I can get permanent residence card but not temporary residence card??

Hi Jon 10,
How did you get a Visa exemption.I reside in Hanoi and have retired ,so dont work and am married to a Vietnamses citizen same as you.But all I could get was a 5 year visa but have to leave every 3 months and come back in.I live in my wives house and have applied for a PRC but they told me I had to get a VN passport first.
Mick

When a person says they are married to a Vietnamese, does that mean a Viet citizen who has no other national citizenship? My wife is a naturalized US citizen so I guess she doesnt fit the description of a Vietnamese as commonly used. I am trying to figure out also how to live in Vietnam with my VN born wife since we are both US citizens. I would be retired and not working in Vn so dont need a work permit nor would my wife. It seems we would be only issued a 3 month visa and then required to leave Vn possibly before another Vn Visa would be isued to us. There are ways to get 3 month extensions but am not sure if it involves knowing the right government people. Those 5 yr Visas dont seem to help if you must leave Vn every 3 months. What is the use of such a thing?

You certainly cant get a Vietnamese Passport if you are not a Vn citizen. It is the nation of your citizenship that issues your passport, not the country you are living in.