How Foreigners Could Apply for Residence Permits? Advice from Immigration Lawyer in Vietnam

It is important to make sure visa matches purpose of entrance to Vietnam. Immigration lawyer in Vietnam could help validate and advise.

In the current process of industrialization and international integration, it is common for foreigners to reside and work in Vietnam permanently or temporarily. In order to legally reside in Vietnam, a foreigner must be eligible to be granted a permanent residence card or a temporary residence card in accordance with Vietnam immigration law.

Temporary residence card in Vietnam

Temporary residence card is a document issued by an immigration management agency or a competent agency of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to a foreigner who is allowed to reside in Vietnam for a definite time and has a valid temporary residence card visa replacement.

Subjects granted temporary residence cards in Vietnam include:

(i) Foreigners who are members of diplomatic missions, consular offices, representative offices of international organizations of the United Nations, inter-governmental organizations the government in Vietnam and their spouses, children under 18 years of age, and domestic servants who accompany them for their respective terms;

(ii) Foreigners enter with visas with symbols LV1, LV2, LS, DT1, DT2, DT3, NN1, NN2, DH, PV1, LD1, LD2, TT. Depending on each person who is granted a temporary residence card in Vietnam, the duration of the temporary residence card is different.

Foreigners who are eligible to be granted temporary residence cards in Vietnam according to the two subjects mentioned above must be sponsored and applied for residence card in Vietnam by the agencies, organizations, individuals at the Immigration Department or the Immigration Department Police Department of the province, centrally run city where the agency or organization sponsoring is headquartered or where the sponsored party resides.

It is very challenging to apply for the permanent residence card in Vietnam.   The permanent residence is issued by the immigration authority to foreigners who are allowed to reside indefinitely in Vietnam and is valid in lieu of a visa.

Foreigners who are considered for permanent residence in Vietnam include:

(i) Foreigners who have made meritorious, contributions to the cause of construction and defense of the Vietnamese fatherland are awarded medals or titles by the Vietnamese government state honor;

(ii) Foreigners who are scientists, experts temporarily residing in Vietnam;

(iii) The foreigner is guaranteed by father, mother, wife, husband, child who are Vietnamese citizens who are permanently residing in Vietnam;

(iv) Stateless people who have temporarily resided continuously in Vietnam from 2000 or earlier.

At the same time, the following conditions must be met:

(i) Having a lawful place of residence and a stable income to ensure life in Vietnam;

(ii) If a scientist, expert is temporarily residing in Vietnam, must be requested by a Minister, Deputy Minister of a ministerial-level agency, a government-attached agency in charge of state management in that professional field,

(iii) If sponsored by father, mother, wife, husband, child who is a Vietnamese citizens who are permanently residing in Vietnam, the duration of temporary residence in Vietnam for a foreigner applying for permanent residence shall be determined as follows: Foreigners who have temporarily resided in Vietnam for 03 consecutive years or more are determined on the basis of the entry verification stamp, the exit verification stamp issued at the border gate with a total temporary stay in Vietnam from 03 years or more in the last 4 years from the date of applying for permanent residence.

About ANT Lawyers, a Law Firm in Vietnam

We help clients overcome cultural barriers and achieve their strategic and financial outcomes, while ensuring the best interest rate protection, risk mitigation and regulatory compliance. ANT lawyers has lawyers in Ho Chi Minh city, Hanoi,  and Danang, and will help customers in doing business in Vietnam.