Vietnam launched UĐ1 and UĐ2 visas for tech specialists on July 1

A new tech-only lane, not a nomad visa

Vietnam opened two long-term visa categories for highly skilled digital technology professionals on July 1, 2026, under Law No. 118/2025/QH15. The new UĐ1 covers qualified tech specialists and others eligible for preferential treatment under National Assembly laws and resolutions. The paired UĐ2 covers their spouses and children under 18. Both allow residence for up to five years, per reporting drawn from the government portal.

Before this, foreign tech workers had no dedicated long-stay track. They fit into standard employment-based residence, which is tied to a sponsoring employer and a work permit issued by the competent labor authority. UĐ1 breaks that link for a narrow slice of specialists and lets their immediate family come with them on a matching visa rather than a patchwork of dependent permits.

Who this actually catches

This isn't a digital nomad visa. Ordinary remote workers, freelancers and location-independent employees of foreign companies aren't the target audience and the reporting doesn't describe UĐ1 as an option for them. Tourists still use the normal entry rules. Foreigners taking a Vietnamese job outside the "highly skilled digital technology" bracket still need a work permit unless specifically exempt, according to Vietnam's government portal.

The people the change genuinely helps are specialist hires being courted by Vietnamese tech employers or research bodies, plus expats already in-country on renewing one-year work permits who may now qualify to consolidate onto a five-year UĐ1. Anyone in that group weighing a move should hold off on committing to a standard work-permit renewal until the implementing decree lands, since UĐ1 removes the annual paperwork churn that shapes most expat budgets in Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi. Broader context on visas, work permits and long-stay options sits in our Vietnam guide.

The missing paperwork

The gap right now is procedural. Public reporting confirms the categories, the five-year stay and the July 1 start date, but no official page yet lists the application authority, fee schedule or document checklist specific to UĐ1 and UĐ2. Vietnam's existing work-permit process requires proof of qualifications, a health check and a clean criminal record and the new visa class is expected to draw on similar documentation until the implementing circular is published.

Applicants targeting UĐ1 should assume standard credential and background paperwork will be required and start gathering it now, rather than wait for the official checklist to drop.