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

Thank you, Bluenz.  The best and most easily understood summary I have seen.     

Has anyone had good/bad experiences working with Vietnamese embassies in foreign countries on business visa issues?  More specifically, can I expect much help from the VN embassy in the States?  Thanks, Francis

One more question from my above post.  Are the fees going to be the same when dealing with embassies/consulates as they will be in Vn?  Thanks, Francis

Both answers are NO 
Depends location, fee and 'character' change.

Thanks Charmavietnam,  Understood.

francis 1700 wrote:

One more question from my above post.  Are the fees going to be the same when dealing with embassies/consulates as they will be in Vn?  Thanks, Francis

Probably better to post under a new thread for better exposure, ( i.e, Business VN  ), this thread is re VEC, holders of such are not allowed to work or do business in VN.
Maybe also define your business plans a little more as well, firstly you need to come to VN on the right Visa. *( there are 2 Business Visa's ).
There are private companies also issuing business Visa's. ( no doubt cheaper and faster than VN Embassies, etc ).
It's my understanding Embassies/Consulates only issue Visa's, etc, Business related matters , ( depending on WHO you want to do business with ), i.e, the VN Govt, ( who has their fingers in most pies here, one way or another ), you will need to contact Govt Depts, i.e, Customs, Foreign Affairs, Commerce , etc, etc. most things here still revolve around heaps of red tape.

Thank you, Bluenz.

My wife and I are planning to return to Vietnam in 3-5 years and probably somewhere other than HCMC and surely not Hanoi.  I have a VEC good until 2017, fine for vacations, but I will probably be getting a new one before we return to stay.  I recall someone posting that he had to travel 45 minutes to get the 90 day renewals.  My question is. are the 90 day stamps available in all provincial capitols or only in certain cities?  If so which ones, other than HCMC and Hanoi?

THIGV wrote:

My wife and I are planning to return to Vietnam in 3-5 years and probably somewhere other than HCMC and surely not Hanoi.  I have a VEC good until 2017, fine for vacations, but I will probably be getting a new one before we return to stay.  I recall someone posting that he had to travel 45 minutes to get the 90 day renewals.  My question is. are the 90 day stamps available in all provincial capitols or only in certain cities?  If so which ones, other than HCMC and Hanoi?

We get our 90 day extensions in Hau Gaing where we live. Any major city that you live in that has a Immergration office should be able to issue the stamp. The key is you have to live there because of the two verifying signatures that are required. The sponsor and the head cop in town.

Budman1 wrote:

THIGV wrote:

My wife and I are planning to return to Vietnam in 3-5 years and probably somewhere other than HCMC and surely not Hanoi.  I have a VEC good until 2017, fine for vacations, but I will probably be getting a new one before we return to stay.  I recall someone posting that he had to travel 45 minutes to get the 90 day renewals.  My question is. are the 90 day stamps available in all provincial capitols or only in certain cities?  If so which ones, other than HCMC and Hanoi?

We get our 90 day extensions in Hau Gaing where we live. Any major city that you live in that has a Immigration office should be able to issue the stamp. The key is you have to live there because of the two verifying signatures that are required. The sponsor and the head cop in town.

The only problems with the smaller cities is the initial issuing of VEC's and TRC's, PRC's,  my city of 120k can renew the 90 day VEC stamp, and issue a Work Permit, but not a TRC. ( which is a Work Permit requirement ), This, ( and the VEC 5 yr renewal ), has to be done in Da Nang, ( 2 -3 hours away ).

Budman1 wrote:

We get our 90 day extensions in Hau Gaing where we live. Any major city that you live in that has a Immergration office should be able to issue the stamp. The key is you have to live there because of the two verifying signatures that are required. The sponsor and the head cop in town.

Thanks.  Since she intends to become a dual citizen, I expect that as before, my wife will sponsor me, at least I certainly hope so,    I could live with my mother-in-law but I don't think my wife could, so she will have to get her own temporary residence permit wherever we live, just as we did in HCMC.

Does anyone know for a fact if VEC's are still being issued?I ask,because there seems to be some confusion surrounding this issue. I have been married to a Vietnamese citizen since 2009,and was then issued a VEC at the Vietnamese Embassy in Bangkok.This expired in May this year,so I went to the Vietnamese consulate in Sihanoukville in April this year with the necessary paperwork and was issued with a new VEC on the spot.For some reason it's only for 4 years 11 months-no idea why.I realised recently that my passport would run out of pages some time next year,so when I was in Sihanoukville last week I went back to the Consulate,explained the situation,and was told that if I attend the Consulate with old and new passports and the necessary paperwork(Marriage certificate,copy of wife's ID card and Immigration reporting forms),they would then issue a new(or replacement) VEC I  believe that if the VEC is in an old,cancelled passport it is no longer valid,and must be transfered to the new passport,does anyone know if this is the case,or can it be used together with the new passport
Also to answer another posters question-you can get the 90 day extension stamp at Immigration in Rach Gia,I've not done it,but I have two friends here in Ha Tien who have

THIGV wrote:

Budman1 wrote:

We get our 90 day extensions in Hau Gaing where we live. Any major city that you live in that has a Immergration office should be able to issue the stamp. The key is you have to live there because of the two verifying signatures that are required. The sponsor and the head cop in town.

Thanks.  Since she intends to become a dual citizen, I expect that as before, my wife will sponsor me, at least I certainly hope so,    I could live with my mother-in-law but I don't think my wife could, so she will have to get her own temporary residence permit wherever we live, just as we did in HCMC.

If your wife has dual citizenship, she will have a VN ID card, and a Family/house book, ( if you own your own house ), nothing else should be needed for her??? (  might be a question for a VK who has " restored " their citizenship ).

bluenz wrote:

The only problems with the smaller cities is the initial issuing of VEC's and TRC's, PRC's,  my city of 120k can renew the 90 day VEC stamp, and issue a Work Permit, but not a TRC. ( which is a Work Permit requirement ), This, ( and the VEC 5 yr renewal ), has to be done in Da Nang, ( 2 -3 hours away ).

This is not the first time that I have read your statement that a WP required a TRC as well.  My understanding was that a WP enabled the holder to get a TRC but did not require it.  When I got my WP I only had about one year more planned in the country so opted to not get the TRC.  My lawyer said this was fine.  However, I am not absolutely refuting what you have said because even then I was a little unsure.  I know that a VEC does not grant you permission to work but I thought that if you had a WP then having a VEC was sufficient.  One gives you permission to work, the other gives you permission to reside.

THIGV wrote:

bluenz wrote:

The only problems with the smaller cities is the initial issuing of VEC's and TRC's, PRC's,  my city of 120k can renew the 90 day VEC stamp, and issue a Work Permit, but not a TRC. ( which is a Work Permit requirement ), This, ( and the VEC 5 yr renewal ), has to be done in Da Nang, ( 2 -3 hours away ).

This is not the first time that I have read your statement that a WP required a TRC as well.  My understanding was that a WP enabled the holder to get a TRC but did not require it.  When I got my WP I only had about one year more planned in the country so opted to not get the TRC.  My lawyer said this was fine.  However, I am not absolutely refuting what you have said because even then I was a little unsure.  I know that a VEC does not grant you permission to work but I thought that if you had a WP then having a VEC was sufficient.  One gives you permission to work, the other gives you permission to reside.

I was stopped from working while my Criminal check was being done, then stopped again because the idiots in Immigration in my city didn't " know " a TRC couldn't be done at their office.
"  One gives you permission to work, the other gives you permission to reside ", exactly, bloody stupid idea, why couldn't a VEC allow you to work as well. It would have saved me a lot of headaches.
But I suppose lumping all the working Foreigners in the same basket with the same Visa/Card actually might make some sense???

oasisbarhatien wrote:

Does anyone know for a fact if VEC's are still being issued?I ask,because there seems to be some confusion surrounding this issue. I have been married to a Vietnamese citizen since 2009,and was then issued a VEC at the Vietnamese Embassy in Bangkok.This expired in May this year,so I went to the Vietnamese consulate in Sihanoukville in April this year with the necessary paperwork and was issued with a new VEC on the spot.For some reason it's only for 4 years 11 months-no idea why.I realised recently that my passport would run out of pages some time next year,so when I was in Sihanoukville last week I went back to the Consulate,explained the situation,and was told that if I attend the Consulate with old and new passports and the necessary paperwork(Marriage certificate,copy of wife's ID card and Immigration reporting forms),they would then issue a new(or replacement) VEC I  believe that if the VEC is in an old,cancelled passport it is no longer valid,and must be transfered to the new passport,does anyone know if this is the case,or can it be used together with the new passport

Yes , they have been, ( even in Australia ), you must have a 10 yr passport?, mine was only 5 yrs, so I received less than 4 1/2 years, ( they withhold 6 months ).

" VEC is in an old,cancelled passport it is no longer valid ", the VEC will/should always expire BEFORE the passport. because of this rule a friend had to wait the 6 months for his passport to expire, ( they issued him a 6 month VR Visa in the meantime ), now he has a new VEC.

Thanks for the prompt reply.To clarify-my current 10 yr UK passport doesn't expire till 2023 it's just that the pages will be completely used up by next year,and as I will be in the UK I will get a new one then.So,the old passport won't have expired,just cancelled,as I will have been issued with a a new one,and the VEC in it will be valid until 2020.I know in Thailand you can't use the old passport with visa in it,in conjunction with your new passport,you need to transfer the visa to the new passport,but in Cambodia you can use the two passports together.I just don't know the situation in Vietnam.Anyone come across this situation before

bluenz wrote:

the VEC will/should always expire BEFORE the passport. because of this rule a friend had to wait the 6 months for his passport to expire, ( they issued him a 6 month VR Visa in the meantime ), now he has a new VEC.

The first is true, but I find it odd that your friend had to wait instead of simply getting a new passport.  I certainly can't speak for AU but I know firsthand that the US consulate will let you apply for a new passport if you have less than 5 years left and explain that you need a new passport get the VEC.  The new passport comes back in a week.  Of course you are loosing a hunk of the value of your old passport but "It's only money."  The US has a passport with more pages, I forget how many, for an extra fee.  It's likely worth it if you plan to stay for the full five years or even sign on for five more and will have a lot of stamps.  The US passport is 10 years so, if you are prompt, you could squeeze in two VEC's. 

One other hint for those who hold a VEC.  Don't be late with your renewals.  Not only will it it let the local authorities put the squeeze on you for a little extra, it can cause problems if you exit at TSN.  When I left, the lady in the immigration exit booth studied every one of my stamps in great detail.  I am sure she was looking for a gap so that she could fine me.

THIGV wrote:

bluenz wrote:

the VEC will/should always expire BEFORE the passport. because of this rule a friend had to wait the 6 months for his passport to expire, ( they issued him a 6 month VR Visa in the meantime ), now he has a new VEC.

The first is true, but I find it odd that your friend had to wait instead of simply getting a new passport.  I certainly can't speak for AU but I know firsthand that the US consulate will let you apply for a new passport if you have less than 5 years left and explain that you need a new passport get the VEC.  The new passport comes back in a week.  Of course you are loosing a hunk of the value of your old passport but "It's only money."  The US has a passport with more pages, I forget how many, for an extra fee.  It's likely worth it if you plan to stay for the full five years or even sign on for five more and will have a lot of stamps.  The US passport is 10 years so, if you are prompt, you could squeeze in two VEC's. 

One other hint for those who hold a VEC.  Don't be late with your renewals.  Not only will it it let the local authorities put the squeeze on you for a little extra, it can cause problems if you exit at TSN.  When I left, the lady in the immigration exit booth studied every one of my stamps in great detail.  I am sure she was looking for a gap so that she could fine me.

The short answer is, he's a Frenchman. I've seen him arguing over 1000 VND.
4 -5 days late renewing my VEC cost me 1 mil. ( but it seems to vary with others ). 
What a nightmare going through Immigration stamps on an older passport, I'm quite sure most of the time they open your passport without even looking and place the stamp, mine are all over the place. I use a bookmark , so I don't waste so much time when I go into immigration now. But the last few times I've struck an officer with a bit more pride, but the best they can do is still only 3 stamps per page. My 5 yr Passport has 44 pages for stamping , but the first stamp is on page 14?????

if you fly into Ho Chi Minh City with a US passport do you need a visa exempt/visa letter before you board the plane or can you get one at HMC airport?  do I get 14-30 days free with a US passport?

http://www.travel.state.gov/content/pas … etnam.htmlhttp://www.myvietnamvisa.com/visa-requi … tates.html

ah but if I go to the embassy in Bangkok it's only $45 right?  if I go by bus to HMC then is it still $45?

If you enter by land transport, better you should obtain it from Vietnam embassy in Thailand as there is no Visa on arrival if you do so.
Please check their website for visa fee and processing fee.

charmavietnam wrote:

http://www.myvietnamvisa.com/visa-requirements/united-states.html

Try this one,  https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct … 8AamL8Vtjg
You still have to have a " pre approval " letter from the Embassy.

Hi everyone,

I have a few questions about the VEC and extensions:

1. How many times can I get a 90-day extension with a VEC? I've heard that regular tourists VISAs can get 2-3 extensions without leaving the country.

2. Will flying to Malaysia and returning to Vietnam grant me a new 90-day extension on my VEC? Do I need to do anything special? Pay or present anything upon return?

3. Any idea what the average price for a 90-day extension is in Saigon? If you don't know the average, how much do you usually pay?


Thanks for your time!

Kupo wrote:

Hi everyone,

I have a few questions about the VEC and extensions:

1. How many times can I get a 90-day extension with a VEC? I've heard that regular tourists VISAs can get 2-3 extensions without leaving the country.

2. Will flying to Malaysia and returning to Vietnam grant me a new 90-day extension on my VEC? Do I need to do anything special? Pay or present anything upon return?

3. Any idea what the average price for a 90-day extension is in Saigon? If you don't know the average, how much do you usually pay?


Thanks for your time!

If you have a VEC, you are not a tourist, and you don't have to leave VN to extend it. Are you sure you even have a VEC????.

I thing he misunderstood the terms exemption and visa extensions.    Or
He want to obtain a VEC.

Hm... VEC is the Certificate of Visa Exemption for Vietnamese and Family Members (5 years visa), right? Can I stay more than 90 days in Vietnam with it?

VEC should renew each 90days. You can do it within Vietnam.

Kupo wrote:

Hm... VEC is the Certificate of Visa Exemption for Vietnamese and Family Members (5 years visa), right? Can I stay more than 90 days in Vietnam with it?

charmavietnam wrote:

VEC should renew each 90days. You can do it within Vietnam.

Kupo wrote:

Hm... VEC is the Certificate of Visa Exemption for Vietnamese and Family Members (5 years visa), right? Can I stay more than 90 days in Vietnam with it?

Got it, thank you. Is it expensive? And would leaving the country also renew it upon return?

I also applied the VK VEC with my birth certificate and not the marriage VEC, if that matters in the slightest.

No difference Kupo as long as its a valid VEC in your passport. As for the 90 day renewal you can do it for years and years and the cost is around 210,000 VND for each renewal. That being said in order to do the renewal you'll have to submit a document requesting it to Immergration each time and it has to be signed off by your sponsor and verified by the head cop where you live.  The information is posted here in this thread about it. If you don't have a sponsor a flight out of country every 3 months will work also. Regardless of the destination as long as you re-enter VN and Immergration stamps your passport, just like they did when you first entered VN with your VEC. Also there is no waiting time outside of country. You can fly out and back in on the same day with no problem.

Rick

Perfect! Thank you, Budman1! I really appreciate you taking the time to explain everything thoroughly to me.

I don't get it. Looks like its the same program that they have had in place with what we call a VEC since about 2007:

http://tuoitrenews.vn/society/30702/for … n-november

Rick

It seems you don't need exemption at all, you just enter and prove that your married and they give you certain amount days..
Some countries citizens don't need to apply visa, like scandinavian countries. Their citizens get 15days from the border.

Budman1 wrote:

I don't get it. Looks like its the same program that they have had in place with what we call a VEC since about 2007:

http://tuoitrenews.vn/society/30702/for … n-november

Rick

Hi

You are right that it is not a new regime. The reason for this is that VEC was granted since 2007 but not under a law/ legal document. It is under 2 decisions of Prime Minister (135/2007/QD-TTg and 10/2012/QĐ-TTg) which are not considered as "legal documents" but just "guidance documents for implementation of legal documents". Now what they are doing is make it become a legal document/ regulation officially.

However I do found some changes in the new Decree (82/2015/NĐ-CP). Now the temporary residence period for each entry is 6 months (instead of 90 days), foreigners can re-apply it while they are in Vietnam one more time for another 6 months (instead of many times as before, this is my understanding only though, not very clear from its wording), and the application dossier do not require a confirmation by local police anymore.

(A little additional explanation that you can just pass by, not important:
This thing is easy to find in a country follows "Europe Continental Law system" like Vietnam where the law can only be discussed twice a year by National Assembly but the Government need to handle new issues everyday, so the Government can issue guidance to resolve the problem first and then National Assembly would consider to make it become law later (next meeting or 8 years later like this!). Its different with American-English system where Judges can make law themselves thus the law is more suitable with practice, therefore they do not need to have this kind of process, to allow a practice regulation become law.)

Budman1 wrote:

I don't get it. Looks like its the same program that they have had in place with what we call a VEC since about 2007:

http://tuoitrenews.vn/society/30702/for … n-november

Rick

I think it is not worded properly, or as usual something lost in translation, , how can you apply for a VEC, once in VN, if your passport has less than 5 yrs on it????  They say " They will also be required to have a passport with at least one year of validity" , then further down it reads, " .The visa exemption has a maximum validity period of five years and must be at least six months shorter than the remaining validity of the passports of the policy beneficiaries.". ( a new 5yr passport , gets less than 4 1/2 yrs VEC ).

I think you still have to apply for the VEC oversea's first, ( if you are there ), this is where it is confusing, we are really only paying for a Residence PERMIT every 90 days.( the stamp ). But the word PERMIT is hardly ever mentioned on any websites.

" People in other countries should apply for the visa exemption at the Vietnamese agencies in charge of visas there, whereas those who temporarily reside in Vietnam must complete the procedures at the Vietnam Immigration Department."

“ However I do found some changes in the new Decree (82/2015/NĐ-CP). Now the temporary residence period for each entry is 6 months (instead of 90 days), foreigners can re-apply it while they are in Vietnam one more time for another 6 months (instead of many times as before, this is my understanding only though, not very clear from its wording), and the application dossier do not require a confirmation by local police anymore.  “

This doesn't make a lot of sense, If you have five years you should be able to get the full amount, if you took it in 6 month increments? ( 12 times , instead of 24 times @ 90 days ).



This will probably get deleted, apparently we're not allowed to talk about politics here now. ( any country )

" (A little additional explanation that you can just pass by, not important:
This thing is easy to find in a country follows "Europe Continental Law system" like Vietnam where the law can only be discussed twice a year by National Assembly but the Government need to handle new issues everyday, so the Government can issue guidance to resolve the problem first and then National Assembly would consider to make it become law later (next meeting or 8 years later like this!). Its different with American-English system where Judges can make law themselves thus the law is more suitable with practice, therefore they do not need to have this kind of process, to allow a practice regulation become law.)

bluenz wrote:

“ However I do found some changes in the new Decree (82/2015/NĐ-CP). Now the temporary residence period for each entry is 6 months (instead of 90 days), foreigners can re-apply it while they are in Vietnam one more time for another 6 months (instead of many times as before, this is my understanding only though, not very clear from its wording), and the application dossier do not require a confirmation by local police anymore.  “

This doesn't make a lot of sense, If you have five years you should be able to get the full amount, if you took it in 6 month increments? ( 12 times , instead of 24 times @ 90 days ).



This will probably get deleted, apparently we're not allowed to talk about politics here now. ( any country )

" (A little additional explanation that you can just pass by, not important:
This thing is easy to find in a country follows "Europe Continental Law system" like Vietnam where the law can only be discussed twice a year by National Assembly but the Government need to handle new issues everyday, so the Government can issue guidance to resolve the problem first and then National Assembly would consider to make it become law later (next meeting or 8 years later like this!). Its different with American-English system where Judges can make law themselves thus the law is more suitable with practice, therefore they do not need to have this kind of process, to allow a practice regulation become law.)

Its not politics. Just legal knowledge 

bluenz wrote:

Budman1 wrote:

I don't get it. Looks like its the same program that they have had in place with what we call a VEC since about 2007:

http://tuoitrenews.vn/society/30702/for … n-november

Rick

I think it is not worded properly, or as usual something lost in translation, , how can you apply for a VEC, once in VN, if your passport has less than 5 yrs on it????  They say " They will also be required to have a passport with at least one year of validity" , then further down it reads, " .The visa exemption has a maximum validity period of five years and must be at least six months shorter than the remaining validity of the passports of the policy beneficiaries.". ( a new 5yr passport , gets less than 4 1/2 yrs VEC ).

My understanding is that the authority may issue a VEC with 6 months validation for a 1 year passport holder.

Passport validation - 6 months = maximum validation of VEC.
and
VEC holder will be granted maximum 6 months temporary residence (new regulation)

=> 6 months + 6 months = 1 year. That maybe how they came out with the " at least 1 year passport" condition.

bluenz wrote:

I think you still have to apply for the VEC oversea's first, ( if you are there ), this is where it is confusing, we are really only paying for a Residence PERMIT every 90 days.( the stamp ). But the word PERMIT is hardly ever mentioned on any websites.

You mean this blue stamps?


That is "Chứng nhận tạm trú", roughly translated as Temporary Residence Certificate.

VanKhanh Ho wrote:

bluenz wrote:

Budman1 wrote:

I don't get it. Looks like its the same program that they have had in place with what we call a VEC since about 2007:

http://tuoitrenews.vn/society/30702/for … n-november

Rick

I think it is not worded properly, or as usual something lost in translation, , how can you apply for a VEC, once in VN, if your passport has less than 5 yrs on it????  They say " They will also be required to have a passport with at least one year of validity" , then further down it reads, " .The visa exemption has a maximum validity period of five years and must be at least six months shorter than the remaining validity of the passports of the policy beneficiaries.". ( a new 5yr passport , gets less than 4 1/2 yrs VEC ).

My understanding is that the authority may issue a VEC with 6 months validation for a 1 year passport holder.

Passport validation - 6 months = maximum validation of VEC.
and
VEC holder will be granted maximum 6 months temporary residence (new regulation)

=> 6 months + 6 months = 1 year. That maybe how they came out with the " at least 1 year passport" condition.

bluenz wrote:

I think you still have to apply for the VEC oversea's first, ( if you are there ), this is where it is confusing, we are really only paying for a Residence PERMIT every 90 days.( the stamp ). But the word PERMIT is hardly ever mentioned on any websites.

You mean this blue stamps?
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B4WBH_ … sp=sharing

That is "Chứng nhận tạm trú", roughly translated as Temporary Residence Certificate.

It sounds like they are talking about the 12 month TT visa, it's for spouses/siblings of VN's,  and entitles you to the TRC,( as does any TT Visa ),  I always used to call it a Temporary Residence Certificate, but apparently it is Card not Certificate, or again something in the translation? same thing really, but Certificate sounds more official.

I can't open that link, but sounds like the thing, 4cm x 2cm, you could get 4 to a page, but it's always only 3.