Vietnam Visa Marriage : Foreigners Who Are Married To Vietnamese citizens You Should Know

For foreigners who are married to Vietnamese citizens, one of the first things they need to worry about is the Vietnam visa marriage. First of all, it’s important to understand that Vietnam does not issue a spousal visa just like other countries. This means that there is no specific visa for foreigners who are married to a Vietnamese or are still planning to get married. But here’s the good news. If you’re married to a Vietnamese, you are eligible for a 5-year visa exemption or a temporary residence card. This will allow you to stay in the country for a much longer time so you can be with your spouse.

If you are looking for information about Vietnam visa marriage, then you have come to the right place. In this article, you’ll learn more about the five-year visa exemption and the temporary residence card.

👉 Five-Year Visa Exemption

If you are married to a Vietnamese national, you will be eligible for the 5-year visa exemption. This is a free visa that will allow you to live in Vietnam for five years.  What’s great about this visa is that you can apply for it without the need to leave Vietnam. However, you will be required to go out of the country every 180 days. Although the visa exemption will let you live in Vietnam for five years, you must go out of the country every after 6 months or 180 days to renew the visa.

How to Apply for the Five-Year Visa Exemption

To apply for the five-year visa exemption, the first step is to prepare the requirements needed, which include the following:

• Original copy of the applicant’s passport.
• ID or passport of the Vietnamese spouse
• House registration book of the Vietnamese party, also known as the Red Book.
• Marriage certificate
• 2 pcs. passport-sized photos, recently taken.

Once you have all the requirements needed, follow these steps to apply for the Vietnam visa marriage exemption:

1. Submit all the requirements by post or in person at the Vietnam Immigration Department.
2. Wait for 5 – 7 business days for your application to be processed.
3. Once approved, you will be given a 5-year visa exemption card.

If the visa that you are currently holding is a business visa or a tourist visa, you are required to go out of Vietnam for the exemption card to be activated. For foreign applicants whose passports will expire in less than five years, the duration of the visa exemption will be in accordance with how long your passport will be valid for.

👉 Permanent Residence Card

Aside from the five-year visa exemption, another option for foreigners who are married to a Vietnamese local is the permanent residence card. This is like a long-term visa that will let eligible foreigners stay in Vietnam for 2 to 3 years. Foreigners who are married to a Vietnamese national can avail of this visa. What’s great about this visa is that you do not need to go out of Vietnam every after certain days. You are able to stay continuously in the country and it will remain valid without you having to exit.

How to Apply for the Permanent Residence Card

So how do you apply for the permanent residence card? First, you need to prepare the requirements needed. The requirements are almost the same as what you need to submit for the Vietnam visa marriage exemption. Here are the requirements for the permanent residence card:

• Original copy of the applicant’s passport
• ID or passport copy of the applicant’s Vietnamese spouse.
• The house registration book of the Vietnamese spouse, also known as the “Red Book”.
• Marriage Certificate
• 2 passport-sized photos taken recently
• NA8 and NA7 form.

Once you have all the requirements, you can follow these steps to apply for the permanent residence card:

1. Go to the Vietnam Immigration Department to personally submit your application. You can also submit your application through the mail.
2. Wait for 7 – 10 working days for the temporary residence card to be processed.
3. If approved, claim your card from the Vietnam Immigration Department.

When applying for the Permanent Residence Card, make sure that your current visa is “visiting relatives” visa or the TT visa. If you are not holding this visa, the Immigration Department will ask you to convert your existing visa to this visa. Only then they will approve your temporary residence card.

If you are confused about the Vietnam visa marriage exemption and the permanent residence card, it is best to get in touch with a local agency in Vietnam. The agency will address any questions that you have. They will also assist in the processing of the visa exemption or permanent residence card, depending on what works best for you. Before submitting your application to the Vietnam Immigration, they will make sure you have the necessary documents to guarantee the approval of your application.