DN1 Visa Extension Service for Foreign Nationals in Vietnam

What Is a DN1 Visa?

DN1 visa is issued to foreign nationals working with enterprises or other organizations having legal status under Vietnamese law. This visa is commonly used when a foreign national enters Vietnam for business cooperation, meetings, contract signing, market research or activities related to the sponsoring enterprise.

It is important to distinguish DN1 visa from LĐ1 and LĐ2 work visas. DN1 is not always a work visa in the sense that the foreign national already has a work permit in Vietnam. If the foreign national officially works, receives salary, or holds a position as an expert, technical worker, manager or executive in Vietnam, the enterprise should also review requirements relating to work permits, work permit exemption confirmation, work visas or suitable temporary residence cards.

Can a DN1 Visa Be Extended?

A DN1 visa may be considered for temporary stay extension or issuance of a new visa if the foreign national still needs to stay legally in Vietnam, has a suitable sponsoring enterprise/organization and meets the applicable requirements.

However, it should not be understood that every DN1 visa will definitely be extended. The extension depends on passport validity, current visa/temporary stay validity, purpose of stay in Vietnam, the sponsoring enterprise’s dossier, the foreign national’s residence history and the decision of the immigration authority.

If the visa or temporary stay has already expired, the foreign national may face risks of violating residence regulations. Therefore, enterprises and foreign nationals should check the visa validity early and prepare the dossier before expiration.

How Long Can a DN1 Visa Be Extended?

Under regulations, DN1 visa validity must not exceed 01 year. In practice, the temporary stay extension or new visa period may be 01 month, 03 months, 06 months or up to the maximum period permitted by law, depending on the specific dossier and the decision of the immigration authority.

The granted duration also depends on:

• Passport validity of the foreign national;
• Current visa or temporary stay validity;
• Purpose of continued stay in Vietnam;
• Legal dossier of the sponsoring enterprise;
• Documents proving business, commercial or working relationship with the enterprise;
• Residence, entry-exit history and legal compliance of the foreign national;
• Additional requests or verification by the competent authority if any.

Therefore, advisory content should not rigidly state that DN1 visa can be extended “from 1 to 3 months” or “up to 12 months” for every case. A safer wording is: the extension/new visa duration will be advised after reviewing the specific dossier.

Requirements for DN1 Visa Extension

To be considered for DN1 visa extension or issuance of a new visa in Vietnam, the foreign national and sponsoring enterprise usually need to meet the following basic requirements:

• The foreign national is legally staying in Vietnam;
• The passport or international travel document remains valid;
• The current visa, temporary residence certificate or permitted stay is still suitable for the procedure;
• There is a sponsoring enterprise or organization in Vietnam;
• The sponsoring enterprise has legal status and its dossier has been registered/notified with the immigration authority as prescribed;
• There are documents proving the purpose of continued stay in Vietnam;
• The foreign national does not fall under cases of entry ban, exit suspension or ineligibility for residence under regulations.

Depending on each case, the immigration authority may request additional documents to prove the purpose of stay, relationship with the sponsoring enterprise or the foreign national’s legal status.

Required Documents for DN1 Visa Extension

Documents of the Foreign National

• Original passport or valid international travel document;
• DN1 visa, temporary residence certificate or current stay information;
• Temporary residence confirmation or temporary residence declaration information as required;
• 4x6cm photo if a loose-leaf visa is required;
• Documents proving the purpose of continued stay in Vietnam, if any;
• Work permit or work permit exemption confirmation if the stay is related to formal employment in Vietnam;
• Other documents requested by the immigration authority.

Documents of the Sponsoring Enterprise

• Application form for visa issuance/temporary stay extension using Form NA5;
• Confirmation/sponsorship letter from the Vietnamese enterprise or organization;
• Enterprise registration certificate, investment registration certificate or equivalent legal document;
• Seal and signature specimen registration documents if not previously registered or if changed;
• Documents proving the business, commercial or working relationship between the foreign national and the sponsoring enterprise;
• Tax documents, business operation documents or additional papers if requested by the receiving authority.

Form NA5 must be certified by the sponsoring agency or organization according to the specific case. If the dossier is incomplete, inconsistent or the stay purpose is unclear, the receiving authority may request supplementation.

Where to Submit a DN1 Visa Extension Application

DN1 visa extension or new visa applications for foreign nationals temporarily staying in Vietnam are usually submitted to the competent immigration authority, depending on the sponsoring enterprise’s registered address, the foreign national’s temporary residence location or the method of submission.

Common receiving authorities include:

• Vietnam Immigration Department under the Ministry of Public Security;
• Immigration Office of the provincial/city police where the sponsoring enterprise is located or where the foreign national temporarily resides;
• National Public Service Portal or Ministry of Public Security Public Service Portal if the procedure is carried out online.

Before submission, the enterprise should check the correct receiving authority, submission method and any requirement to send the passport/physical documents if submitting online. Submitting to the wrong authority or missing documents may prolong processing time.

DN1 Visa Extension Process in Vietnam

Step 1: Check Visa Status and Purpose of Stay

First, the validity of the DN1 visa, temporary stay, passport and the purpose of continued stay in Vietnam should be checked. This step is important to determine whether the case should proceed as a temporary stay extension, new visa issuance, visa category change or another procedure.

Step 2: Review the Sponsoring Enterprise’s Dossier

The sponsoring enterprise should check its business registration, legal representative information, seal, signature, registered address and related documents. If the enterprise has changed information or has not registered its dossier with the immigration authority, this should be handled before submitting the foreign national’s application.

Step 3: Prepare and Complete the Dossier

The foreign national and enterprise prepare the passport, Form NA5, temporary residence documents, enterprise documents, documents proving the purpose of stay in Vietnam and additional materials if required.

Information in the dossier must be consistent across the passport, visa, temporary stay information, sponsoring enterprise and documents proving the stay purpose.

Step 4: Submit the Application to the Competent Authority

The application may be submitted in person, online or through another method accepted by the competent authority. Upon receipt, the immigration authority checks the validity of the dossier and issues an appointment slip or online notification if submitted through the system.

If the dossier is incomplete or invalid, the receiving authority will provide instructions for supplementation. In that case, the actual processing time may be longer than initially expected.

Step 5: Track the Application and Receive the Result

After submission, the applicant should track the processing status, respond to additional requests if any and receive the result according to the appointment slip or notification from the immigration authority.

Upon receiving the result, the visa or temporary stay extension stamp should be carefully checked, including full name, passport number, visa symbol, granted duration and number of entries if applicable.

How Long Does DN1 Visa Extension Take?

The statutory processing time for temporary stay extension or visa issuance for foreign nationals in Vietnam is generally no more than 05 working days from the date the competent authority receives a complete and valid dossier.

However, this is the processing time of the state authority, not the entire actual timeline when clients use Nhị Gia’s service.

When using Nhị Gia’s service, the actual timeline depends on dossier status, how quickly the client/enterprise provides documents, review of the sponsoring enterprise’s dossier, translation/notarization/certification needs if any, submission method, additional requests if any, processing by the competent authority and the result delivery method.

Nhị Gia will advise the estimated timeline after reviewing the client’s specific dossier. The service timeline should not be understood as always equal to the statutory processing time, because the actual process also includes several preparation and post-processing steps.

DN1 Visa Extension Fees and Service Costs

DN1 visa extension costs may include:

• Government fees for temporary stay extension or visa issuance as prescribed;
• Nhị Gia’s service fee if clients use dossier support services;
• Translation, notarization, certification or legalization fees if required;
• Delivery, document handling or other case-specific costs.

Government fees are mandatory payments to the competent authority and do not represent the total actual cost when using a service. Nhị Gia’s service fee will be advised after the specialist checks the dossier type, requested duration, current visa status, sponsoring enterprise documents and the client’s specific requirements.

Common Difficulties When Extending a DN1 Visa by Yourself

Enterprises and foreign nationals may face difficulties when handling DN1 visa extension by themselves, such as:

• Not knowing whether to extend temporary stay, apply for a new visa or change visa category;
• Passport validity being insufficient for the requested duration;
• The sponsoring enterprise has not registered seal/signature specimens or has changed legal information;
• Missing Form NA5 or the form not being properly certified;
• Temporary residence information not being declared or inconsistent;
• Insufficient documents proving the purpose of continued stay in Vietnam;
• Formal employment cases where work permit or exemption confirmation has not been handled;
• Visa or temporary stay nearly expiring, creating time pressure;
• Additional requests from the authority but the enterprise does not know how to explain properly.

These issues may prolong the process, result in returned applications or affect the foreign national’s lawful residence status in Vietnam.

DN1 Visa Extension Service by Nhị Gia

With more than 20 years of experience in visas, work permits, temporary residence cards and legal dossiers for foreign nationals in Vietnam, Nhị Gia supports enterprises and foreign nationals in preparing DN1 visa extension applications based on each specific case.

Nhị Gia supports clients with:

• Checking the foreign national’s visa, temporary stay and passport status;
• Advising on the suitable handling direction: temporary stay extension, new visa issuance, visa category change or related procedures;
• Reviewing the sponsoring enterprise’s legal dossier;
• Guiding preparation of Form NA5 and required documents;
• Checking documents proving the purpose of continued stay;
• Advising on work permit or work permit exemption confirmation if the dossier relates to formal employment;
• Supporting translation, notarization/certification if required;
• Coordinating submission, tracking progress and handling additional requests if any;
• Supporting result collection and delivery as agreed;
• Maintaining confidentiality of clients’ personal and corporate information.

Nhị Gia does not guarantee outcomes for every application, as the final decision belongs to the competent authority. However, preparing the correct, complete and consistent dossier from the beginning can help reduce errors, save time and minimize risks during processing.

Nhị Gia’s DN1 Visa Extension Service Process

• Step 1: Receiving information. Nhị Gia receives information about the foreign national, sponsoring enterprise, current visa type, temporary stay validity, passport validity and need to continue staying in Vietnam.
• Step 2: Reviewing the dossier and advising on the handling direction. The specialist reviews the dossier status and advises on a suitable option: temporary stay extension, new visa issuance, visa category change or additional handling of work permit/temporary residence card if needed.
• Step 3: Guiding document preparation. Nhị Gia provides a document checklist, including foreign national documents, sponsoring enterprise documents, Form NA5 and documents proving the purpose of stay.
• Step 4: Reviewing and completing the dossier. Nhị Gia’s team checks the information, supports correction of inconsistencies and completes the dossier before submission.
• Step 5: Coordinating submission and tracking the result. Nhị Gia coordinates the procedure according to the competent authority’s guidance, tracks the processing progress and supports responses to additional requests if any.
• Step 6: Receiving and delivering the result. After the result is available, Nhị Gia supports checking the information on the visa or extension stamp, then delivers the result to the client as agreed.

If you are a foreign national temporarily staying in Vietnam on a DN1 visa, or an enterprise needing support to extend visas for foreign experts, partners or personnel, you should check the dossier before the visa expires to avoid residence risks.

Please contact Hotline 1900 6654 or email info@nhigia.vn for Nhị Gia’s case-specific DN1 visa extension consultation.