By Decision No. 82/2015/ND-CP issued on 24th September, 2015 about Vietnam visa exemption, Vietnam now provide 5-years visa exemption certificate for oversea Vietnamese or foreigners who are the spouses or children of Vietnamese people.
I. Legal basis for 5-years Vietnam visa exemption
Law No. 47/2014/QH2013 – Law on Entry, exit, transit, residence of foreigners in Vietnam
Decree No. 82/2015/ND-CP stipulating the exemption of visa visas for Vietnamese residing overseas and foreigners who are the spouses or children of Vietnamese citizens.
Circular 04/2015/TT-BCA specifies forms of papers related to the entry, exit and residence of foreigners in Vietnam.
II. Who is eligible for 5-years Vietnam visa exemption?
5 year free-visa certificate is only granted those who are:
- Vietnamese overseas residing foreign countries and do not have Vietnam passport.
- Foreigners who are spouse or children of a Vietnam passport holders
III. How to use 5-years Vietnam visa exemption certificates?
- Visa exemption certificates are valid for maximum 5 years and expires at least 6 months before the expiration of the passport. Those who have visa exemption certificates are permitted to stay in Vietnam up to 180 days for each entry. After this period of time, you will need to leave the country and enter again to satisfy the 180 days rule. If you don’t want to leave Vietnam then enter again to take another 180 days for staying, you can apply for visa exemption extension inside the country and each extension is up to 90 days only.
- 5-years visa exemption certificates has not been activated if the holder is staying in Vietnam and can not use it to leave the country. They must leave the country using their visa and enter again using visa exemption certificate to activate it.
- There are 2 types of 5-year Vietnam visa exemption certificates: sticker and loose leaf certificate of visa exemption:
Stamped certificate: It will be glued directly in your passport. This type is granted for those who are foreigners or Vietnamese settling down abroad and having foreign passport.
Detached certificate: This type is provided for those who are Vietnamese settling abroad but only having Permanent Residence Card or foreigners coming from countries or territories which don’t have diplomatic relation with Vietnam. People who are in the list of sticker certificate also get loose leaf one if there is no blank page in their passport.
IV. Required documents for 5-years visa exemption application
For Vietnamese residing abroad, please provide following documents:
- One application form NA9 for visa exemption certificate
- Two recent 4x6cm photos
- Foreign passports with validity of at least 5 years up to date of entry (in case the passport remains valid for less than 5 years, the visa exemption period will be calculated according to the remaining time of the passport).
- One of the following documents, if available:
- A certificate of Vietnamese citizenship;
- A copy or excerpt of the decision for recovery of Vietnamese citizenship;
- A copy or excerpt of the decision for renunciation of Vietnamese citizenship;
- Certificate of lost of Vietnamese citizenship;
- A Vietnamese passport (valid or invalid)
- An identity card (valid or invalid)
- A birth certificate (copy accepted)
- The latest voter’s card
- A family register book
- A travel document issued before 1975
- An identity card issued before 1975
- An excerpt from birth register issued before 1975
- Documents issued by competent foreign authorities if they can prove that the person in question has original Vietnamese citizenship or of Vietnamese origin.
In case of not having documents listed at section (4), the following documents could be submitted:
- A guarantee issued by an overseas Vietnamese association from the country of residence
For holders of foreign passports being spouses or children of a Vietnamese citizens, please provide following documents:
- One application form NA9 for a visa exemption certificate
- One recent 4x6cm photo
- Foreign passports with validity of at least 5 years up to date of entry (in case the passport remains valid for less than 5 years, the visa exemption period will be calculated according to the remaining time of the passport).
- One of documents proving relationship between wives/husbands/children and the Vietnamese residing abroad:
- Certificate of marriage registration certificate or marriage recording certificate (in case of foreign language requires consular legalization, translation)
- Certificate of birth
- The identity card or passport of spouse or father, mother who is a Vietnamese citizen
V. Submission of 5-years visa exemption application for foreigners:
– In case the foreigner is residing in Vietnam: Submit the visa exemption application at the Immigration Department of Vietnam (Immigration Department in Hanoi, Immigration Department in Da Nang, Immigration Department in Danang City HCM).
– In case the foreigners are not in Vietnam: Submit the application for visa exemption at the Vietnamese embassy or consulate abroad.