The Differences Between 5-year Vietnam visa exemption Vs Temporary Residence Card

5-year visa exemption and temporary residence card for foreigners are two terms of documents used by foreigners when staying in Vietnam for a long term. However, it is difficult to distinguish clearly them because both types of documents are often referred to when foreigners wish to reside in Vietnam.

What are5 - year visa exemption and temporary residence card?

Firstly, five - year visa exemption for foreigners to Vietnam is applicable to people who are the husbands, the wives, the children of people with Vietnamese nationality and passports, ID cards in Vietnam.

On the other hand, a temporary residence card can be considered as a long-term visa issued by a competent immigration authority to foreigners who are permitted to reside in Vietnam for a period of one to three years and a maximum of five years. It is also worth replacing the visa. Persons carrying temporary residence card shall be exempt from any types of Vietnam visawhen leaving or entering Vietnam for the duration of their temporary residence card.

What are the cases in which a foreigner can obtain 5 - year visa exemption and a temporary resident card in vietnam?

5 year free-visa certificate is granted for people who are:

• Overseas Vietnamese who include both the one having foreign passport and the one only having Permanent Residence Card;

• Foreigners who are spouses, children of Vietnamese people, living in Vietnam or residing abroad.

The cases are granted temporary residence card:

• Foreigner is a member of a limited liability company with two or more members;

• Foreigner is the owner of one member limited liability company (except for an authorized representative);

• A foreigner is a member of the Administrative Council of a Joint Stock Company;

• Foreign lawyers have been licensed by Ministry of Justice to practice law in Vietnam under provisions of law;

• Foreigners holding Vietnam work permits working in different types of enterprises or representative offices of foreign companies;

• Experts, students are working or studying under national programs and projects signed by the ministries and branches approved by the Government;

• Vietnamese residing overseas and foreigners being spouses of Vietnamese citizens and children of Vietnamese citizens under 18 years of age;

• Foreigners having foreign spouses who have been granted temporary residence cards of Vietnam, children of foreigners who have been granted temporary residence cards of Vietnam under 18 years.

What are benefits of 5-year visa exemption and temporary resident card?

When people hold a 5-year Vietnam visa exemption, they will have numerous benefits:

• Traveling to Vietnam without visa requirement within5 years: Once you are granted such visa exemption, it is unnecessary for you to apply Vietnamese visa again. For each entry, you are permitted to continuously stay for 180 days, however.

• Saving cost of visa: It takes you a huge amount of money to apply for your short-term visas within the period of 5 year. However, if you pay once time for 5-year visa exemption, it will be cheaper than other option for those are qualified to get it.

Note: With 5-year Vietnam visa exemption, you are permitted to stay up to 180 days for each entry. After this limited duration of stay, you are required to leave Vietnam in order to theoretically stay another 180 days here in Vietnam. If you wish to not exit the country, you are able to extend your visa exemption for 3 months in maximum.

Also, temporary resident card brings some advantages such as:

• Foreigners who are granted a temporary residence card can buy an apartment and will be able to buy a house in the near future;

• Foreigners can stay permanently in Vietnam while their temporary residence cards are still valid without leaving Vietnam;

• Foreigners who are holding a residence card can easily to apply for visa to visit another country when they are in Vietnam.

• Foreigners can save on costs because they do not have to carry out multiple visa extensions and save on travel expenses;

• It is very convenient for foreigners to conduct business, marriage… procedures in Vietnam.

What are the documents needed to obtain 5-year visa exemption and temporary residence card?

5-year Vietnam visa exemption

The basic required documents vary between overseas Vietnamese and foreigners who are spouses, children of Vietnam citizens.

If you are overseas Vietnamese, you have to prepare these following documents:

• 01 application form for visa exemption certificate

• 2 recently-taken color passport photos (4x6cm) (white background, straight face, bare head, no colored glasses).

• Foreign passport or an international travel documentor Permanent Residence Card in foreign country which is valid for at least 01 year.

• Documents to prove that you are granted for Vietnam visa exemption (the copy ones) (if you have):

• A certificate of Vietnamese citizenship
• A Vietnamese passport (valid or expired)
• An Identity Card (valid or expired)
• A Birth Certificate
• A Family Registration Book
• The latest voter registration card
• A copy of Decision for restoration or renunciation of Vietnamese nationality
• A copy of the Decision to renounce Vietnamese nationality)
• Certificate of Loss Vietnamese nationality

In case you are foreigners who are spouses or children of Vietnamese people, you need to have following documents:

• 01 application form for visa exemption certificate

• 02 recently-taken color (4*6 cm) (white background, straight face, bare head, no colored glasses)

• Foreign passport or International travel document with at least 1-year validity.

• One of following documents which prove relationship between you and Vietnam citizen:

• Marriage Registration
• Birth Certificate
• Adoption Certificate
• A Certificate of relationship with father, mother, children
• Other valid documents as regulated by the Vietnamese Law

You should take note and double check these documents to avoid hassles when getting Vietnam 5-year visa exemption.

Temporary residence card

The main documents required for the temporary resident card are:

For foreign workers who have been granted work permits:

• A copy of business registration certificate or other equivalent papers

• A copy of seal specimen registration certificate

• A copy of tax registration certificate

• A copy of work permit with a term of 1 year or more

• 02 photos with size 3 × 4 cm, head without hat, full face, clear face, clear ears, no color glasses, photo taken no more than 6 months

• A copy of passport, valid visa, entry and exit card (attached to the original for comparison);

• A copy of the temporary residence certificate notarized by the local authority

For foreign workers/investors are not licensed for work permits:

• A copy of Investment Certificate or other equivalent papers

• A copy of seal specimen registration certificate

• A copy of tax registration certificate

• A copy of documents evidencing no work permit object

• 04 photos with size 3 × 4 cm, head without hat, full face, clear face, clear ears, no color glasses, photo taken no more than 6 months

• A copy of passport, valid visa, entry and exit card (attached to the original for comparison);

• A copy of the temporary residence certificate notarized by the local authority.

For relatives accompanying foreign workers

Apart from the documents of the foreign laborers, the accompanying relatives must supply the following documents:

• 04 photos with size 3 × 4 cm, head without hat, full face, clear face, clear ears, no color glasses, photo taken no more than 6 months

• A copy of passport, valid visa, entry and exit card (attached to the original for comparison);

• A copy of the temporary residence certificate notarized by the local authority.

• Copies of papers proving the purpose of applying for temporary residence card: Depending on each specific case, it is necessary to provide a certified copy of the marriage registration certificate; Birth certificate; Proof of family relationship, etc.

Note that any documents which are not in Vietnamese must be translated and notarized or legalized according to Vietnamese regulations.

Validity of 5-year visa exemption and temporary residence card

A five-year visa exemption is a five-year period, multiple entry visa. However, each stay must not exceed 180 days.

Otherwise, maximum validity of temporary residence card is three-year period. Foreigners with temporary residence cardcan entry and exit many times according to their work requirements. It also help save time and costs for temporary card holders. Each entry is not limited to the number of days of stay and the holders can stay until the expiration of the temporary residence card.

After reading this article, if you still have any questions, you can chat directly with us or send your request to email support@vietnamvisavoa.com. We are always pleased to support you.