There are different types of visas that Vietnam would issue to foreign visitors, depending on their purpose or nature of the visit. If you are a foreigner and you plan on visiting a family or relative who is working in Vietnam, then there’s a specific visa that you need to apply for. In this article, you’ll learn about the detailed procedures for applying for a relative visit visa that will allow you to stay with your relative in Vietnam.
Vietnam’s economy is doing well lately, so it’s not surprising why so many foreigners would come here to work or to invest. Regardless of the industry you are in, there will always be opportunities waiting for you in the country. And just like with any foreigner that comes to the country, foreign workers and investors must apply for a visa for them to be allowed entry.
Currently, a foreign individual that is granted a commercial visa to Vietnam will get the following types of visas – DT (investment), DN (business), or LD (labor). If the foreign worker or investor will bring along a family member or relative, a separate visa will be issued to them. In this case, the visa will be TT (visit relatives).
It’s important to note that foreign individuals who were granted commercial visas to Vietnam will not be able to directly sponsor their family or relative. The foreign sponsoring organization or company will be responsible for carrying out the guarantee procedures.
Visitors must meet the following conditions before they can be eligible for a visa for foreign relatives:
The following documents should be prepared for the application of visa for foreign relatives:
1. Original passport of the applicant that should be valid for at least six months from the date of entry.
2. Application form for entry into Vietnam, also known as the NA2 form.
3. Passport and visa of the guarantor or sponsor.
4. Official documents that will show proof of kinship or relationship, such as marriage certificate or birth certificate.
5. Sponsor’s identity card and household registration book.
6. If the guarantor is a foreign worker of a Vietnam company, the sponsoring company should be the one to submit the application for the first time. This must be submitted to the immigration authority along with the following:
Once you have all the documents required for your visa application, you can submit them to the application-receiving agency. The agency will then forward the visa application to the office of Vietnam’s Immigration Department. Currently, the offices are based in three different cities, Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh, and Da Nang. It will be submitted to the city where the sponsor is based in Vietnam.
If there are no issues with the application and all documents are valid and complete, Vietnam’s Immigration Department should send the results back within five working days. They will indicate on the immigration form the time of entry and the place where the visa is issued. As for the duration of stay, this will mainly depend on the visa duration of the sponsor.
The sponsoring company will receive the results of the visa application. If it’s approved, they will hand over the entry letter to the foreign worker or investor. Upon receiving the letter, the relative will then fill out the visa application form also known as the NA1 form. The applicant must also attach a 3 cm x 4cm photo on the form, along with the original copy of the entry letter that came from the Vietnam Immigration Department. This can be submitted to the Vietnam embassy. They will then issue a visa by attaching it to one of the pages of the applicant’s passport.