What Is a Temporary Residence Card for Foreigners?
A temporary residence card is a document issued by the immigration authority or a competent authority of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to foreign nationals who are permitted to reside in Vietnam for a specified period. During its validity, the temporary residence card is valid in lieu of a visa.
Temporary residence cards are commonly considered for foreigners working, investing, studying, practicing a profession, residing with family members or falling under eligible categories under Vietnamese law. Holding a temporary residence card helps foreign nationals maintain a more stable residence status in Vietnam compared with certain short-term visas.
However, not every foreigner staying in Vietnam is eligible for a temporary residence card. The application must be reviewed based on residence purpose, current visa type, documents proving eligibility, the sponsor and passport validity.
Benefits of Holding a Temporary Residence Card
Foreign nationals granted temporary residence cards may have more convenience when residing, working, studying, investing or living with family members in Vietnam.
Common benefits include:
- Residing in Vietnam during the granted card validity;
- Using the temporary residence card in lieu of a visa during its validity;
- Reducing the need for repeated visa extension procedures if long-term stay is needed;
- More convenient exit and entry into Vietnam while the card remains valid and conditions are met;
- Having a suitable basis for certain administrative, employment, investment, study or residence procedures in Vietnam;
- Being considered for sponsoring family members to enter or reside in Vietnam under a suitable category if requirements are met;
- Being protected under Vietnamese law in terms of life, honor, property and lawful rights and interests during lawful residence in Vietnam.
These benefits should be understood within the scope of legal requirements and actual dossier conditions. Foreign nationals must use the temporary residence card for the correct purpose, within its validity and in compliance with Vietnam’s residence regulations.
Requirements for Temporary Residence Card Issuance
To be considered for a temporary residence card in Vietnam, a foreign national should meet the following basic requirements:
- Holding a valid passport or international travel document;
- Passport validity being at least 30 days longer than the intended temporary residence card validity;
- Having completed temporary residence declaration at the place of stay;
- Entering Vietnam for the correct purpose or falling under a case eligible for purpose conversion as prescribed;
- Having a suitable inviting or sponsoring agency, organization or individual in Vietnam;
- Having documents proving eligibility for the requested temporary residence card category;
- Not falling under cases where issuance is not resolved or is restricted under regulations;
- Submitting complete, accurate and consistent documents in the required forms.
Depending on the temporary residence card category, the foreign national should prepare corresponding supporting documents:
- Foreign workers, LĐ1 or LĐ2: A valid work permit or work permit exemption confirmation is required.
- Foreign investors, ĐT1, ĐT2 or ĐT3: Documents proving investment activities and capital contribution in a Vietnamese enterprise are required, together with the capital value conditions for each category.
- Students, DH: An acceptance or confirmation document from a school, educational or training institution in Vietnam is required.
- Family members, TT: Valid proof of family relationship is required, such as marriage certificate, birth certificate or equivalent civil status documents.
- Other categories: Documents proving the corresponding status for the requested temporary residence card symbol are required.
Validity of Temporary Residence Cards for Foreigners
The validity of a temporary residence card depends on the card symbol, residence purpose, supporting documents and remaining passport validity. Under the regulations, the issued card validity must be at least 30 days shorter than the remaining validity of the passport.
Common maximum validity periods include:
| Temporary residence card symbol | Maximum validity |
| ĐT1 | Up to 10 years |
| NG3, LV1, LV2, LS, ĐT2, DH | Up to 05 years |
| NN1, NN2, ĐT3, TT | Up to 03 years |
| LĐ1, LĐ2, PV1 | Up to 02 years |
The actual granted validity may be shorter than the maximum period above depending on passport validity, work permit, work permit exemption confirmation, investment documents, family relationship documents or other relevant supporting materials.
Documents Required for Temporary Residence Card Application
Temporary residence card documents vary depending on the card symbol, residence purpose, sponsor and actual status of the foreign national. In general, the dossier includes the following document groups:
General Documents
- Request letter for temporary residence card issuance from the inviting or sponsoring agency, organization or individual;
- Temporary residence card application form with photo using the suitable form;
- Original valid passport;
- Current visa or residence document if any;
- Portrait photos in the required format;
- Temporary residence declaration information completed as prescribed;
- Additional documents requested by the competent authority if any.
Documents Proving Eligibility for the Card Category
Depending on the case, the foreign national should prepare suitable supporting documents, for example:
- Employment category: Valid work permit or work permit exemption confirmation.
- Investment category: Investment registration certificate, enterprise registration certificate, documents proving capital contribution or investor status.
- Family category: Marriage certificate, birth certificate or valid proof of family relationship.
- Study category: Acceptance or confirmation document from an educational institution in Vietnam.
- Other categories: Documents proving the corresponding status under each temporary residence card symbol.
Documents of the Sponsor
For company or organization sponsors:
- Enterprise registration certificate, investment registration certificate or corresponding legal documents;
- Seal and signature introduction form if not previously registered or if there are changes;
- Introduction letter or authorization for the person submitting the dossier if submitted directly;
- Other documents required depending on the case.
For individual sponsors:
- Citizen ID card, passport or valid identity document of the sponsor;
- Documents proving relationship with the foreign national;
- Residence information of the sponsor;
- Other documents required by the competent authority.
Procedure for Temporary Residence Card Issuance
After preparing the dossier, the inviting or sponsoring agency, organization or individual submits the application to the competent authority or online if eligible. For NG3 cards, the dossier falls under the competent authority of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The basic process includes:
Step 1: Check Eligibility and Suitable Card Type. The sponsor should identify the foreign national’s eligible category, suitable card symbol, remaining passport validity and whether supporting documents are complete.
Step 2: Prepare the Dossier. The dossier must be prepared according to the correct card symbol, residence purpose, sponsor type and submission location. Information on passport, current visa, temporary residence declaration, work permit, investment documents or family relationship documents must be consistent.
Step 3: Submit the Application. The dossier may be submitted to the Vietnam Immigration Department, provincial immigration authority or through the public service portal if eligible. Depending on the case, the application may be submitted in person, online or by postal service according to the receiving authority’s guidance.
Step 4: Track and Supplement the Dossier if Requested. The receiving authority reviews the dossier and may request supplementation if documents are incomplete, not in the correct form or inconsistent with the requested card purpose.
Step 5: Receive the Result. If approved, the submitter receives the temporary residence card according to the appointment or applicable result delivery method. After receiving the card, the foreign national should carefully check personal information, passport number, card symbol, validity and related details.
Processing Time for Temporary Residence Card Applications
According to administrative procedure regulations, the processing time for temporary residence card issuance is 05 working days from the date the competent authority receives a complete and valid dossier.
It should be noted that this is the competent authority’s processing time after the dossier is complete and valid. It is not the entire actual timeline when clients use Nhị Gia’s dossier support service.
In practice, the total timeline may include:
- Consultation and eligibility check;
- Review of the sponsor’s legal documents;
- Checking passport, visa and temporary residence declaration;
- Checking work permit, investment documents, family documents or related materials;
- Form preparation;
- Translation, notarization/certification or consular legalization if needed;
- Dossier submission;
- Result tracking;
- Supplementation or correction if requested.
Nhị Gia will advise the estimated timeline after reviewing the client’s specific dossier.
Temporary Residence Card Issuance Fees
Temporary residence card issuance fees depend on the validity of the issued card. Under the current fee levels, temporary residence card fees are recorded as follows:
| Temporary residence card validity | Fee |
| Card valid for up to 02 years | USD 145 per card |
| Card valid for over 02 years to 05 years | USD 155 per card |
| Card valid for over 05 years to 10 years | USD 165 per card |
This is the state fee paid to the competent authority. In addition, clients may incur translation, notarization/certification, consular legalization, courier, travel, dossier support service fees or costs for additional requests if any.
Can an Expired Temporary Residence Card Be Extended?
Under current legal wording, when a temporary residence card expires, the foreign national may be considered for a new card if requirements continue to be met. Therefore, handling an expired card should not be understood as automatically extending the validity of the old card.
When a temporary residence card is about to expire, the foreign national and sponsor should review:
- Whether the passport remains valid;
- Whether the work permit or work permit exemption confirmation remains valid;
- Whether investment documents or documents proving residence status remain suitable;
- Whether family relationship documents still meet requirements;
- Temporary residence declaration status;
- Whether the sponsor remains suitable;
- Whether there are changes in residence purpose, workplace, residence address or legal dossier.
If eligible, the foreign national may be considered for a new temporary residence card with a suitable validity period as prescribed.
Temporary Residence Card Consulting Service for Foreigners by Nhị Gia
Preparing a temporary residence card application requires accuracy in card type, residence purpose, supporting documents and sponsor information. If the dossier is incomplete, uses incorrect forms or contains inconsistent information, the foreign national may need to supplement documents, correct information or face longer processing time.
With more than 20 years of experience in Vietnam visas, entry approval letters, work permits, temporary residence cards and legal dossiers for foreigners in Vietnam, Nhị Gia supports enterprises, organizations, individuals and foreign nationals in preparing temporary residence card applications based on each specific case.
Nhị Gia supports clients with:
- Advising on temporary residence card conditions case by case;
- Identifying the suitable card type based on residence purpose;
- Guiding preparation of required documents and materials;
- Checking dossier validity and consistency;
- Reviewing passport, visa, temporary residence declaration and supporting documents;
- Supporting form completion and dossier standardization;
- Supporting translation, notarization/certification or consular legalization if needed;
- Supporting submission through the suitable method;
- Tracking application status;
- Supporting additional document requests if any;
- Receiving and delivering results according to the service agreement;
- Advising on related procedures such as work permit, entry approval, visa, police record or consular legalization if needed;
- Maintaining confidentiality of personal information, enterprise dossiers and client documents.
Nhị Gia does not guarantee outcomes for every application, as the final decision belongs to the competent authority. However, identifying the correct card type, preparing a complete dossier and checking information consistency from the beginning can help reduce errors and support a more proactive residence plan in Vietnam.
Nhị Gia Temporary Residence Card Service Process
The support process at Nhị Gia focuses on checking eligibility first, advising on the suitable handling direction and tracking progress based on each specific case.
- Step 1: Information Collection. Nhị Gia collects information about the foreign national, sponsor, residence purpose, current visa type, passport validity, work permit, investment documents, family documents and stay needs in Vietnam.
- Step 2: Dossier Review and Consultation. Nhị Gia reviews card eligibility, suitable card symbol, sponsor documents and related supporting documents. After review, Nhị Gia advises on the suitable application direction for each case.
- Step 3: Document Preparation Guidance and Dossier Completion. Nhị Gia guides clients in preparing required documents, supports form completion, reviews information and standardizes the dossier before submission to the competent authority.
- Step 4: Submission and Result Tracking. Nhị Gia supports submission through the suitable method and tracks processing status. If additional documents are requested, Nhị Gia coordinates with the client to prepare the required revisions.
- Step 5: Result Delivery. After the result is available, Nhị Gia delivers the temporary residence card and guides the client in checking card information, including full name, date of birth, nationality, passport number, card symbol and validity.
If you are an enterprise, organization, individual or foreign national needing to apply for a temporary residence card in Vietnam, you should check the correct card type, sponsorship conditions and legal dossier before submission.
Please contact Hotline 1900 6654 or email info@nhigia.vn for case-specific consultation from Nhị Gia’s specialists.
