of visa purpose.
If not eligible, exit the country and apply for a new visa with the correct purpose.

3- Invalid or incomplete application

If your extension application is incomplete or does not meet immigration requirements, it will be rejected.

What to do?

Supplement the proper documents or reapply for the visa extension.
If unsure about the documents or procedures, consider using a professional visa agency.

4- Violation of Vietnamese law during stay

If foreigners have violated public order during their stay or are subject to administrative penalties, they are not eligible for visa extension.

What to do?

Depending on the level of violation, visa extension may be refused, delayed, or you may be forced to exit the country according to the law.
Correct the issue promptly and seek legal assistance if necessary.

5- You are holding an E-visa or Tourist Visa

According to Vietnam law, e-visas and tourist visas are generally not eligible for extension, except for special cases approved by the Government.

What to do?

Exit Vietnam and apply for a new visa with a suitable purpose and longer validity.

Important notes when extending a Vietnam visa

To extend your visa quickly, smoothly and legally, foreigners need to take important notes below:

1- Check your current visa type and expiry date carefully

Checking visa type and expiry date helps you:

Whether it is eligible for extension
Which documents you need for extension application
When you must apply to avoid overstaying

2- Extend the visa before expiry

Apply for an extension of stay at least 7 days before the expiry date to avoid overstaying, administrative fines, or issues with future immigration.

3- Prepare a complete and accurate document

Invalid or incomplete documents may cause delay or rejection. Check your file carefully or consider a professional visa service if needed.

4- Ensure your purpose of stay is appropriate

Visas used for wrong purposes will be refused for extension. Make sure your visa types match your current purpose of stay.

5- Submit to correct authority

Visa extension can be submitted at Vietnam Immigration Department or Immigration Department of the Provincial/City Police where you are temporarily residing. Make sure the application is submitted to the correct competent authority for smoother processing.

6- Verify the approved extension period

The approved extension period depends on each specific case and is not guaranteed to be the maximum you requested. Check the time of extension carefully to maintain a legal stay.

7- Use professional visa services if needed

In case you are unsure about procedures or need an urgent extension, consider using a visa agency. The urgent service can be processed within a day or 1-3 working days.

FAQs

Can all visa types be extended?

No. Not all visa types can be extended, for example: Tourists visa (DL) and e-visa (EV). Common visa types that are eligible for extension are work visa (LĐ1, LĐ2), business visa (DN1, DN2), investment visa (ĐT 1-4), visiting relative visa (TT, VR), and study visa (DH).
If I submit a visa extension on the visa expiry date, will I need to pay any overstay fine?

Possibly. The standard processing time for extension is 5-7 working days, and urgent service also takes 1-3 working days. It is very risky to apply on the expiry date of the visa.

To avoid this, you need to check the expiry date carefully and apply at least 7 days in advance or use an urgent service if needed.
Can I extend my TT visa to work?

No. You cannot extend a TT visa (visiting relatives) to a different purpose (work). If eligible, you can apply to change the visa purpose. Otherwise, you must leave Vietnam and apply for a new work visa (LĐ1, LĐ2).
How long can I extend my visa?

The maximum extension period for a Vietnam visa depends on your current visa type and your purpose of stay, commonly 1, 3, 6, or 12 months.