Long term Vietnam visa for foreigners with Vietnamese spouse

If you are married to Vietnamese citizen, you are eligible to apply either  visa exemption for 5 years or temporary residence card 

 

 

Unfortunately, there is no specific spouse visa for Vietnam. So, you have fall in love with a Vietnamese citizen and got married in Vietnam on tourist visa. What will you do next? In this article, we will give you two options that you can go next after obtaining a marriage certificate with Vietnamese wife or husband.

 

Five- year visa exemption

 

For foreigner who are having Vietnamese wife or husband, they are granted a free visa within 5 years. The good news that it can be applied without leaving Vietnam. The bad news is that you need to exit Vietnam every each 180 days. It can be understood that holding this exemption, you are not allowed to stay continuously within 5 years.

 

 

Documents required:

 

The main documents are required in the following:

• Applicant’s original passport
• ID or passport copy of Vietnamese spouse
• Vietnamese spouse’s house registration book (also called “Red Book”)
• Marriage certificate
• 02 passport sized photos in specific format (4x6cm – white background, recent photos within 6 months)

 

Procedure to apply for 5 year visa exemption

 

Step 1: Submit your all document required to our office by post or in person

Step 2: Wait for your application to be processed at the Vietnam Immigration Department

Step 3: Return your passport and 5 year visa exemption card

 

Important notice:

 

If you are on tourist or business visa, you need to exit Vietnam in order to activate your exemption status.

In case, your passport has less than 5 year validity, the duration of visa exemption is issued according to your passport.

 

Permanent Residence Card

 

It is sort of long term visa which is valid up to 2 or 3 years. Foreigner married to Vietnamese citizen or person of Vietnam origin is also entitled to it. Continuously staying in Vietnam without leaving is the best benefit you get from obtaining this card.  

Documents required:

 

Similar to required documents for 5 year visa exemption, applicant also needs to provide necessary documents are listed bellows:

 

• Applicant’s original passport
• ID or passport copy of Vietnamese spouse
• Vietnamese spouse’s house registration book (also called “Red book”)
• Marriage certificate
• 02 passport sized photos in specific format (4x6cm – white background, recent photos within 6 months)
• NA8 & NA7

It takes 7- 10 working days to process the temporary residence card

 

Procedure to apply for 5 year visa exemption

 

• Step 1: Submit your all document required to our office by post or in person
• Step 2: Wait for your application to be processed at the Vietnam Immigration Department
• Step 3: Return your passport and temporary residence card

 

Notice:

 

Make sure that you are on “visiting relatives” visa (TT) when you apply for temporary residence card. If you are not with TT visa, leaving Vietnam is required to convert into a right type of visa in order to get a temporary residence card.

 

More information and Vietnam online visa application available from Vietnamvisavoa.com