VIETNAM 5 YEAR VISA EXEMPTION

Vietnam Government has authorized 5-year visa exemption for foreign nationals who have Vietnamese family members and regularly travel to Vietnam for visiting relatives but don’t want to apply for visa each time. The visa exemption is valid for 5 years with multiple entries and must be 6 month shorter than the validity of the current valid passport. With this 5-year visa exemption, you can maximally stay 06 months per entry. After 06 months, you need to exit Vietnam and enter again or apply for visa extension for continuously staying in the country.

WHO ARE ELIGLBLE FOR 5-YEAR VISA EXEMPTION?

Vietnamese overseas residing foreign countries and do not have Vietnam passport.
Foreigners who is spouse or children of a Vietnam passport-holder or overseas Vietnamese.

FORMS OF CERTIFICATE OF VISA EXEMPTION

A stamped certificate: A visa exemption certificate is stamped on the passports of Vietnamese nationals living abroad and foreign nationals to allow their entrance into Vietnam.
Detached Certificate: A visa exemption certificate issued to Vietnamese people living abroad under permanent resident’s permit granted by foreign authorities and holder of passports of foreign countries or territories with which Vietnam does not have diplomatic relations.

REQUIRED DOCUMENTS FOR 5-YEAR VISA EXEMPTION APPLICATION

For Vietnamese residing abroad, please provide following documents:

01 application form for visa exemption certificate
Two recent 4x6cm photos
Foreign passports or equivalent documents with validity of at least 6 months up to date of entry. If the applicant does not have a passport, he/she must submit a Re-entry permit or Green Card issued by competence authorities in their own country (with the validity of at least 6 months up to the date of entry)
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
A guarantee from a Vietnamese citizen

For holders of foreign passports being wives, husbands, and children of a Vietnamese citizen or Vietnamese residing abroad, please provide following documents:

One application form for a visa exemption certificate.
One recent 4x6cm photo (white background, straight face, bare head, without colored glasses).
A foreign passport with validity of at least 6 months up to date of entry (a copy attached for competent authority to file)
One of documents proving relationship between wives/husbands/children and the Vietnamese residing abroad:

Certificate of Marriage
Certificate of Birth
A Certificate of relationship with farther, mother, children
Other valid documents as regulated by the Vietnamese Law
Decision of Adoption

HOW TO USE THE 5-YEAR VIETNAM VISA EXEMPTION

This visa exemption is valid for 05 years with multiple entries. Each time you enter Vietnam, you are allowed to stay up to 180 days. After this period of time, you will need to leave the country and enter again to satisfy the 180 day-rule.
Otherwise, if you don’t want to leave Vietnam then enter to take another 180 days for staying, you can apply for visa exemption extension within the country. Each extension is up to 90 days only.
Holders of 5-year visa exemptions done in Vietnam cannot use it to exit Vietnam immediately. They must exit with the Vietnam visa which they used to enter Vietnam. Then, the next time you enter with 5-year Vietnam visa exemption, you are able to use it to exit the country.
If the applicant’s passport or Green Card or Temporary Card is shorter than 5 years 6 months, then their visa exemption is shorter than 5 years.

OTHER INFORMATION RELATED TO VIETNAM'S WORK PERMIT, VISAS AND TEMPORARY RESIDENCE CARD