A quick guide to Certificate of Visa Exemption (VEC), Vietnam

I asked this very question of my attorney and it depends on the age of the child. They must be able to sign the application. Not sure how many hurdles after that though. But yes, a child does qualify as a sponsor. I rather suspect it may not be as easy as all that though.

Wow,  that's good and bad.  I have the birth certificate. They kept the 8.5million DNA test which was annoying. So,  I have proof,  took a photo.

She is not gonna be reading,  writing or signing anything for quite some years though

Hi all,

I am trying to find the answer and hoping someone here can help me. Sorry if it is a redundant question.

My father is currently in Vietnam with a VEC and he wants to extend his trip pass the 180 days. What is the best method to go about this? TIA

Go to the Cambodian border, exit and re-enter

Aikile wrote:

Hi all,

I am trying to find the answer and hoping someone here can help me. Sorry if it is a redundant question.

My father is currently in Vietnam with a VEC and he wants to extend his trip pass the 180 days. What is the best method to go about this? TIA

He can get another 180 days extension without leaving the country. After that extension he must leave and re enter, and the border crossing into Cambodia at Moc Bai is the popular place for that.  But first things first.  For the extension he needs to go to the immigration department in his area and get an NA5 form, fill it in and take it to his local police along with his passport. They will check the form against what they already have on record, and stamp it. Then he takes it back to the immigration department along with a copy of his marriage certificate and his passport,all of  which they take. He will be told when he can come back and get his passport and pay the fee of 227,000 dong, at which time he will be given a receipt for the payment. He then goes back to the police with it and his passport showing the visa extension stamp in it and they put the details into their system. I just did it a week ago.

Hi everyone...

On a VEC and married to VN national.   I am currently still living in Singapore and we go back and forward for short trips.  Soon to be living in Nha Trang so trying to get my head around things as well as is possible     

My wife holds the land rights and is the house owner in Nha Trang and has the house book etc etc.   

We once (a few years ago) registered me at the tiny local Police station and they took a copy of my Passport / VEC and our Singapore marriage certificate which was notarized by the Singapore Ministry of Foreign Affairs and then also by the Vietnam embassy in Singapore.  The local Police also wrote some details down in a book.

From reading all posts to date, really then just to clarify a couple of points as it is my intention is to move to a TRC (spouse) to avoid the 6 monthly stamp process as detailed above by cabraman in #445

-Can I go from VEC to TRC (spousal)?

Seems to be some debate over this that it may need to be coming from a  TT to TRC.  I always try to find the English Decree's / Laws on such minuate detail but I cannot find anything on this base eligibility point for TRC.   In fact, nor can I find anything that mentions TRC in law, only TT seems to be discussed but not so easy to find the latest Circulars and Decree's in English.

-If not possible and I need to apply for a TT first:
How long do they last for, 12 months? 
Is the TT the same process and documents required for TRC?

-If I need to be relying on my VEC for a while which has about 3 years left to run.   Can I go every 6 months and no need to exit the country for the duration of the VEC?


Many thanks indeed in advance for your reading and any guidance.


SBB

As you probably know nothing is the same here from one day to the next or from one province to the next. Heck for that matter from one desk to the next. But at when the visa laws first changed my local
Office tried to encourage me to switch from a VEC to a TRC. The next time I went to renew I decided to do that. They then told me it was not possible.
At that time I was able to renew my VEC everytine at my local office. Then the international 183 residency rules caught up to VN. At that point I could renew one time in country and the s cons I had to exit and come back in.  Good luck with it all

Speedbonnieboat wrote:

1. Can I go from VEC to TRC (spousal)?
2. Can I go every 6 months and no need to exit the country for the duration of the VEC?

YMWV, but I can tell you:

1. The immigration office stated they would only accept my mother's TRC application once her VEC has nearly expired—i.e., on the final renewal.

2. My mother has lived in Vietnam for a little over a year and has been able to renew her VEC solely in-country,

Speedbonnieboat wrote:

-Can I go from VEC to TRC (spousal)?

Yes, you can.
Just four months into my VEC I applied for my TRC (spousal) and got it in a week ... HCMC, 2016.
Haven't heard of any change in the law since then.

And 2017 they denied me. Have seen no change in the law either. Go figure..... we must be in VN today.

Diazo wrote:

And 2017 they denied me. Have seen no change in the law either. Go figure..... we must be in VN today.

Sorry, but weren't you black-banned for a "nasty divorce" (as you mentioned on another thread )?
A divorce with a black-ban won't help you much in getting a TRC (spousal), will it?

Your confusing the facts and the timeline my friend. The VEC/ TRC issue was long before the divorce or the blacklist. Time moves on they say. It may come as a surprise to you but I was once here on a 40 day tourist visa. That was even before the VEC/ TRC/ etc.

Diazo wrote:

The VEC/ TRC issue was long before the divorce or the blacklist.

You were denied a TRC in 2017 (post #450 above). The divorce and the black-ban must be pretty recent then.
Anyway, I am well aware of people getting TRCs (spousal) in 2017-2018, not only for themselves but for their babies born in Vietnam (registered as non-VN) as well.
As always, in Vietnam laws are never implemented in a consistent way. We're well aware of that. Much depends on who you deal with and especially in which province/city.
Above all each case is different and I'm sure they do their own research on past data etc. before granting a TRC to a foreign national.
I reckon it happens in most (if not all) other countries as well.

senwl wrote:

Speedbonnieboat wrote:

-Can I go from VEC to TRC (spousal)?

Yes, you can.
Just four months into my VEC I applied for my TRC (spousal) and got it in a week ... HCMC, 2016.
Haven't heard of any change in the law since then.

Did you do things by the book for a cost of $155?  Or through an agent for much much more?

cabraman wrote:

Did you do things by the book for a cost of $155?  Or through an agent for much much more?

Yes, by the book as you said. Paid $155 (in VND) at the counter.
In fact my wife handled everything all by herself. I was there just standing beside her at the time we submitted the application.
Seven or ten days later she collected my PP from their office.

Thanks everyone!

Having read plenty on this forum,  it does seem to be the case that anything that relates to administration or Gov't process, the actual location in Vietnam seems to be a big factor.

Would it therefore be an idea (and acceptable) for me to post these same few questions in the Nha Trang forum?   Maybe a moderator has a view!

At the moment, I am more to reading and asking questions but I hope that once I am there for a bit that I will be able to contribute and give back!

SBB

Speedbonnieboat wrote:

Would it therefore be an idea (and acceptable) for me to post these same few questions in the Nha Trang forum?   Maybe a moderator has a view!

This thread and another (on spousal TRC) are sticky threads, hence visible to everyone who visits the main Vietnam forum. IMO most forum members do.
You can start a new thread with these questions on the NT forum to get relevant info from members with TRC (spousal) from Nha Trang.  No problem there. Please avoid copy-pasting.

senwl wrote:

In fact my wife handled everything all by herself. I was there just standing beside her at the time we submitted the application.

I think this is the key to success in visa matters, of course assuming one has a local wife.  After my initial VEC, my wife did all the renewals without me even being present.  The less you show your own face the better.

Diazo:  I am wondering if you made your own application or did your wife make it for you?  From your posts elsewhere, it sounds like the marriage may have been tense before the divorce.  If you went to immigration alone with only documentary evidence, that could be the reason you were denied.  It may not be legally justified but it could be understandable.  Remember that the ostensible purpose of the VEC is for visiting relatives.  If your relative (wife) wouldn't go to immigration on your behalf, they may have been suspicious.  The US does essentially the same thing in reverse with immigration interviews that probe the validity of marriages.

Re: THIGV:
I think this is the key to success in visa matters, of course assuming one has a local wife.  After my initial VEC, my wife did all the renewals without me even being present.  The less you show your own face the better.

Interesting this, point that the 'less you show your face the better'  Having lived in a few places in my time, my mileage to date has been the reverse in where the local office or whatever and when you go along in person thinks that they should maybe at least try to follow the process or rules, as opposed to making up their own 

Has anyone else experience on this and would be interesting too to hear from locals as to why this might be the case, culture or other reasons...

SBB

Sorry I did not see this post thus  my tardy reply. I assume the question is did my wife apply for my VEC w/o me being present. The short answer is no, we went together. But we had absolutely no problem getting the VEC. It was not until the separation/divorce that I was told upon exiting on vacation that the VEC would no longer be honored. Kind of in the lurch when I had a plane to board. But it all worked out fine in the end. Now I have a TRC which I like far better. But none of it is a walk in the park. And you never have status here beyond tourist. I wish it were different but it is not. I might be far to old to see it change.

When I got married in a small country town I saw the official once, on the day we signed the certificate.

Sometimes it's best to just not show your face to government offices or places where you want to do business as the price will rise or things may become more difficult.

very helpful. So,simplest visa to stay as long as possible is one that involves visa runs ,every ,how many months, and how often do I have to renew the visa? ( make sense?)

sandgroper2 wrote:

very helpful. So,simplest visa to stay as long as possible is one that involves visa runs ,every ,how many months, and how often do I have to renew the visa? ( make sense?)

The simplest answer is ... when your current visa expires.
For tourist visas every 3 months (max). You can get a 1 yr business visa (multi entry) for an uninterrupted stay.
If you're on VEC (married to VN citizen etc.) you need to get a new immigration stamp every six months.
For those on 1 yr tourist visa (US citizens only) they need to get new immigration stamps every 3 months.

I don't have a visa. Not there yet. Q. I get a visa on arrival, as you say, when that expires, I go to immigration in VN and will be given a 3 month visa ?

sandgroper2 wrote:

I don't have a visa. Not there yet. Q. I get a visa on arrival, as you say, when that expires, I go to immigration in VN and will be given a 3 month visa ?

Most unlikely.
Usually if you enter VN with a VoA for touristic purpose (say for 3 months), you need to do a quick border-run (go to a neighbouring country) when your visa expires ...  and come back with a new visa (for another 3 months). That's the way it works.
If you're in HCMC it may take around 8 - 10 hrs to get everything done from Moc Bai border port(Cambodia border) and back to your base in HCM.

Thanks a million. Exactly the info a newby needs. Just a comment. In Thailand, Govt. is making it very difficult for people to live there using visa runs. Any word of that it VN?

sandgroper2 wrote:

Thanks a million. Exactly the info a newby needs. Just a comment. In Thailand, Govt. is making it very difficult for people to live there using visa runs. Any word of that it VN?

At the moment all seem well here in VN .. as long as you follow the rules (don't overstay etc.).
Some expat members on this forum have been doing visa-runs for some time now. They seem OK with that.
Still, in VN nothing can be said beforehand and laws keep changing all the time.

Thanks, . I fly in, get 3 months at airport, before that expires, if I was to fly out for a few weeks, when I return, I get another 3 months at airport. Is that correct?

sandgroper2 wrote:

Thanks, . I fly in, get 3 months at airport, before that expires, if I was to fly out for a few weeks, when I return, I get another 3 months at airport. Is that correct?

Correct.You could also apply for the 1 year business visa, come and go as you like for 12 months.

Do I still have to apply on line to get permission for visa on arrival as I had to years ago. ?

Yes, as you need the letter to get the VOA.

Hi I am trying to apply for visa certificate of exemption for my daughter and the 2nd last question on the online application form asks
Submit dossiers to apply for certificate of exemption in:
But the drop box does not include Vietnam
Any help would be hugely appreciated
Thanks

Raheal wrote:

Hi
I am applying for a certficiate of exemption for my daughter.  Having some trouble with the online application form.
2nd last question
Submit dossiers to apply for certificate of visa exemption in:
But the dropdown box doesn't include Vietnam
Any help hugely appreciated
Thanks

Just a hunch.

Since you posted the same message FIVE times, PMAC may be the issue (code PICNIC)

Raheal wrote:

Hi I am trying to apply for visa certificate of exemption for my daughter and the 2nd last question on the online application form asks
Submit dossiers to apply for certificate of exemption in:
But the drop box does not include Vietnam
Any help would be hugely appreciated
Thanks

Are you sure that you are applying for Vietnam VEC?
What is the web address?
You should have to contact the web admin.  Otherwise go directly to the Vietnam Embassy/consulate there.

Hi thanks for your message I discovered we have to put UK in the drop box. So sorted thanks so much

I just wanted to pass along my experience this week with renewing my VEC from within the US.  I did so by mail with the Vietnamese Consulate in San Francisco.  The SF Consulate has a different website design than the DC Embassy site.  It is well laid out and, unlike the embassy, with the exception of a congratulatory news article about Trump's visit in 2017    , all pages seem to have English versions available. 

The page for the VEC was very understandable and for new applicants, whether overseas Vietnamese or spouses, the list of documents required was clearly listed.  For renewal, all that is required was the downloadable form, your expired VEC (or passport if you want an affixed copy as I did,) a self addressed trackable return envelope and a money order for $70US.  My first VEC was only $20 in HCMC but I suppose they need to pay higher salaries for overseas employees.  Based on my tracking, the consulate got my materials close to noon on Thursday 11/7, and mailed the passport back on Tuesday 7/16.  That is only three full working days, which I consider excellent.  End to end was only nine calendar days including the weekend.  Of course mail to Hawaii takes a day longer than most US locations but it’s still quick. 

Besides the VEC, both loose and affixed visas, both business and tourist of all lengths up to one year for US citizens, are available on the site.  In fact if you don’t mind a loose type unattached visa, you can apply online and get FEDEX delivery.  With that kind of turnaround, I see no reason to be fooling around with a visa-on-arrival company unless perhaps one is arriving from a third country without a Vietnamese legation.

I might add that I called the consulate twice about the fee, which they don’t list, and found the employees to be quite fluent in English and, in contrast to the employees at the Embassy    , I found them to be very polite.   

Another note:  The second VEC will expire six months prior to the expiration of your passport so it seems that the longest total one can have with a given passport is about 9 ½ years in a ten year passport.

Except in the unlikely event that one lives in walking distance from the DC Embassy or the NYC or Houston consulates, I strongly suggest dealing with the SF consulate.

https://vietnamconsulate-sf.org/en/home/

THIGV:  That was helpful to this newb. The reason my Thai wife and I are considering VN is due to the easier visa situation - compared to Thailand.

My wife's not Vietnamese. I can't get a VEC (Certificate of Visa Exemption -for other newbies).
The 1 year visa was what drew me to VN. Cambodia just stiffened the business visa route, so... VN!

For the upcoming "scout retirement locations" trip - I used the online DC website for the tourist visa, not the E-visa. It was super easy and crazy fast. But $100. I had the loose leaf Fed Ex'd to me. Seems the only option was 'next day' which wasn't needed. But I didn't need an invitation letter.

KruChris wrote:

The official website? No cetificate? www.immigration.gov.vn or something. Nice truck, use a website one cannot reach?

Please share the VISA fees charged by the Immigration Police, not some private agency.

My wife just extended my VEC today at immigration office in Thu Dau Mot, the second extension on this entry.  Fee was 224,000VND ($10 US).  We get my passport back on Monday.

Thank you moderators for re-pinning this useful thread.

We are currently in Vietnam on tourist visa but have Received our VEC.  Usually we would just do a border run to activate them,  But since they are closed does anyone know a way to activate them in country?