What documents do foreigners in Vietnam need in 2023?

Foreigners in Vietnam need the following documents: visa paper, visa exemption certificate, temporary residence card, and permanent residence card. However, this article will summarize from A-Z in detail these documents and their functions, as well as the conditions you need to meet to be eligible for them.

What documents do foreigners in Vietnam need under the new regulations?

Visa

Visa

Firstly, foreigners in Vietnam need a visa (entry visa) which is a type of document certifying that the foreigner is allowed to enter or exit the country where the visa is issued.

Visa exemption certificate

Secondly, a visa exemption certificate is a document issued for the purpose of visiting relatives and dealing with private affairs of the following subjects: Vietnamese residing abroad or foreigners who are spouses and children of citizens. Vietnamese or foreigner means the spouse or child of a Vietnamese residing abroad.

Temporary residence card

Temporary residence card

Third, temporary residence cards are issued to foreigners when they have a need to reside in Vietnam for a long time and are valid for visas. Subjects who are granted temporary residence cards are specified in Article 36 of the Law on entry, exit, transit and residence of foreigners in Vietnam (amended and supplemented in Clause 14, Article 1 of the Law on Entry and Exit). entry, transit and residence of foreigners in Vietnam in 2019)

Permanent residence card

Permanent residence card

Fourth, a permanent residence card is a document issued to foreigners residing indefinitely in Vietnam and this type of document is also valid for visas. The permanent residence card will be considered when a foreigner with meritorious services to the cause of construction and defense of the Vietnamese Fatherland is awarded a medal or state honorary title by the Vietnamese government; foreigners who are scientists and experts temporarily residing in Vietnam; foreigners who are guaranteed by their father, mother, wife, husband and children who are Vietnamese citizens who are permanently residing in Vietnam; stateless persons who have resided continuously in Vietnam since 2000 or earlier.

Visa: Conditions for being granted a visa

Conditions for foreigners in Vietnam to be granted a visa to Vietnam include:

Firstly, foreigners have passports or valid international travel documents.

Second, foreigners are invited or guaranteed by agencies, organizations or individuals in Vietnam, except for the following cases:

• Issuing electronic visas at the request of foreigners: foreigners fill in the information to apply for an electronic visa, upload photos and passport ID page and pay the fee to the account specified electronic visa issuance webpage.
• Issuing visas to foreigners at the request of agencies and organizations: agencies and organizations that are requested to issue electronic visas to foreigners must have an electronic account issued by the immigration authority and have an electronic signature in accordance with the Law on Electronic Transactions.
• The head of the visa-issuing authority of Vietnam abroad shall issue a visa valid for no more than 30 days to foreigners wishing to enter Vietnam to survey the market, travel, visit relatives, or get medical treatment if they fall into the following cases:

(1) Persons who have a working relationship with the visa-issuing authority of Vietnam abroad and their spouses, children or the person who has a written request from the competent authority of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the host country.

(2) The person who has a guarantee note from the diplomatic mission or consular office of the country located in the host country.

Third, foreigners who want to apply for a visa are not eligible for entry:

• No passport or valid international travel documents into the area;
• Children under 14 years old who are not accompanied by a parent, guardian or authorized person
• Forging papers, making false statements to be granted valid papers for entry, exit and residence
• Persons suffering from mental illnesses or infectious diseases that pose a danger to public health
• Being expelled from Vietnam for less than 3 years from the effective date of the decision on expulsion
• Being forced to leave Vietnam within 06 months from the effective date of the decision on forced exit; for reasons of disease prevention and control; for reasons of natural disaster or for reasons of national defense, security, social order and safety.

Fourth, to carry out visa procedures, you need documents proving the purpose of entry such as:

• Foreigners entering Vietnam to invest must have documents proving their investment in accordance with the provisions of the Law on Investment.
• Foreigners who practice law in Vietnam must have a license to practice law in accordance with the Law on Lawyers.
• Foreigners entering Vietnam to work must have a work permit in accordance with the provisions of the Labor Code.
• Foreigners who come to study must have a written acceptance from the school or educational institution in Vietnam.

Visa exemption certificate: how to get it?

Visa exemption certificate: how to get it?

Foreigners entering Vietnam do not have to apply for a visa, including:

• According to international treaties to which Vietnam is a member but has not yet had a commercial presence or partner in Vietnam
• Use permanent residence card, temporary residence card
• Entering border-gate economic zones, special administrative-economic units
• Entering the coastal economic zone decided by the Government when fully satisfying the following conditions: having an international airport, having a separate space, having definite geographical boundaries, being isolated from the mainland, and being suitable socio-economic development policy and without prejudice to the national defense, security, social order, and safety of Vietnam.
• In case of unilateral visa exemption: foreigners who want to enter Vietnam under the unilateral visa exemption category, their passports must be valid for at least 06 months.
• Vietnamese residing overseas holding passports or valid international travel documents issued by competent foreign agencies and foreigners being their spouses and children; Foreigners who are spouses and children of Vietnamese citizens are exempt from visas according to the Government’s regulations.

The validity of a visa exemption certificate is not more than 05 years and is shorter than the expiry date of the passport or international travel document of the grantee at least 06 months.

Temporary residence card

A temporary residence card is valid as a substitute for a visa and this card is issued by an immigration management agency or a competent agency of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to foreigners who are allowed to reside in Vietnam for a definite time.

Cases in which temporary residence cards are granted to foreigners in Vietnam include:

(1) Foreigners who are members of diplomatic missions, consular offices, representative offices of international organizations of the United Nations, intergovernmental organizations in Vietnam, and their spouses and children under 18 age, the maid goes along with the term (symbol NG3).

(2) Foreigners enter by visa LV1, LV2, LS, DT1, DT2, DT3, NN1, NN2, DH, PV1, LD1, LD2, TT.

Conditions for granting temporary residence card

Conditions for granting a temporary residence card in Vietnam, a foreigner needs to satisfy the following conditions:

• Firstly, the passport has a minimum validity of 13 months. If the passport is valid for 13 months, the immigration agency will issue a temporary residence card with a maximum validity of 12 months.
• Second, foreigners must complete procedures for temporary residence registration at the commune-level police station.

The duration of a temporary residence card is so that it is suitable for the purpose of entry and at the request of the agency, organization, or individual, and the shortest term is no more than 2 years and the maximum is not more than 10 years.

Temporary Resident card

Cases foreigners in Vietnam are considered for permanent residence

• First, foreigners who have meritorious services to contribute to the cause of construction and defense of the Vietnamese Fatherland are awarded medals or state honorary titles by the Vietnamese government.
• Second, foreigners are scientists and experts temporarily residing in Vietnam.
• Third, foreigners are guaranteed by their father, mother, wife, husband, and children who are Vietnamese citizens who are permanently residing in Vietnam.
• Fourth, stateless people have resided continuously in Vietnam since 2000 or earlier.

Conditions for foreigners in Vietnam to permanently reside

• Firstly, foreigners have lawful residence and stable incomes to ensure life in Vietnam.
• Second, a foreigner who is a scientist or expert who is temporarily residing in Vietnam must be requested by a minister, the head of a ministerial-level agency, or an agency under the Government in charge of his or her field of expertise.
• Third, a foreigner whose father, mother, wife, husband, and children are Vietnamese citizens who have temporarily resided in Vietnam for 03 consecutive years or more is determined on the basis of entry verification. In addition, the exit verification stamp issued to them at the border gate needs to have a total time of temporary residence in Vietnam of 03 years or more in the last 4 years up to the date of permanent residence application.

Above is the entire content of the article “What documents do foreigners in Vietnam need according to the new regulations in 2023?”. If you have any questions regarding this or other issues, please contact us at (Ms. Jessi) for further guidance.