As Vietnam ramps up efforts to meet its ambitious target of 23 million foreign visitors this year, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has issued a directive to propose more convenient and flexible visa policies.
The recommendations range from short-term exemption and improved approval procedures to specific preferential policies for researchers, artists, athletes, experts, scientists, investors and billionaires.
The prime minister called on the ministries of public security, national defense, foreign affairs, and culture, sports, and tourism to consider offering special visa incentives.
The push comes as the country’s Tourism Advisory Board (TAB) urged the government to roll out a long-term “golden visa” program that would allow foreign nationals to stay in Vietnam for up to 10 years. Countries like Thailand, Malaysia, and Indonesia have already implemented long-stay visa policies.
What Does the Proposal Include?
The tourism advisory board’s proposal, submitted to Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, includes three special visa categories:
- A 5–10-year Golden Visa for general long-term stays.
- A 10-year Investor Visa that makes the way for permanent residency after five years.
- A 5-year Talent Visa with streamlined renewal, aimed at attracting skilled professionals, artists, researchers, and innovators.
To help the government assess viability, TAB suggested the visas could be piloted in major tourism hubs like Phu Quoc, Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, and Da Nang before a broader national rollout.
TAB has also recommended establishing a Visa Policy Reform Board, involving both public and private sectors, to review and implement new visa types and incentives.
Keeping Up with the Neighbors
Vietnam’s push comes amid stiff regional competition. While Vietnam welcomed a record-breaking 17.6 million international visitors in 2024, countries like Thailand and Malaysia are rapidly closing in on their pre-Covid numbers. Thailand is just 12% short of its 40 million target, while Malaysia is only 4% away from returning to 26.1 million.
Vietnam risks falling behind, TAB warned.
Currently, Vietnam offers visa-free travel to citizens of 30 countries, far fewer than Thailand’s 93 or Malaysia’s 158.
Since March 1, Vietnam extended visa-free stays to 45 days for Polish, Czech, and Swiss travelers and prolonged visa exemptions until 2028 for 12 major markets, including South Korea and Japan.
Despite these measures, TAB argued that Vietnam’s existing visa framework still lacks the flexibility seen in other Southeast Asian nations.
Thailand has implemented programs like the Long-Term Residence (LTR) Visa, which grants 10-year stays and other perks including tax incentives, work permits, and property ownership. Malaysia has revived its “My Second Home” scheme, an initiative promoting investment and long-term residency in the country.
Singapore also continues to court entrepreneurs and investors through its EntrePass and Global Investor Program.
Vietnam’s Tourism Funding Compared
In addition to policy gaps, TAB argued that Vietnam is significantly underfunded in its tourism promotion efforts. It comes as Thailand, Malaysia, and Singapore are investing significantly to attract international travelers.
“We do not have data on the state budget allocated for promoting tourism abroad. However, this expenditure is certainly insignificant, totaling less than 200 billion VND, which is less than 8 million USD.
“Our only overseas tourism promotion program was previously funded by the private sector, but has now had to stop due to the lack of a sustainable funding mechanism and support from the government,” the TAB document stated, according to a Thanh Nien report.
Vietnam’s Record Tourism Numbers
However, the recent visa policy changes already show signs of progress. The first quarter of 2025 saw over 6 million international visitors to Vietnam, the highest quarterly total on record. The first quarter arrivals were almost 30% above the same period last year.
Chinese tourists led the way, with 1.6 million arrivals. This is the first time that Vietnam has attracted more Chinese tourists than Thailand. In the first 3 months, Thailand got 1.3 million Chinese arrivals.
Concerns over safety, economic uncertainties in China, and changing travel preferences have led to a drop in the number of Chinese arrivals in Thailand.
Skift had earlier reported that while Chinese tourists have historically made up a large portion of Thailand’s tourism revenue, their reluctance to return in large numbers spells trouble for the country.
While South Korea, Taiwan, and Japan also contributed heavily to the inbound surge in Vietnam, the country witnessed substantial gains from markets like Russia, Cambodia, and the Philippines.
