What Is an Investor Temporary Residence Card?
An investor temporary residence card is a temporary residence card considered for foreign investors in Vietnam or representatives of foreign organizations investing in Vietnam, provided that they meet the requirements under Vietnam’s regulations on entry, exit, transit and residence of foreigners.
Investor temporary residence cards commonly carry the symbols ĐT1, ĐT2 or ĐT3, depending on capital contribution value, investment sector, investment area or specific project conditions. This card is valid in lieu of a visa during its validity and allows foreign investors to lawfully reside in Vietnam to manage, monitor or implement investment activities.
Not every foreign investor is eligible for an investor temporary residence card. Investors with capital contribution under VND 03 billion are usually under the ĐT4 visa category and are not in the long-term investor temporary residence card groups such as ĐT1, ĐT2 and ĐT3. Therefore, capital contribution value, investor status, enterprise documents and actual residence purpose should be carefully reviewed before proceeding.
Legal Basis for Investor Temporary Residence Cards
Investor temporary residence card applications are generally reviewed based on regulations on entry, exit, transit and residence of foreigners in Vietnam, together with regulations on investment, enterprises, fees and charges.
Common legal documents for reference include:
- Law No. 47/2014/QH13 on entry, exit, transit and residence of foreigners in Vietnam;
- Law No. 51/2019/QH14 amending and supplementing a number of articles of Law No. 47/2014/QH13;
- Law No. 23/2023/QH15 amending and supplementing several immigration-related regulations;
- Consolidated Document 62/VBHN-VPQH in 2026 on entry, exit, transit and residence of foreigners in Vietnam;
- Regulations on forms and dossiers issued by the Ministry of Public Security;
- Circular 28/2026/TT-BTC on fees and charges in the field of exit, entry, transit and residence in Vietnam;
- Relevant investment and enterprise regulations relating to investor status, capital contribution and enterprise documents.
When preparing the application, the enterprise and investor should check the regulations effective at the time of submission, as forms, submission methods and document requirements may change from time to time.
Types of Investor Temporary Residence Cards: ĐT1, ĐT2 and ĐT3
Investor temporary residence cards are classified by symbols corresponding to the conditions of the foreign investor or representative of a foreign organization investing in Vietnam.
| Card symbol | Eligible applicants | Maximum validity |
| ĐT1 | Foreign investors in Vietnam or representatives of foreign organizations investing in Vietnam with capital contribution of VND 100 billion or more, or investing in investment-incentive sectors or areas as prescribed | Up to 10 years |
| ĐT2 | Foreign investors in Vietnam or representatives of foreign organizations investing in Vietnam with capital contribution from VND 50 billion to under VND 100 billion, or investing in sectors encouraged for development as prescribed | Up to 05 years |
| ĐT3 | Foreign investors in Vietnam or representatives of foreign organizations investing in Vietnam with capital contribution from VND 03 billion to under VND 50 billion | Up to 03 years |
It should be noted that the actual granted validity may be shorter than the maximum period if the passport, investment documents, sponsorship status or related materials do not support the full corresponding duration. As a general principle, the validity of a temporary residence card must be at least 30 days shorter than the remaining validity of the passport.
Requirements for Investor Temporary Residence Card Issuance
Foreign investors or representatives of foreign organizations investing in Vietnam may be considered for investor temporary residence cards if they 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 documents proving investor status or representative status of a foreign organization investing in Vietnam;
- Having documents proving capital contribution, investment value or investment conditions suitable for ĐT1, ĐT2 or ĐT3 category;
- Having a valid enterprise, agency or organization in Vietnam to invite or sponsor;
- Having completed temporary residence declaration at the place of stay as prescribed;
- The residence purpose is consistent with investment status;
- Not falling under cases where issuance is restricted or unresolved as prescribed;
- Submitting complete documents in the correct forms with consistent information.
Documents proving investment status may include investment registration certificate, enterprise registration certificate, documents proving capital contribution, list of members/shareholders, company charter or other documents requested by the competent authority.
Documents Required for an Investor Temporary Residence Card
Investor temporary residence card documents may vary depending on ĐT1, ĐT2 or ĐT3 category, enterprise type, capital contribution status, representative status and sponsorship dossier. In general, the dossier includes the following document groups:
Personal Documents of the Foreign Investor
- Original valid passport;
- Current visa or residence document if any;
- Temporary residence card application form using the suitable template with photo attached;
- Portrait photos in the required format;
- Temporary residence declaration information completed as prescribed;
- Additional documents requested by the competent authority if any.
Legal Documents of the Sponsoring Enterprise
- Request letter for temporary residence card issuance from the sponsoring enterprise or organization;
- Enterprise registration certificate;
- Investment registration certificate if available;
- 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 in person;
- Documents on the enterprise’s operating status if requested;
- Additional documents requested by the competent authority if any.
Documents Proving Investor Status
Depending on the case, the investor should prepare documents proving investment status, such as:
- Investment registration certificate;
- Enterprise registration certificate;
- Documents proving actual capital contribution;
- List of members or shareholders;
- Company charter;
- Documents showing that the foreign national is an investor or representative of a foreign organization investing in Vietnam;
- Documents proving that the project falls under investment-incentive sectors or areas if applying under ĐT1 or ĐT2 based on incentive conditions;
- Other documents requested by the competent authority.
Procedure for Applying for an Investor Temporary Residence Card
The procedure for applying for an investor temporary residence card is usually carried out by the inviting or sponsoring enterprise, agency or organization in Vietnam. Depending on the case, the dossier may be submitted in person, online or by postal service if permitted by the procedure and receiving authority.
Step 1: Check Investment Conditions and Suitable Card Type
The enterprise and investor should review capital contribution value, investor status, enterprise documents, passport validity, current residence status and the suitable temporary residence card symbol: ĐT1, ĐT2 or ĐT3.
Step 2: Prepare the Dossier
The dossier must be prepared according to the requested temporary residence card symbol. Information on passport, current residence document, investment documents, enterprise documents and temporary residence declaration must be consistent.
Step 3: Submit the Dossier to the Competent Authority
The dossier may be submitted to the provincial immigration authority, Vietnam Immigration Department or through the public service portal if eligible. The specific submission location depends on the headquarters of the sponsoring enterprise, application type and guidance of the competent authority at the time of submission.
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, do not clearly prove investor status or contain inconsistent information.
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 investor should carefully check full name, date of birth, nationality, passport number, card symbol and validity.
Where to Submit an Investor Temporary Residence Card Application?
Depending on the case, an investor temporary residence card application may be submitted to:
- Vietnam Immigration Department;
- Provincial immigration authority;
- National Public Service Portal;
- Ministry of Public Security Public Service Portal;
- Postal service if permitted by the procedure and receiving authority.
The specific submission location depends on the sponsoring enterprise or organization, headquarters location, application type and receiving scope of the competent authority at the time of submission.
Processing Time for Investor Temporary Residence Card Applications
Under current administrative procedures, 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 investment condition review;
- Review of documents proving capital contribution, investor status and enterprise dossier;
- Checking passport, visa or current residence document;
- Checking temporary residence declaration status;
- Form preparation;
- Translation, notarization/certification or consular legalization if needed;
- Dossier submission;
- Result tracking;
- Supplementation or correction if requested;
- Result collection and delivery.
Nhị Gia will advise the estimated timeline after reviewing the client’s specific dossier.
Fees for Investor Temporary Residence Card Issuance
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 Investor Temporary Residence Card Be Extended?
When an investor temporary residence card is close to expiry, the foreign investor may be considered for a new temporary residence card if requirements continue to be met. Handling an expired card should not be understood as automatically extending the old card.
Before applying for a new card, the investor and sponsoring enterprise should check:
- Whether the passport remains valid;
- Whether the investor continues to meet capital contribution and investor status requirements;
- Whether the enterprise dossier has changed;
- Whether the investment registration certificate, enterprise registration certificate and capital contribution documents are consistent;
- Temporary residence declaration status;
- Whether the current residence purpose remains consistent with investment status;
- Whether additional requests may arise from the competent authority.
If eligible, the investor may be considered for a new temporary residence card with a suitable validity under ĐT1, ĐT2 or ĐT3 category.
Common Challenges When Applying for an Investor Temporary Residence Card Independently
When preparing an investor temporary residence card application independently, investors or sponsoring enterprises may encounter challenges such as:
- Not identifying the correct ĐT1, ĐT2 or ĐT3 category;
- Failing to clearly prove capital contribution value or investor status;
- Inconsistency among investment registration certificate, enterprise registration certificate and capital contribution documents;
- Passport not having sufficient validity for the intended card duration;
- Enterprise not updating seal, signature or legal information;
- Temporary residence declaration status not being suitable;
- Investor currently using a visa or residence document not suitable for investment category;
- Submitting the dossier to the wrong competent authority;
- Uncertainty about additional requests or how to correct the dossier when requested.
These issues may lead to additional requests, longer processing time or failure to obtain the intended card validity.
Investor Temporary Residence Card Service by Nhị Gia
An investor temporary residence card application must be prepared carefully because it relates to investor status, capital contribution value, enterprise legal documents, residence status and long-term stay planning in Vietnam. If the card category is incorrectly identified or investment documents are inconsistent, processing may take longer or require additional documents.
With more than 20 years of experience in Vietnam visas, entry approval letters, temporary residence cards, work permits and legal dossiers for foreigners in Vietnam, Nhị Gia supports investors and sponsoring enterprises in preparing investor temporary residence card applications based on each specific case.
Nhị Gia supports clients with:
- Advising on investor temporary residence card conditions case by case;
- Identifying the suitable card category: ĐT1, ĐT2 or ĐT3;
- Reviewing passport, visa or current residence document of the investor;
- Checking investment registration certificate, enterprise registration certificate and documents proving capital contribution;
- Checking legal documents of the sponsoring enterprise;
- Guiding preparation of required forms and documents;
- Supporting dossier completion and standardization;
- 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 entry approval, investor visa, new temporary residence card issuance, family sponsorship and consular legalization if needed;
- Maintaining confidentiality of personal information, enterprise dossiers and investment documents.
Nhị Gia does not guarantee outcomes for every application, as the final decision belongs to the competent authority. However, identifying the correct investment category, preparing valid supporting documents and reviewing information consistency from the beginning can help reduce errors and support a more proactive residence plan in Vietnam.
Nhị Gia Support Process for Investor Temporary Residence Card
The support process at Nhị Gia focuses on checking eligibility first, reviewing investment documents and advising on a suitable solution case by case.
- Step 1: Information Collection. Nhị Gia collects information about the investor, sponsoring enterprise, capital contribution value, investment documents, passport, current visa/temporary residence card and stay needs in Vietnam.
- Step 2: Investment Eligibility and Dossier Review. Nhị Gia reviews card eligibility, suitable card symbol, enterprise dossier, documents proving capital contribution and the investor’s residence status.
- 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.
- 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.
Nhị Gia Service Timeline
The statutory processing time refers to the processing period of the competent authority after receiving a complete and valid dossier. It is not the entire actual timeline when clients use Nhị Gia’s service.
When using Nhị Gia’s service, the actual timeline depends on investment documents, sponsoring enterprise dossier, passport, current visa/temporary residence card, temporary residence declaration status, how quickly the client provides documents, translation/notarization/consular legalization needs, additional requests if any and the competent authority’s processing progress.
Nhị Gia will advise the estimated timeline after reviewing the client’s specific dossier.
Contact Nhị Gia for Investor Temporary Residence Card Consultation
If you are a foreign investor, representative of a foreign organization investing in Vietnam or an enterprise needing to sponsor an investor’s temporary residence card application, investment conditions, card type and legal dossier should be reviewed before submission.
Please contact Hotline 1900 6654 or email info@nhigia.vn for case-specific consultation from Nhị Gia’s specialists.
