What Is a Family Temporary Residence Card?
A family temporary residence card, symbol TT, is a temporary residence card considered for foreign nationals who are family members of Vietnamese citizens or family members of foreigners legally residing in Vietnam under suitable cases.
The TT temporary residence card commonly applies to cases such as spouse, parents or children of Vietnamese citizens; or spouse and children under 18 years old of a foreigner who has been granted suitable residence documents in Vietnam. Depending on the case, valid documents proving family relationship and a suitable sponsor in Vietnam are required.
A TT temporary residence card is valid in lieu of a visa during its validity. Foreign nationals granted family temporary residence cards may reside in Vietnam during the card validity and must comply with the approved residence purpose as well as temporary residence declaration, immigration and residence regulations in Vietnam.
Who May Be Considered for a TT Family Temporary Residence Card?
Foreign nationals may be considered for a TT temporary residence card if they are eligible family members and meet dossier requirements as prescribed.
Common cases include:
- A foreign national who is the spouse of a Vietnamese citizen;
- A foreign national who is the parent or child of a Vietnamese citizen;
- A foreign national who is the spouse of a foreigner holding a suitable temporary residence card in Vietnam;
- A foreign national who is the child under 18 years old of a foreigner holding a suitable temporary residence card in Vietnam;
- Other family cases if eligible for consideration by the competent authority under regulations.
For cases where a foreign worker sponsors family members, the current residence document, remaining validity, work permit or work permit exemption confirmation, sponsoring enterprise dossier and family relationship documents should be reviewed.
For cases where a Vietnamese citizen sponsors foreign family members, the sponsor’s identity documents, residence information, relationship documents and the foreign national’s current residence status should be reviewed.
Requirements for a TT Family Temporary Residence Card
Foreign nationals may be considered for a TT temporary residence card when meeting 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 as prescribed;
- Having valid documents proving family relationship;
- Having a suitable individual, agency or organization in Vietnam to invite or sponsor;
- The actual residence purpose is consistent with family residence;
- Not falling under cases where issuance is restricted or unresolved as prescribed;
- Submitting complete documents in the correct forms with consistent information.
Documents proving family relationship may include marriage certificate, birth certificate, family relationship certificate or equivalent civil status documents. If documents are issued overseas, consular legalization, translation and notarization/certification may be required, unless exempt under applicable treaties or regulations.
If the foreign national is currently using a visa or residence document that is not under family purpose, the possibility of purpose conversion or a suitable handling direction should be reviewed before proceeding. It should not be assumed that every foreigner currently in Vietnam can directly convert to a TT temporary residence card.
Validity of a TT Family Temporary Residence Card
A TT temporary residence card is valid for up to 03 years. The specific validity granted depends on passport validity, family relationship documents, sponsor’s residence documents, sponsorship dossier and the decision of the competent authority.
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. Therefore, if the passport has a short remaining validity, the granted temporary residence card may also be shorter than the maximum period.
When a TT temporary residence card is close to expiry, it should not be understood as automatically extendable on the old card. If requirements continue to be met, the foreign national may be considered for a new temporary residence card based on the dossier at the time of application.
Documents Required for a TT Family Temporary Residence Card
Documents for a TT family temporary residence card vary depending on whether the sponsor is a Vietnamese citizen, a foreigner legally residing in Vietnam or an agency/organization sponsor. In general, the dossier includes the following document groups:
General Documents of the Foreign National
- 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;
- Documents proving family relationship;
- Additional documents requested by the competent authority if any.
Foreign Worker Sponsoring Spouse or Children Under 18
If a foreign worker legally residing and working in Vietnam wishes to sponsor a spouse or children under 18, the dossier commonly includes:
- Legal documents of the company or organization sponsoring the foreign worker;
- Request letter for temporary residence card issuance from the sponsoring company or organization;
- Passport and valid temporary residence card or residence document of the principal foreign worker;
- Work permit or work permit exemption confirmation of the principal foreign worker if cross-checking is required;
- Documents proving family relationship, such as marriage certificate, birth certificate or equivalent documents;
- Seal and signature introduction form if the enterprise has not registered or has changes;
- Additional documents requested by the competent authority if any.
Vietnamese Citizen Sponsoring Foreign Family Members
If a Vietnamese citizen sponsors foreign parents, spouse or children, the dossier commonly includes:
- Sponsorship application from the Vietnamese citizen using the suitable form;
- Identity document of the sponsor, such as citizen ID card, identity card or Vietnamese passport;
- Sponsor’s residence documents if requested;
- Documents proving family relationship, such as marriage certificate, birth certificate or equivalent civil status documents;
- Original valid passport of the foreign national;
- Temporary residence card application form using the suitable template with photo attached;
- Temporary residence declaration information of the foreign national;
- Additional documents requested by the competent authority if any.
Procedure for Applying for a TT Family Temporary Residence Card
Currently, individual, agency or organization sponsors may apply for a TT family temporary residence card in person, online or by postal service if permitted by the procedure and receiving authority.
Step 1: Check Sponsorship Conditions and Family Documents
The foreign national and sponsor should check family relationship, documents proving the relationship, current residence status, passport validity and sponsorship conditions before preparing the dossier.
Step 2: Prepare the Dossier Based on the Case
The dossier must be prepared according to the specific case: Vietnamese citizen sponsoring foreign family members, foreign worker sponsoring spouse/children under 18 or another suitable sponsorship case.
Step 3: Submit the Dossier to the Competent Authority
The dossier may be submitted to the Vietnam Immigration Department, provincial immigration authority or through the public service portal if eligible. The applicant should check the suitable submission location based on application type, sponsor’s residence or headquarters of the sponsoring agency/organization.
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, not legalized/translated as required 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 foreign national should carefully check full name, date of birth, nationality, passport number, card symbol and validity.
Where to Submit a TT Family Temporary Residence Card Application?
Because each case may differ, a TT family 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 sponsor, residence of the individual sponsor, headquarters of the sponsoring organization and receiving scope of the competent authority at the time of submission.
Processing Time for a TT Family Temporary Residence Card Application
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 eligibility check;
- Review of documents proving family relationship;
- Checking passport, visa or current residence document;
- Checking the individual sponsor’s or sponsoring entity’s dossier;
- Translation, notarization/certification or consular legalization if needed;
- Form preparation;
- 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 a TT Family Temporary Residence Card
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 |
For TT temporary residence cards, the maximum validity is generally up to 03 years. Therefore, the applicable fee will depend on the actual validity of the issued 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.
Common Challenges When Applying for a TT Family Temporary Residence Card Independently
When preparing a TT family temporary residence card application independently, the foreign national or sponsor may encounter challenges such as:
- Not identifying the correct sponsorship case;
- Family relationship documents being incomplete or unsuitable;
- Foreign-issued documents not being consular legalized, translated or notarized/certified as required;
- Inconsistency among passport, family documents, visa, temporary residence declaration and sponsorship dossier;
- The foreign national currently using a visa or residence document not suitable for family purpose;
- Passport not having sufficient validity for the intended card duration;
- The sponsor not preparing the correct forms or identity documents;
- 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.
TT Family Temporary Residence Card Service by Nhị Gia
A TT family temporary residence card application must be prepared carefully because it involves family relationship, the foreign national’s residence status, sponsorship eligibility and supporting documents issued in Vietnam or overseas. If documents are inconsistent, not properly legalized/translated or the application category is incorrectly selected, processing may take longer.
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 clients in preparing TT family temporary residence card applications based on each specific case.
Nhị Gia supports clients with:
- Advising on TT temporary residence card conditions case by case;
- Checking the sponsor and suitable sponsorship category;
- Reviewing passport, visa or current residence document of the foreign national;
- Checking documents proving family relationship;
- Guiding consular legalization, translation and notarization/certification if documents are issued overseas;
- 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 visa extension, new temporary residence card issuance, entry approval, work permit, police record or consular legalization if needed;
- Maintaining confidentiality of personal information, family documents and client materials.
Nhị Gia does not guarantee outcomes for every application, as the final decision belongs to the competent authority. However, identifying the correct family 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 TT Family Temporary Residence Card
The support process at Nhị Gia focuses on checking eligibility first, reviewing family relationship documents and advising on a suitable solution case by case.
- Step 1: Information Collection. Nhị Gia collects information about the foreign national, sponsor, family relationship, residence purpose, available documents, visa/temporary residence card status and stay needs in Vietnam.
- Step 2: Eligibility and Family Document Review. Nhị Gia reviews card eligibility, family relationship documents, sponsor dossier, foreign national’s residence status and legalization/translation requirements if any.
- 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 family relationship documents, sponsor 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 TT Family Temporary Residence Card Consultation
If you are a foreign national or sponsor needing to apply for a TT family temporary residence card in Vietnam, eligibility, family relationship documents and sponsorship 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.
