Detailed information about Vietnam visa exemption certificate (Latest updated 2024)

1. WHAT IS VISA EXCEPTION, WHO IS ELEGIBLE FOR VISA EXEMPTION?

Visa exemption certificate is also known as 5-year visa or 5-year visa exemption certificate because this type of document has longest term, up to 5 years and is issued to following subjects:

• • Oversea Vietnamese settling in abroad (without Vietnamese passports)
• • Foreigners who are spouses and children of Vietnamese people and are residing abroad
• • Foreigners who are spouses and children of Vietnamese citizens (with Vietnamese passports)
• Holders of visa exemption certificates are allowed to enter Vietnam with unlimited number of times, and at any time during validity of the visa exemption certificates.
• When using the visa exemption certificates (within validity period), the holders of the certificates do not need to apply for a visa when entering Vietnam.
• There are two types of visa exemption certificates:
• Stamped certificate: It will be glued directly in your passport in following cases:
• • Oversea Vietnamese holding foreign passports and settling in countries/territories that have diplomatic relations with Vietnam
• • Foreigners are using passports of countries/territories that have diplomatic relations with Vietnam

Detached certificate: It is visa exemption certificate (same size as a Passport) is issued for following cases:

• • Oversea Vietnamese settling in abroad only have permanent residence card issued by foreign countries.
• • Vietnamese or foreigners using passports of countries and territories with which Vietnam has not yet had diplomatic relations.
• • Holders of valid international travel documents other than passports
• • Passport remain no blank pages (At least 2 blank pages are required)
• • At the request of the person granted the visa exemption certificate
• • For diplomatic, national defense and security reasons.

Stamped certificates and detached certificates have same validity, only different in appearance

Validity of Visa Exemption Certificate

The visa exemption certificates are valid for a maximum period of not more than 5 years from the date of issue and is at least 06 months shorter than validity of passports or international travel documents. If the applicant's passport is valid for less than 5 years, the validity of the visa exemption certificate will not be up to 5 years.

Visa exemption certificate is issued separately for each person. Children who share a passport with one parent will be granted a joint visa exemption certificate with one parent

The person who is granted a visa exemption certificate does not need to apply for a visa when entering Vietnam, and can enter an unlimited number of times during the validity of the visa exemption certificate.

• If the visa exemption certificates are valid for more than 6 months: Visa exemption certificate holders are allowed to stay for 180 days for each entry, if there is a need to continue to stay in Vietnam after that period with good reasons, the holders will be considered for extension of temporary stay (Each is extended for 180 days or according to the extension of the remaining period of the visa exemption certificates.)
• If the visa exemption certificates are valid for less than 6 months: The holder of the visa exemption certificate is allowed to stay up to the same length as the remaining period of the visa exemption certificate, and cannot be extended.

2. APPLICATION FOR 5-YEAR VISA EXEMPTION

To apply for a 5-year visa exemption certificate, you need to follow these three steps

Step 1: Preparing documents

Kind of documents depends on which of the following two subjects you belong to

• Oversea Vietnamese settling in abroad
• Foreigners who are spouses, children of Vietnamese citizens or oversea Vietnamese settling in abroad

For overseas Vietnamese, the documents include:

1. The application form for visa exemption which is registered ONLINE and printed out

2. Two recently-taken color passport photos (4x6cm) (white background, straight face, bare head, no colored glasses) (of which, one is to glued to the application);

3. Foreign passports or international travel documents or permanent residence cards are issued by foreign competent authorities with validity remaining at least 01 year (enclosed with a photocopy to be saved at competent authorities);

4. Documents proving eligibility for Visa Exemption Certificates (certified copy or enclosed with original documents for verification), if any.

• Certificate of Vietnamese citizenship.
• A copy or extract of decision on restoration of Vietnamese nationality
• A copy or extract of decision on renunciation of Vietnamese nationality
• Certificate of Vietnamese nationality loss
• Vietnamese passports (valid or expired)
• National identity card (valid or expired)
• Birth certificate
• Latest voter card
• Household registration record
• Travel pass issued before 1975
• National ID card issued before 1975
• An extract of the birth certificate issued before 1975
• Documents issued by competent authorities of a foreign country if it is stated that the holders of such document has Vietnamese nationality or Vietnamese origin.

• Foreigners who are spouses, children of Vietnamese citizens or oversea Vietnamese settling in abroad, the documents include:

1. The application form for visa exemption which is registered ONLINE and printed out

2. Two recently-taken color passport photos (4x6cm) (white background, straight face, bare head, no colored glasses) (of which, one is to glued to the application);

3. Foreign passports or international travel documents with validity remaining at least 01 year (enclosed with a photocopy to be saved at competent authorities);

4. One of following documents proving the relationship between husband, wife and children of overseas Vietnamese settling in abroad (certified copy or enclosed with original documents for verification)

• Marriage certificate
• Birth certificate
• Certificate of father, mother and child relationship
• Other valid documents as prescribed by Vietnamese law
• Decisions to adopt.

Step 2: Submission and fees:

The applicants for visa exemption submits the documents prepared in step 1 to competent authority of Vietnam.

• If you are abroad: Submit at Vietnamese diplomatic representative agencies abroad (Embassies and consulates – Please find contact information here)
• If you are in Vietnam: Submit at Immigration Department of Vietnam under Ministry of Public Security (Address 44-46 Tran Phu, Ba Dinh District, Hanoi).

Fees for issuance of visa exemption certificates to be paid directly at Immigration Department - Ministry of Public Security:

• Fee for the issuance of visa exemption certificates for first time is 20 USD
• Fee for issuance of Visa Exemption from 2nd time onwards is 10 USD

Note: Fees for visa exemption certificates granted by Vietnamese Diplomatic representative agencies abroad (Embassies, Consulates) may vary from country to country.

Step 3: Getting results

Normally, processing time is 5-7 working days from the time the competent authority receives the valid documents. In some cases, it may take longer because the application review process takes longer than usual

You can receive the results in person (at place of submission) or at home (by guaranteed courier services by reviewing agencies)

3. EXTENSION OF VISA EXEMPTION

Currently, visa exemption certificate, also known as 5-year visa, 5-year visa exemption certificate cannot be extended after its expiry date. You need to apply for a new visa before the visa exemption certificate expires at least 6 months to avoid affecting your plan to Vietnam.

However, when using a visa exemption certificate to enter Vietnam, the person granted a visa exemption certificate is allowed to stay for 180 days, after that,  if you want to continue to stay in Vietnam, you can choose:

• Extension of temporary residence: If you have a guarantor in Vietnam and have a good reason, you will be considered for an extension of your temporary residence (Each extension is added 180 days or according to the extension of the remaining term of the visa exemption certificate). The extension will be processed at Immigration Department - Ministry of Public Security (Address: No. 44-46 Tran Phu, Ba Dinh District, Hanoi). You can see more instructions on how to apply for a temporary residence extension here.

• Or exit to a 3rd country that is geographically located near Vietnam and has relatively simple immigration procedures such as: Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Singapore... Then re-enter Vietnam with a period up to 180 days. This form is called VISA RUN

4. RE-ISSUE OF VISA EXEMPTION

In case of loss, damage, expiration or need to adjust the contents of the visa exemption certificate, the visa exemption certificate will be re-issued.

The process of applying for reissuing visa exemption certificate also includes 3 steps as follows

Step 1: Preparing documents

Documents for application for re-issuance of a visa exemption certificate includes:

1. Foreign passport or international travel document or permanent residence permit issued by a foreign competent authority which is still valid for at least 01 year (enclosed with a photocopy to be saved at competent authority);

2. The application form for re-issuance of visa exemption certificate which is registered ONLINE and printed out

3. Two recently-taken color passport photos (4x6cm) (white background, straight face, bare head, no colored glasses) (of which, one is to glued to the application);

In case the Visa Exemption Certificate is lost, following documents are also required

4. Loss report.

5. A certified true copy, or enclosed with the original document for verification, of the document proving the content to be adjusted in the visa exemption certificate.

Step 2: Submitting application for issuance/re-issuance of visa exemption and fees

Like application of visa exemption for the first time, the applicants for re-issuance of visa exemption certificate submits the documents prepared in step 1 to the competent authority of Vietnam.

• If you are abroad: Submit at Vietnamese diplomatic representative agencies abroad (Embassies and consulates – Please find contact information here)

• If you are in Vietnam: Submit at Immigration Department of Vietnam under Ministry of Public Security (Address 44-46 Tran Phu, Ba Dinh District, Hanoi).

Fees for issuance of visa exemption certificates to be paid directly at Immigration Department - Ministry of Public Security:

• Fee for re-issuance of visa exemption certificate from 2nd time onwards: 10 USD

Step 3: Getting results

Normally, processing time is 5-7 working days from the time the competent authority receives the valid documents. In some cases, it may take longer because the application review process takes longer than usual

You can receive the results in person (at place of submission) or at home (by guaranteed courier services by reviewing agencies)

5. 5-YEAR VISA EXEMPTION SERVICES

Service to prepare visa exemption documents for Vietnamese or for foreigners who are eligible to apply for visa exemption helps customers not to worry and spend a lot of time to learn about process of competent agencies as well as relatively complex prepartion process

We can provide our services to Vietnamese or foreigners who are eligible to apply for Vietnam visa exemption in Vietnam or in most countries/territories in the world such as: Asia, Europe , Africa, Australia, America...)

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