Vietnam Temporary Residence Card: Requirements & Documents

Updated Oct 17, 2026

To get a Vietnam temporary residence card (TRC) in 2026 you need a qualifying basis — usually a work permit (LĐ), an investment of VND 3 billion or more (ĐT1–ĐT3) or a family tie to a Vietnamese citizen or card holder (TT) — a passport valid for at least 13 months, and a sponsor in Vietnam who files the application. (47/2014/QH13) The card then lasts as long as that basis allows: up to 2 years for work, 3 for family and up to 10 for the largest investors.

A TRC Is Always Issued on a Basis

You cannot apply for a temporary residence card in the abstract. The card is tied to a reason for staying — employment, investment, or a family relationship — and that reason is recorded as a visa/card symbol. (47/2014/QH13) The symbol you qualify for decides both the documents you must submit and how long the card can last.

The common symbols are:

Investors below 3 billion VND (ĐT4) are generally granted a visa only, not a temporary residence card.

• LĐ — labor: for a foreigner working in Vietnam who holds a work permit (or a work-permit-exemption confirmation)
• ĐT1–ĐT3 — investors: TRC categories graded by contributed capital
• TT — family: for the spouse or child of a Vietnamese citizen, or of a foreigner who already holds a work-based or investment-based card
• Other symbols (e.g. For representatives of foreign organizations) apply in specific cases as provided by law

The Document Checklist

The exact papers depend on your basis, but a typical file includes:

• A passport valid for at least 13 months, plus the current valid visa or entry stamp
• The completed application form and declaration, with photos to specification
• A sponsoring party in Vietnam — the employer, the company, or the Vietnamese family member — with its own legal papers
• For LĐ: the work permit or the work-permit-exemption confirmation
• For ĐT1–ĐT3: proof of the investment and capital contribution (enterprise registration, investment registration)
• For TT: proof of the relationship (marriage or birth certificate), legalized and translated into Vietnamese

How Long the Card Lasts

Validity is set by category, not by choice, and it can never run longer than the underlying basis:

• Employment (LĐ): usually up to 2 years, and never beyond the validity of the work permit
• Family (TT): up to 3 years
• Investor ĐT3: up to 3 years
• Investor ĐT2: up to 5 years
• Investor ĐT1: up to 10 years

Circular 70/2026/TT-BCA — what changed from 1 July 2026

From 1 July 2026, Circular 70/2026/TT-BCA (Ministry of Public Security) updated the TRC application forms and some validity rules. The Immigration Department still issues cards; filing authority did not move with the work-permit or IRC/ERC mergers.

Practical points for 2026 files: use the current form set under Circular 70; confirm maximum validity for your symbol — eligible investor categories (ĐT1) can reach up to 10 years where the basis supports it; employment (LĐ) cards still cannot run longer than the underlying work permit.

InTimeVisa is a private agent. We match your basis documents to the current form requirements before lodging — we do not invent government processing times or fees.

Where It Is Filed and How Long It Takes

For ordinary categories, the inviter/sponsor files with immigration where the sponsoring organization is headquartered or the individual sponsor resides (Immigration Law Article 37(2)(b), as amended) (47/2014/QH13) — so an employer headquartered in Da Nang files in Da Nang. The competent authority considers issuance within 5 working days of receiving a complete dossier under Immigration Law Article 37(2)(c). (47/2014/QH13) The immigration authority, under the Ministry of Public Security, did not change in the mid-2025 administrative merger — unlike the work permit, now generally handled by the Department of Home Affairs (Sở Nội vụ), and business/investment registration, which moved to the Department of Finance (Sở Tài chính).

The most common reason a file is delayed or returned is a missing or inconsistent basis document — for example, a TRC applied for before the work permit is in hand, or a family document that has not been legalized and translated. Getting the basis right before you lodge is the whole game.

TRC vs Visa — the Short Version

A visa authorizes entry and a short stay; an eVisa lasts up to 90 days, and some other visas run up to a year. A temporary residence card is a multi-year residence permit that replaces the visa for its entire validity and lets you leave and re-enter Vietnam without applying for a new visa each time (normal entry and exit checks still apply). (47/2014/QH13)

If you plan to stay well beyond a year, a TRC usually costs less and involves far less repeat paperwork than renewing a visa again and again — provided you have a solid basis to hang it on.