How to get temporary residence card in Vietnam

What is Vietnam Temporay Residence Card (TRC)?

According to the Law on Entry, Exit, Transit, and Residence of Foreigners in Vietnam 2014, temporary residence card is a document issued by an immigration authority or a competent authority of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, granted to foreigners who are allowed to reside for a certain period of time in Vietnam.

Why should you apply for Temporary Residence Card in Vietnam?

There are many benefits that holders of a Vietnam temporary residence card may have:

• Foreigners who are granted temporary residence cards can buy apartments and in the near future may buy houses. At present, the Ministry of Construction is proposing that foreigners buy houses in Vietnam to resolve real estate issues.

• Foreigners can stay in Vietnam for a period of time while their temporary residence card is still valid without having to leave Vietnam.

• Foreigners save money due to not have to apply for visa extension many times and save the travel costs

• Foreigners can carry out business procedures, get married… very conveniently.

Who can apply for a temporary residence card in Vietnam

The following people can apply for a TRC in Vietnam:

• A foreigner who has Vietnam work permit which is valid for at least 12 months at time of applying for the temporary residence card.

• Foreigners who are members of diplomatic missions, consular offices, representative offices of international organizations affiliated to the United Nations, intergovernmental organizations in Vietnam and their spouses, children under 18 years of age, housemaids who are accompanied by the term of office, are granted temporary residence card with symbol NG3.

• Foreigners who are granted with LV1, LV2, ĐT, NN1, NN2, DH, PV1, LD, TT visas are granted temporary residence cards with symbols similar to the visa symbols. The Law on Entry, Exit, Transit, and Residence of Foreigners in Vietnam 2014 has defined new types of symbols and duration of each type of visa symbols for foreigners in Vietnam.

Requirements and conditions for temporary residence card

• Foreigners must temporarily stay for 1 year or more in Vietnam

• The passport is valid for at least 13 months.

Required Documents for Applying for Vietnam Temporary Residence Card

1) A written request for issuance of  temporary residence card for foreigner by the guarantor (Form NA6 for agencies, organizations; Form NA7 for individuals)

2) Information form for temporary residence card attached with photo 3cm x 4cm (Form NA8)

3) Copy of passport and a valid visa( bring an original for comparison);

4) 02 3*4cm photos (01 one to attach to the Information form, 01 one is kept separately)

5) 01 copy of Business Registration Certificate of legal entity of guaranteeing agency, organization or enterprise.

6) Depending on the circumstances, one of the following is required:

• Investment certificate or Business registration certificate

• License for establishment of representative office, branch of the company

• Certificate of member of the Board of Directors

• Work permit

• Birth certificate, marriage certificate, family register… if applying for temporary residence card for husband, wife, child… who are foreigners

Proof of temporary residence declaration or Certification of temporary residence in the locality with the seal of the Commune Police

Note: Consular legalization and notarized translation into Vietnamese are necessary for all documents in foreign language.

How to Get a Temporary Residence Card for Foreigners in Vietnam

Here come the steps to get a Vietnam temporary residence card of foreigners:

Step 1: Prepare documents as prescribed by law.

Step 2: Submit the documents

The agencies, organizations and individuals submit the application documents at one of the three working offices of the Immigration Department – Ministry of Public Security

Time for submission: Mornings, Monday to Saturday (except public holidays).

Officials receiving dossiers will then examine the legality and content of the documents:

If the documents are complete and valid, the official will print and give a receipt of an appointment to get the

If the documents are not yet enough, the official will instruct the applicant to complete the application.

Step 3: Get the results.

1) The person who receives the results give the receipt, identity card or passport to the officials who return the results for examination and comparison. If there are results of temporary residence card, the official requests the applicant to pay fees and hand over temporary residence card.

2) Time to get results: From Monday to Friday (except for public holidays).

In case you wish the process is extremely smooth and saves your time as well, you are highly recommended to use our Vietnam temporary residence card service. 

Validity of Temporary Residence Card

• The validity of the temporary residence card in Vietnam is at least 30 days shorter than the remaining duration of the passport.

• The temporary residence cards with symbols NG3, LV1, LV2, ĐT and DH are valid for no more than 05 years.

• The temporary residence cards with symbols NN1, NN2, TT are valid for not more than 03 years.

• The temporary residence cards with symbols LD and PV1 are valid for no more than 02 years.

• Expired temporary resident cards are considered for new cards.

How to Change my Vietnam Temporary Residence Card

Cases for change of temporary residence card

•Temporary residence card is lost;

•Temporary residence card is torn or with fuzzy number…

• Foreigners are granted a new passport in which the new passport number is different from the passport number indicated on the temporary residence card;

Agencies responsible for changing temporary residence card for foreigners

Depend on each case, the foreigners may apply for a temporary residence card replacement at one of the following agencies of Vietnam:

• Administration of Immigration

• Department of Immigration Management of Police Departments of provinces and cities

The validity of renewed temporary residence card

The renewed temporary residence card duration will be equal to the period written on the previously issued temporary residence card.

Documents to change Vietnam temporary residence card

• Passport of foreigners must be valid for at least 06 months;

• Work permits (Investors, project managers, non-governmental organizations, foreign lawyers licensed to practice in Vietnam are not required to apply for a work permit)

• The application form for a Vietnam temporary residence card.

• Information form for foreigner (with photo and stamp);

• 01 Photo 3cmx4cm;

• Official dispatch explaining the reason for changing temporary residence card

• Other documents required by the Immigration Department

How to Extend Vietnam Temporary Residence Card

Foreigners can extend their temporary residence card in Vietnam upon its expiry by:

• Preparing the following documents:

Application form for visa issuance, stay extension (Form NA5)

Passport

• Following the same procedure to get a new TRC as mentioned above.

The Vietnam temporary residence card extension fee is US $10 and processing time is 5 working days after receiving full documents.

What to Do if I Lost my Vietnam Temporary Residence Card

The first thing foreigners should do is go to the local police to report the loss of that residence card. Local police will then confirm this notice to foreigners.

After this confirmation, foreigners can renew a new residence card in Vietnam. Why do you have to do it again? Because foreigners who want to exit Vietnam, must have a visa or a valid residence card, otherwise will be denied and not allowed to exit.

The procedure for re-issue of a lost the temporary resident card is as follows:

• Written requests of inviting or guaranteeing agencies, organizations and individuals;

• 01 declaration of information about the foreigner applying for temporary residence, with photo and stamp of the agency or organization;

• 02 photos sized 3 x 4 cm;

• 01 copy of passport, valid visa, entry and exit certificate (with the original for comparison);

• 01 copy (with the original for comparison) of documents proving the purpose of staying in Vietnam (depending on specific cases, submitting appropriate papers: investment license, enterprise establishment permit, work permit, certificate of board member, license to establish representative office, certificate of marriage or birth …).

• In case of loss of temporary residence card, in addition to the provisions of the new application dossier, an application must be submitted together with a written description of the reason for the loss or a written loss notice of the guaranteeing agency.

Processing time: Within 15 working days from the date of receiving full documents.

We hope that the above information about how to get TRC in Vietnam will be helpful for you.

Disclaimers: While we put an effort to ensure that the provided information is correct and up-to-date, there are probably changes of which we are unaware.