This article discusses how to get a temporary residency in Vietnam as the first step to acquiring a permanent residency.

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Introduction

Vietnam, which has a population of 100 million people and 100,000 expats, is luring international families like never before as the country emerges as one of the world’s fastest-growing economies. Many Vietnamese companies are in dire need of highly trained foreign labor and investors as the country make its way onto the international scene. If you plan to acquire a permanent residence card, getting a temporary residency in Vietnam is the first step.

Most semi-permanent expats in Vietnam are there on a tourist visa, which may be readily obtained through a variety of internet agencies. Tourist visas used to enable tourists and expats to remain for 3 months at a time, but the laws have recently been amended to limit visa validity to one month, with “temporary resident” status that may be renewed every 30 days for a modest charge.

Most expats would use this chance to travel to one of the region’s many wonderful nations. A “visa run,” for example, to Thailand or Cambodia, maybe quick and inexpensive. Thus, Travel is ingrained in your lifestyle, and you can expect to have a thorough understanding of the entire Southeast Asian area while on a trip/visa/repeat cycle.

What is a Temporary Residency Card?

A temporary residency card (TRC) is a document issued by immigration authorities to foreigners who are permitted to remain in Vietnam within a certain period of time in accordance with the Law on Entry, Exit, Transit, and Residence of Foreigners in Vietnam 2014.

Benefits of a Temporary Residency in Vietnam

Holders of a Vietnam temporary resident card may enjoy a variety of advantages, including the following:

Foreigners with temporary residency permits can purchase apartments and, in the near future, homes. To address real estate concerns, the Ministry of Construction is now recommending that foreigners purchase homes in Vietnam.
Foreigners who have a temporary residency card can stay in Vietnam for a length of time without having to leave the country.
Foreigners save money by not having to apply for visa extensions as often and by avoiding travel expenses.
Foreigners can do business and get married with relative ease.

Qualification for Temporary Residency in Vietnam

In Vietnam, the following individuals are eligible to apply for a temporary residency card:

A foreigner who holds a valid work permit in Vietnam for at least twelve months at the time of application for a temporary residency card.
Foreigners serving in diplomatic missions, representative offices of international organizations affiliated with the United Nations, consular offices, and intergovernmental organizations in Vietnam, as well as their spouses, children under the age of 18, and housemaids accompanying the term of office, are granted a temporary residence card with the symbol NG3.
Foreigners holding LV1, LV2, DT, NN1, NN2, DH, PV1, LD, and TT visas receive temporary residency cards with symbols that are comparable to the visa symbols. The Law on Entry, Exit, Transit, and Residence of Foreigners in Vietnam 2014 established new categories of visa symbols and the length of each type of visa symbol for foreigners in Vietnam.

Application Requirements for Temporary Residency in Vietnam

The guarantor’s written request for the issuing of a temporary residence permit for the foreigner (Form NA6 for agencies, organizations; Form NA7 for individuals)
Information form for a temporary residency card (Form NA8) with attached photo (3cm x 4cm in size)
A copy of your passport and a valid visa (along with an original for comparison)
Two copies of 3x4cm photos (one to attach to the Information Form, one is kept separately)
One of the following is necessary, depending on the circumstances:
1. 1 copy of the guaranteeing agency, organization, or enterprise’s Business Registration Certificate
2. Work permit or certificate of exemption from the requirement for a work permit;
3. If you are applying for a temporary residency card in Vietnam without a work visa, you present the following:
  - Investment certificate
  - License for establishment of representative office, branch of the company
  - Certificate of a member of the Board of Directors
  - 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 residency in Vietnam in the locality with the Commune Police seal.

For any papers in a foreign language, Vietnam consular legalization and a notarized translation into Vietnamese are required.

Application Process for Temporary Residency in Vietnam

Here are the steps to obtain a foreigner’s temporary residency permit in Vietnam:

Step 1: Follow the law’s instructions for document preparation.

Step 2: Send the docs in.

The agencies, organizations, and individuals must submit their application materials to one of the three Immigration Department – Ministry of Public Security operating offices:
- 44-46 Tran Phu, Ba Dinh, Hanoi.
- 254 Nguyen Trai, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City.
- 7 Tran Quy Cap, Da Nang City
Submissions are accepted Monday through Saturday in the mornings (except public holidays).
The legality and content of the papers will be examined by officials who receive the dossiers:
- The official will print and issue a receipt of an appointment to get the documents if the documents are complete and valid.
- The official will tell the applicant to finish the application if the papers are insufficient.

Step 3: Get the results

The individual who receives the results hands over the receipt, ID card, or passport to the officials, who examine and compare the results. If the temporary resident card findings are positive, the official will ask the applicant to pay costs and receive the temporary residence card.
You can get the results Monday through Friday (except for public holidays).

Processing Fee and Time

A request for a temporary residency card for foreigners in Vietnam takes five working days to process from the moment all documentation are received.

According to the Minister of Health’s Circular No. 219/2016/TT-BTC issued November 10, 2016, the cost of a Vietnam temporary residency card at the Vietnam Immigration Department is:

US $145 for a card valid for a maximum of 2 years
US $155 for a card valid for a minimum of 2 years and a maximum of 5 years

Validity Period of Temporary Residency in Vietnam

The temporary residency card’s validity in Vietnam is at least 30 days less than the passport’s remaining validity.
Temporary residency cards with the symbol DT1 have a maximum validity of ten years.
The temporary residency cards with the symbols NG3, LV1, LV2, LS, DT2 and DH have a 5-year validity limit.
The temporary residency cards with the symbols NN1, NN2, DT3, and TT have a three-year validity limit.
The LD1, LD2, and PV1 temporary residency permits are only valid for two years.
Expired temporary residence cards are taken into consideration when new ones are issued.

What to Do if You Lost Your Temporary Residence Card?

The initial step for foreigners is to report the loss of their residency card to the local police. Foreigners will get confirmation of this warning from the local police.

Foreigners can renew their residency cards in Vietnam after receiving the confirmation. Foreigners who wish to leave Vietnam must have a visa or a valid resident card; otherwise, they will be denied entry and would be unable to leave.

The following is the procedure for reissuing a lost temporary residence card:

Inviting or assuring agencies, organizations, and people have submitted written requests;
One statement of information on the foreigner seeking temporary residency in Vietnam, accompanied by a photo and the agency’s or organization’s stamp;
Two copies of 2×3 cm photos;
One copy of your passport, a valid visa, and your entry and exit certificates (along with the original for comparison);
One copy of documentation confirming the purpose of remaining in Vietnam (e.g. investment license, enterprise establishment permission, employment permit, certificate of board member, license to open a representative office, proof of marriage or birth, etc.)
In the event that a temporary residence card is lost, an application must be filed together with a written description of the reason for the loss or a written loss notification from the guaranteeing agency, in addition to the conditions of the new application dossier.

Processing time: 15 working days after receipt of all papers.

Conclusion

It is an exciting and gratifying opportunity to live in Vietnam on a temporary residence visa if you eventually want to acquire a permanent residence card in Vietnam. There’s a wealth of culture to be found, as well as a lot of money to be made. Make sure you prepare as much as possible to get the most out of it.

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Adam is an internationally recognised author on financial matters, with over 760.2 million answer views on Quora.com, a widely sold book on Amazon, and a contributor on Forbes.