Vietnam's temporary residence card (TRC, or thẻ tạm trú) is not an automatic upgrade from any visa. You need an eligible immigration category, a sponsoring company or person, and genuine supporting records. The 2026 law generally caps worker LĐ1/LĐ2 cards at two years, family TT at three years, and different investor ĐT classes at different durations. Every card must also expire at least 30 days before your passport.
A foreign employee should start with the employer's labour and residence basis; a spouse with the correct family relationship needs a family sponsor; a company shareholder needs the actual investor category, not a sales pitch promising ten years. The legal framework appears in the official 2026 consolidated immigration law, Articles 36–38 and the Ministry of Public Security application service.
Match your situation to the right category
| Situation | Maximum card duration under Article 38 | What must be established first |
|---|---|---|
| Employee with suitable employer and qualifying labour documents | LĐ1, LĐ2: 2 years | Employer, work-permit or formal exemption basis and lawful immigration class |
| Qualifying spouse or family member | TT: 3 years | Correct family relationship, eligible sponsor and immigration status |
| Investor granted a qualifying ĐT3 category | ĐT3: 3 years | Specific investment class and company evidence |
| Investor granted ĐT2 | ĐT2: 5 years | The proper category, not merely a company share |
| Investor granted ĐT1 | ĐT1: 10 years | All special investment conditions, not simply paying more |
| Student in a qualifying educational programme | DH: 5 years | Study provider and enrolment status |
| Ordinary tourist or e-visa visitor | Not automatically TRC-eligible | A genuinely qualifying legal route and sponsor first |
Article 36 lists LV1, LV2, LS, ĐT1, ĐT2, ĐT3, NN1, NN2, DH, PV1, LĐ1, LĐ2, TT, UĐ1 and UĐ2, plus the separate diplomatic NG3 case. Article 38 additionally sets up to ten years for UĐ1/UĐ2, up to five for NG3, LV1, LV2 and LS, up to three for NN1/NN2, and up to two for PV1. The UĐ classes were added by amendments effective 1 July 2026. These are statutory ceilings, not guaranteed issuance periods or alternative packages a buyer may choose.
A residence card, a visa and a work permit are different things. A qualifying employer's TRC can support lawful residence but does not itself exempt a worker from labour laws. Family residence is likewise not automatic permission for all paid jobs. For the broader work decision, see working and long stays in Vietnam.
The passport rule changes the length you can actually receive
Article 38(1) says the TRC must end at least 30 days before the remaining passport validity ends. Imagine a worker eligible for an LĐ2 card whose passport expires in 19 months. A full two-year TRC would outlast that passport, so it cannot be issued for two full years. Renewing the passport first may avoid paying for an unexpectedly short card.
The same applies to a qualifying spouse: a TT card's three-year maximum does not let a person with only 14 months of passport validity obtain three years. The issuing authority may also grant less than the category maximum for other applicable reasons. Do not commit to an apartment or overseas travel on the assumption that a category label guarantees its full term.
What the sponsor files and where
The official Ministry of Public Security's provincial procedure makes a useful distinction: an organization uses sponsor form NA6; a sponsoring individual uses NA7. The foreigner's TRC application is NA8. The file includes two 2×3 cm photographs (one attached and one separate), the passport, and proof of eligibility.
For a worker, that proof may be an applicable work permit or official work-permit exemption. A family applicant needs the category-specific relationship and sponsor evidence; an investor needs the actual qualifying investment documents. A salary statement is not a substitute for a marriage certificate, and company registration alone does not prove the investor's exact immigration code.
The company or individual sponsor submits through the relevant Immigration Department or provincial Immigration Division based on the sponsor's registered headquarters or residence. The government portal supports in-person and partially online submissions. Online does not necessarily mean entirely paperless: official instructions mention sending the passport by public postal service and supplying certified documents or originals when requested.
A workable sequence is:
- Identify your existing permitted-stay class and the responsible sponsor while your stay is still lawful.
- Obtain category proof: HR arranges labour evidence, a family sponsor arranges legal relationship records, or the investor proves the correct ĐT status.
- Complete NA6 or NA7, NA8, photographs and passport; a company may also need its registered founding and authorized-signature records.
- Submit via the official office or portal, keep the receipt and respond promptly if Immigration finds missing papers.
- Check the issued card for your name, category, sponsor and actual expiry before relying on it for travel. An application or fee receipt is not a granted card.
The official service states five working days from receipt of a complete, valid application for consideration, not five days from the first message to HR. An incomplete file can be returned for correction or rejected for lack of eligibility. A delay does not extend your existing permission automatically.
The actual government card fees
| Length of card actually issued | Fee per TRC |
|---|---|
| Up to 2 years | US$145 |
| Over 2 years and up to 5 | US$155 |
| Over 5 years and up to 10 | US$165 |
An approved two-year LĐ2 worker card falls in the US$145 band. An approved three-year TT family card falls in the US$155 band. Paying another US$10 does not let the worker buy a family or investor category. The official fee schedule lists no separate administrative levy under its distinct fee heading; translation, legalization, work authorization and private-agent charges are separate costs where applicable.
When a plan fails
New worker in Ho Chi Minh City: HR promises a two-year card next week, but your passport expires in 18 months and labour authorization is not established. Neither a two-year card nor a particular working start date can be promised. Settle the passport renewal and actual LĐ1/LĐ2 work basis with HR before committing to long housing or paid shifts.
Foreign spouse of a Vietnamese citizen: the marriage exists, but proof or the current stay record is incomplete. The individual sponsor should prepare NA7, and the foreign applicant NA8, passport, photos and relationship evidence. Marriage is not an automatically issued TT card. If lawful stay is expiring, resolve that problem before expecting the five-working-day processing target to save the situation.
Employment or sponsor changes: an old card is not freely portable to a new company just because it still shows unused months. Arrange the immigration sponsor/status review, and any necessary cancellation or replacement, before treating it as authorization for the new work. The receiving authority determines the correct action in the individual case.
Your next decision
Bring your actual stay/visa category, passport expiry, sponsor identity and worker/family/investor proof to HR or the responsible family sponsor. Compare those documents with Articles 36–38 and the actual TRC procedure. If your category is not listed, your passport is too short, or the sponsor cannot prove its role, solve that before paying for a promised “three-year card.” Approval and duration belong to Immigration, not a reseller.