Vietnam has proposed pilot long-stay routes for remote workers and medical visitors as part of a tourism reform package presented to the National Assembly, but no new visa exists yet and the plan still needs approval.

Culture, Sports and Tourism Minister Lam Thi Phuong Thanh presented the draft resolution on special tourism measures to lawmakers in Hanoi on the morning of Saturday 7 November. The draft contains 14 articles across seven policy groups, covering investment incentives, new flight routes and controlled pilots for long-stay remote work and medical or wellness visits.

The proposal would also expand bilateral visa exemptions for visitors from selected markets and apply flexible visa policies tailored to each market, prioritising travellers who spend more, stay longer, return to Vietnam or attend meetings and conferences. If approved, the wider framework would run from 1 January 2027 through 31 December 2036.

Travellers should be clear about the current position: Vietnam has no dedicated digital nomad visa today. Most remote workers enter on the 90-day e-visa or a 45-day visa exemption, and those routes do not authorise work. The draft resolution is a proposal for consideration by the National Assembly, not a change to the rules, and it sets out no launch date, income threshold or application route for any new visa.

The government says the measures are aimed at drawing in higher-spending, longer-staying visitors, with Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and Da Nang named as priority tourism growth areas. Anyone planning a long stay should check the official immigration portal before booking, as the rules can change and the pilot schemes described in the draft do not yet exist.