Can Foreigners Temporarily Stay in Industrial Parks in Vietnam?
Foreigners working in Vietnam may be allowed to temporarily stay or reside in an industrial park if they meet the conditions under current laws and regulations.
Under the current regulations on the management of industrial parks and economic zones, there is no place of permanent residence inside an industrial park. However, experts and employees may temporarily stay or reside at accommodation facilities within an industrial park to serve the enterprise’s production and business activities.
For foreign experts and employees, temporary residence must comply with the laws on entry, exit, transit and residence of foreigners in Vietnam. This means that foreigners must not only have a suitable place to stay, but also hold valid residence documents and complete temporary residence declaration as required.
Current Legal Basis
Previously, many regulations on temporary stay in industrial parks were often referred to under Decree 82/2018/ND-CP. However, this content should now be updated according to Decree 35/2022/ND-CP on the management of industrial parks and economic zones.
Under current regulations, experts and employees may temporarily stay or reside at accommodation facilities within an industrial park if the stay serves the enterprise’s production and business activities and meets requirements on residence, security and order, environment, construction and other relevant regulations.
For foreigners, in addition to industrial park regulations, enterprises should also check requirements related to:
- Vietnam visa;
- Temporary residence card if any;
- Work permit or work permit exemption confirmation if the foreigner works in Vietnam;
- Temporary residence declaration;
- Suitable accommodation address;
- Internal rules of the industrial park, industrial park management board or local authority.
Conditions for Foreigners to Temporarily Stay in Industrial Parks
Foreigners are not allowed to stay inside an industrial park without meeting legal requirements. Temporary stay or residence in an industrial park should meet the following basic conditions:
The stay must serve the enterprise’s production and business activities
Foreigners may temporarily stay or reside in an industrial park when the stay is related to the enterprise’s production and business activities. In practice, this need often arises for experts, engineers, technical workers, managers, executives or foreign personnel who need to work directly at factories, workshops, projects or operating facilities inside the industrial park.
The enterprise should have a basis to prove that the foreigner’s stay in the industrial park serves work purposes and is not an arbitrary stay or improper use of a production area as accommodation.
The foreigner must stay at a suitable accommodation facility inside the industrial park
Under current regulations, experts and employees may temporarily stay or reside at an accommodation facility inside the industrial park. This facility should be properly located, used for the correct function and meet requirements on construction, environment, security and order, and other relevant regulations.
It should not be understood that foreigners can live directly inside production areas, factories or offices if those areas are not suitable accommodation facilities. The accommodation area should be separate from production areas, ensure safety and not affect the enterprise’s operations or the industrial park as a whole.
The accommodation facility must ensure security, order and not affect production
The accommodation facility inside the industrial park must ensure security and order, environmental safety distance and must not affect the production and business activities of enterprises in the industrial park.
Enterprises should also check the internal rules of the industrial park, requirements of the industrial park management board, local police authority and regulations on fire prevention and fighting, occupational safety and environment before arranging accommodation for foreigners.
The foreigner must have valid residence documents
Foreigners temporarily staying in an industrial park must still meet residence conditions in Vietnam. Depending on the case, the foreigner should hold suitable documents such as:
- Valid Vietnam visa;
- Valid temporary residence card;
- Visa exemption certificate if eligible;
- Entry and residence documents suitable for the purpose of work, investment, family visit or another lawful purpose;
- Work permit or work permit exemption confirmation if working in Vietnam and subject to labor documentation requirements.
If a foreigner is present in an industrial park but residence or labor documents are not suitable, this may create risks for both the foreign employee and the sponsoring enterprise.
Temporary residence declaration must be completed
When a foreigner temporarily stays at an accommodation facility inside an industrial park, the enterprise or accommodation facility manager must complete temporary residence declaration in accordance with regulations on foreigners’ residence in Vietnam.
Temporary residence declaration is an important step, especially for foreigners working in Vietnam. Failure to declare, late declaration or incorrect declaration may affect residence dossiers, visa extension, temporary residence card issuance, work permit procedures or other administrative matters.
Can Foreigners Stay at an Enterprise Inside an Industrial Park?
In principle, foreigners should temporarily stay at a suitable accommodation facility inside the industrial park or another lawful accommodation location. Staying directly at the enterprise inside the industrial park should not be understood as generally permitted in all cases.
Under current regulations, in certain force majeure or emergency cases such as natural disasters, environmental disasters, fire, epidemic, war, protest, riot or other emergency situations, foreign experts and employees may stay at the enterprise inside the industrial park for less than 30 days and must still complete temporary residence declaration as required.
Enterprises should not use this rule as a regular accommodation arrangement for foreigners. If long-term or recurring accommodation is needed for foreign experts or employees, the enterprise should check the conditions of the accommodation facility, residence documents and requirements of the industrial park management board and local authority.
What Should Enterprises Prepare When Arranging Accommodation for Foreigners in Industrial Parks?
Before arranging temporary stay for foreigners in an industrial park, enterprises should check and prepare:
- Legal documents of the enterprise;
- Documents proving the foreigner’s employment or suitable stay purpose;
- Visa, temporary residence card or residence documents of the foreigner;
- Work permit or work permit exemption confirmation if any;
- Information of the accommodation facility inside the industrial park;
- Regulations of the industrial park management board;
- Requirements of the local police authority on temporary residence declaration;
- Fire prevention and fighting, security and order, environmental safety documents if the accommodation facility is subject to such requirements;
- Internal process for managing foreigners staying at the enterprise or accommodation area.
Advance preparation helps enterprises reduce risks during inspections by authorities and ensures that foreigners reside lawfully and stably while working in Vietnam.
Common Mistakes When Arranging Temporary Stay for Foreigners in Industrial Parks
Common mistakes include:
- Referring to old regulations under Decree 82/2018/ND-CP without updating to Decree 35/2022/ND-CP;
- Misunderstanding that foreigners can live directly inside factories or offices;
- Failing to distinguish between accommodation facilities inside industrial parks and production areas;
- Failure to declare temporary residence for foreigners;
- The foreigner’s visa or temporary residence card is not suitable for the work purpose;
- Work permit or work permit exemption confirmation has not been completed;
- Failure to check regulations of the industrial park management board or local police authority;
- No documents proving that the stay serves production and business activities;
- Using the “emergency case under 30 days” rule as a long-term accommodation solution;
- Failure to check security, environmental and fire safety conditions of the accommodation area.
These mistakes may cause the enterprise to provide explanations, supplement documents or affect the foreigner’s visa, temporary residence card and work permit procedures.
Support Service for Foreigners Working and Staying in Industrial Parks by Nhị Gia
Foreigners working in industrial parks often need to handle multiple procedures at the same time, including entry approval letters, Vietnam visas, work permits, temporary residence declaration, temporary residence cards and documents related to the sponsoring enterprise.
With experience in Vietnam visas, entry approval letters, work permits, temporary residence cards, visa extensions, consular legalization and legal dossiers for foreigners in Vietnam, Nhị Gia supports enterprises in checking and preparing applications based on each specific case.
Nhị Gia supports enterprises with:
- Advising on conditions for foreigners working in Vietnam;
- Advising on visa, temporary residence card and work permit dossiers;
- Checking the foreigner’s residence status;
- Guiding temporary residence declaration for foreigners;
- Advising on cases where foreigners temporarily stay or reside inside industrial parks;
- Reviewing the sponsoring enterprise’s documents;
- Advising on handling cases where foreigners need to enter Vietnam urgently for work, factory operation, project handling or production support;
- Tracking applications and guiding the handling of additional requests from competent authorities;
- Maintaining confidentiality of foreign employees’ personal information and enterprise dossiers.
For urgent, express or fast-track handling needs, Nhị Gia will review dossier status, visa/temporary residence card validity, work permit, intended working timeline and competent authority requirements to advise on a suitable option. The actual timeline depends on dossier completeness, eligibility and processing progress at the relevant time.
Nhị Gia has recorded a high rate of smooth handling for eligible applications that are fully, truthfully and properly prepared in accordance with regulations. However, visa issuance, temporary residence card issuance, work permit issuance or related confirmation remains subject to the decision of the competent authority.
Nhị Gia Support Process
- Step 1: Information Collection. Nhị Gia collects information about the foreigner, nationality, passport, working position, sponsoring enterprise, industrial park workplace, visa/temporary residence card status and accommodation needs.
- Step 2: Checking Conditions and Existing Documents. Nhị Gia checks whether the foreigner has suitable residence documents, work permit or sponsorship documents, and reviews the possibility of temporary stay/residence inside the industrial park under regulations.
- Step 3: Advising on the Suitable Option. Depending on the dossier, Nhị Gia advises on visa, temporary residence card, work permit, temporary residence declaration or suitable accommodation handling for the foreigner.
- Step 4: Document Preparation and Application Tracking. Nhị Gia supports preparing documents for each procedure, tracking processing status and guiding the handling of additional requests if any.
- Step 5: Result Delivery and Post-Procedure Guidance. After the result is available, Nhị Gia delivers it according to the service agreement and guides the enterprise on residence, temporary residence declaration, visa/temporary residence card validity and the foreigner’s labor documents.
If your enterprise needs support with procedures for foreigners working, temporarily staying or residing in industrial parks in Vietnam, the visa, work permit, temporary residence card and temporary residence declaration should be reviewed before proceeding.
Nhị Gia supports procedures related to:
- Vietnam visas for foreigners;
- Entry approval letters;
- Work permits;
- Temporary residence cards;
- Visa extensions;
- Temporary residence declaration;
- Consular legalization and certified translation of foreign documents.
Nhị Gia contact information:
- Address: 186–188 Nguyen Duy Street, Chanh Hung Ward, Ho Chi Minh City
- Hotline: 1900 6654
- Mobile hotline: 0906 736 788
- Email: info@nhigia.vn
