Vietnam Orders Remote-Work Visa Pilots and Mandatory Travel Insurance

Vietnam has directed state agencies to create pilot entry routes for remote workers and preferential long-stay visas, alongside mandatory medical and travel insurance for all foreign arrivals. The instruction comes from a Politburo directive signed August 22 by Party General Secretary and President To Lam, which sets national tourism priorities through 2030, according to reporting cited by StampedNomad.

What changed

The directive orders ministries to draft controlled pilot frameworks aimed specifically at remote workers, high-spending travelers and extended-stay visitors. It is described as the first top-level authorization for formal remote-work legal channels in Vietnam. It also establishes compulsory travel and health insurance for everyone entering the country.

Importantly, the directive is strategic rather than operational. It does not yet publish application forms, income thresholds, permitted activities, visa validity terms, insurance coverage minimums, accepted providers, or how insurance will be checked at borders. Those details are expected in subsequent ministry decrees and circulars.

Current rules still apply

Until the new regulations take effect, nothing changes for short-term travel. Existing channels remain active:

• Standard electronic visas valid for stays up to 90 days, with single- or multiple-entry options.
• 45-day visa-free entry for passport holders from 12 European and Asian nations, including the UK, France, Germany, Japan and South Korea, under Resolution 44/NQ-CP and Resolution 229.
• Limited-term visa exemptions for invited scholars, investors and high-profile experts under Decree 221/2025/ND-CP.

Location-independent professionals currently rely on those 90-day e-visas or 45-day exemptions, which often require periodic border runs to reset.

What it means for nomads

If you are planning a trip to Vietnam in the near term, you do not need to change your application method. The dedicated remote-work permits do not exist yet, and no timelines were published for when the pilots will launch.

The two things worth tracking are: whether the future long-stay pilot visas offer a genuine alternative to border-run cycles, and the incoming insurance requirement. Once the insurance rules take effect, every foreign arrival will need verified medical and travel coverage, so budgeting for a compliant policy will become part of any Vietnam trip. Because coverage minimums and accepted providers are still undefined, hold off on buying a specific policy until the ministry rules are published.

For now, this is a signal of direction rather than an actionable change. Nomads who want Vietnam as a base should watch for the implementing decrees that will define who qualifies, how long they can stay, and what commercial activity is permitted.

Originally reported by Stamped Nomad.