Last updated: November 7, 2026
A TRC is the usual next step once you have a real long-term reason to live in Vietnam, such as a job, a company or a family. This guide explains who qualifies, which documents your sponsor needs, what it costs, how long it takes and what changed in 2026.
⚡ At a glance | Vietnam TRC, 2026 |
|---|---|
Who applies | Your sponsor: an employer, organisation or eligible individual |
Main card codes | LĐ1, LĐ2, ĐT1–ĐT3, TT, DH, NN1, NN2, LV1, LV2, LS, PV1, UĐ1, UĐ2 |
Longest validity | 10 years for ĐT1, UĐ1 and UĐ2. 2 years for work cards |
State fee | USD 145 (up to 2 years), USD 155 (over 2 to 5 years), USD 165 (over 5 to 10 years) |
Official processing time | Up to 5 working days after a complete, valid file and the fee are received |
Tourist or e-visa holders | ❌ Not eligible on that visa |
What is a temporary residence card in Vietnam?
It's a card that lets a foreigner live in Vietnam for a set period and works in place of a visa. Under Article 12 of Law 47/2014 on foreigners' entry, exit and residence, a valid TRC holder doesn't need a visa to enter Vietnam. You can leave and come back as often as you like while the card is valid.
A TRC isn't permanent residence and isn't a work permit. It only confirms your right to stay for the purpose on the card. If that purpose ends, for example because you leave your job, the basis for your card ends too.
Feature | E-visa | Long-term visa (such as LĐ2) | TRC |
|---|---|---|---|
Longest validity | 90 days | Up to 2 years for LĐ codes | Up to 10 years, by code |
Sponsor needed | ➖ No | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
Re-entry without a new visa | ⚠️ Only if multiple entry | ⚠️ Only if multiple entry | ✅ Yes, while valid |
Allows work by itself | ❌ No | ❌ No, a work permit or exemption is still needed | ❌ No, a work permit or exemption is still needed |
Can be issued in Vietnam | ➖ Not applicable | ✅ Through a sponsor | ✅ Through a sponsor |
Who qualifies for a Vietnam TRC?
You qualify if you hold, or can get, a long-term visa whose code is eligible for a card. Article 36 of the immigration law sets the list, and your card normally carries the same code as your visa. Law 118/2025/QH15, in force since July 1, 2026, added UĐ1 and UĐ2. You can check what each code means in our Vietnam visa types and codes guide.
Card code | Who it covers | Maximum validity |
|---|---|---|
ĐT1 | Investors contributing VND 100 billion or more, or investing in specially encouraged sectors | 10 years |
UĐ1, UĐ2 | High-quality digital-technology staff and other preferential cases, plus their spouses and children under 18 | 10 years |
ĐT2 | Investors contributing VND 50 to under 100 billion, or investing in encouraged sectors | 5 years |
DH | Students and interns | 5 years |
LV1, LV2, LS, NG3 | Official or diplomatic-related work, and lawyers (LS) | 5 years |
ĐT3 | Investors contributing VND 3 to under 50 billion | 3 years |
TT | Spouses and children under 18 of eligible card or visa holders, and parents, spouses or children of Vietnamese citizens | 3 years |
NN1, NN2 | Staff of foreign representative offices, NGOs and similar bodies | 3 years |
LĐ1, LĐ2 | Workers exempt from a work permit (LĐ1) or holding one (LĐ2) | 2 years |
PV1 | Resident journalists | 2 years |
These are maximums, not guarantees. Your actual card is usually limited by the documents behind it. A work card, for example, normally can't run past the work permit it is based on. The criteria for UĐ1 and UĐ2 are new, so ask your sponsor to confirm you qualify before you plan around a 10-year card.
A TRC follows your reason for living in Vietnam. A card can't outlast the job, company or family link it is built on.
Can I get a TRC on a tourist visa or e-visa?
No. Tourist visas and e-visas aren't on the TRC list, and Vietnam has no route from tourism to residence on your own. If you later get a job or a qualifying family sponsor, that sponsor has to move you onto the right long-term visa first. Remote workers without a Vietnamese sponsor have no TRC route either, as our digital nomad visa guide explains.
Fragomen estimated that this extra step adds about two weeks. It also suggested waiting until the work permit is approved before arranging your entry visa, where your start date allows it. The sequence reported for Ho Chi Minh City looks like this:
- Work permit: Your employer gets a work permit or a work permit exemption.
- Visa: You get an LĐ1 or LĐ2 work visa. Dependents get a TT visa.
- TRC: Your employer applies for the card, and for your family's cards.
Not sure where you stand? Tell us your current visa, your nationality and your plans, and we'll explain your realistic options.
What documents do you need for a Vietnam TRC?
You need a sponsor's request, a declaration form, your passport, two photos and proof of your purpose. A 2026 procedure sheet published by the provincial police in Hung Yen lists the file below. The forms were updated by Circular 70/2026/TT-BCA, so make sure your sponsor uses the current versions.
Document | Prepared by | Notes |
|---|---|---|
Form NA6 (organisations) or NA7 (individuals) | Sponsor | The request or guarantee for your card |
Form NA8 | Applicant and sponsor | The TRC declaration, with a photo attached |
Passport | Applicant | The original, with a valid visa and enough validity left |
Two 2 × 3 cm photos | Applicant | One attached to the form and one loose |
Proof of eligibility | Sponsor or applicant | Such as a work permit or a work permit exemption certificate |
Other proof depends on your code. Family applicants usually show marriage or birth documents, and investors show their investment papers. Offices often ask for foreign documents to be legalised and translated, so check that early, because it can take longer than the card itself. Service providers also say your sponsor should have registered the company's details and your temporary residence address before filing. Ask your office to confirm what it needs.
How do you apply for a TRC, step by step?
Your sponsor files the application, usually at the provincial police immigration office. Under Article 37, the sponsor applies where the organisation has its office or where the individual sponsor lives. Foreigners don't normally file for themselves.
- Register the sponsor. A company that hasn't sponsored foreigners before generally has to file its details with immigration first.
- Prepare the file. Complete the forms, photos and proof listed above.
- File the application. The sponsor can file in person or online through the National Public Service Portal or the Ministry of Public Security portal.
- Send the passport if filing online. The passport goes by public postal service, and documents without electronic certification go the same way.
- Pay the fee. It's paid at the office or online after the file is accepted.
- Collect the card. The sponsor collects it in person or receives it by post.
Hung Yen's sheet says offices receive files from Monday to Saturday morning and return results from Monday to Friday, except holidays.
How long does a TRC take and how much does it cost?
The official time is up to 5 working days, and the state fee is USD 145–165. The 5 days start only when the office has a complete, valid file and the fee. A shorter 3-working-day period applies to certain investors, experts and senior managers at Vietnam's International Financial Centre.
Item | State fee or time |
|---|---|
Card valid up to 2 years | USD 145 |
Card valid over 2 to 5 years | USD 155 |
Card valid over 5 to 10 years | USD 165 |
Moving a valid card to a new passport | USD 5 |
Official processing | Up to 5 working days |
Fixing a file found incomplete | ⚠️ Closed if not fixed within 15 days of notice |
These fees come from Circular 28/2026/TT-BTC, as listed on the Hung Yen police sheet. They may be collected in Vietnamese dong. They don't include translation, legalisation or service fees, which vary. Fees generally aren't refunded if a file is refused, so check eligibility before paying.
In practice, plan for more than 5 working days. Service providers often quote 7–10 working days, and a visa conversion can add about two weeks. Avoid booking trips while immigration holds your passport.
How do you renew a Vietnam TRC?
You apply for a new card through your sponsor before the old one expires. Article 38 says an expired card "may be considered" for a new card. We found no legal deadline for applying early. Service providers suggest anywhere from 5 to 30 days ahead, so aim for about 30 days, and earlier if your work permit also needs renewing.
Don't let the card lapse. Once your card expires and you have no other valid permission, you're overstaying. Fines rise with the length of the overstay, and an overstay of 16 days or more can also lead to deportation. Our visa extension guide covers the options for shorter stays.
Can your family get a TRC too?
Yes, in most cases, through a TT card. Spouses and children under 18 of eligible card or visa holders can apply, as can parents, spouses and children of Vietnamese citizens. TT cards last up to 3 years, but a dependent's card normally follows the main holder's permission. A TT card doesn't give the right to work, so a working spouse needs a separate work route.
What no agency can honestly promise
No agency can guarantee a TRC, a set card length or an exact issue date, because the immigration office makes those decisions. No agency can get you a TRC without a real sponsor and a real purpose either. If a seller offers one on a tourist visa or through a sponsor you have no real link to, walk away. What we can do is explain the rules and tell you when your plan won't work.
Frequently asked questions
How long is a Vietnam temporary residence card valid?
It depends on the code: up to 2 years for LĐ1, LĐ2 and PV1, 3 years for TT, NN1, NN2 and ĐT3, 5 years for DH, ĐT2 and similar codes, and 10 years for ĐT1, UĐ1 and UĐ2. The card must end at least 30 days before your passport does.
How much does a TRC cost in Vietnam?
The state fee is USD 145 for a card valid up to 2 years, USD 155 for over 2 to 5 years and USD 165 for over 5 to 10 years. Translation, legalisation and service fees are extra.
Can I apply for a TRC by myself?
Normally no. A sponsor, such as your employer, your company or a Vietnamese family member, must file the application.
Do I need a visa to re-enter Vietnam with a TRC?
No. A valid TRC lets you enter Vietnam without a visa. Carry the card with the passport linked to it.
Can I work in Vietnam with a TRC?
Only for the purpose your card allows. An LĐ card still depends on a valid work permit or exemption, and a TT family card doesn't give you the right to work.
Can I change my e-visa to a TRC?
Not directly. You need an eligible sponsor and, under practice reported in 2026, a long-term visa first.
Related guides: Vietnam visa types and codes · Vietnam digital nomad visa · Vietnam passport validity rules · Vietnam visa extension · Multiple-entry e-visa guide