Visa exemption certificate

- Your VEC is good for 5 years starting from the day of issue.  Each stay can only last 180 days.  On or before the last day of the stay, you must exit the country.  Your time away doesn't have to be long, but you must have an exit stamp and an entry stamp even if they're on the same day.

- You're allowed to have one extension in country, that's what I was told by one immigration officer in Tan Son Nhat.  As our trips occur more often than twice a year, I've never used that one time allowance so I cannot tell you whether the rule still applies today, or whether that one time allowance is good only after the first stay or after any random stay.

- The subsequent stay begins again on the day you re-enter, not the day you exit the country.  Lather, rinse, repeat, until the last day of the VEC.  After that, unless you receive a TRC, you're allowed to re-apply for another 5-year VEC.

- I've never heard of a 12-month extension for VEC.  TBH, I don't think it exists.  Please correct me if you know for certain that it does, I would truly love to extend mine to a 12-month stay.

VEC renewal is each 180 days (90 days before) and should exit and re-enter according to immigration rules but exception is there in the form of currency so they (verification officer) just care the signature and seal. If someone offered it's good. You are not the first one receiving 'offers' like this
So be happy and give some TET money if you don't want to make a border run soon.

davidoz wrote:

I am an Australian citizen currently residing in Nha Trang.I am married to a vietnamese national and have a VEC. I am looking for up to date info about extensions.I was last out of the country, 3/2018 and have received 2- 6 month extensions which expire next month 3/2019.I have been told by ex-pats and a visa company, that I have to leave country when current visa extension runs out.I have also been told by the Nha Trang office that gave me extensions, that they are able to give me another extension of 12 months without leaving.Can someone enlighten me as to the official ruling on this.Personal experience in this matter would be relevant as well.

Well it's not the law per VEC's.

What you will be asked to do is pay extra money so someone can stamp your passport on the sly.

Beware when leaving VN as the border police may look and see that you haven't exited VN for two years and this may create some major problems. My advice would be to have a trip away for a few days and then come back in, much safer.

G'day David
We used to live in Nha Trang (2003-2010) and I remember asking one of my wife's work colleagues about the seeming disparity surrounding visas, which was always a hot topic in the NT bars (then) frequented by expats.
The work colleague (who is now a Master of Law with the immigration department) said that laws were/are made in Hanoi and Saigon (HCMC) but legally able to be 'interpreted' by each province provided they didn't step outside (beyond) the parameters.  That's a pretty loose definition and not one that I'd necessarily rely on - but I mention it here to simply emphasise that there can be many (legal) variations of the same rule as you move around the country.
To be safe, we always did 'important' things - especially if related to immigration - in HCMC rather than Khanh Hoa.  We still follow the same rule since relocating to Ba Ria-Vung Tau several years ago.
Hope that helps.

Thanks for the responses I have just filled out the form and it is not a 12 month visa extension but a 12 temporary resident form. Thought these were for 3 years but this will do.

It's quite possible that changes have taken place since I decided to go for a temporary resident permit many years ago, so please don't take this comment as gospel.
I just wanted to let you know that I fortunately mentioned my intention to apply for temporary residency to someone I knew in the Australian Tax Office at the time and he told me that it could (not necessarily would) jeopardise my 'Australian resident for tax purposes' status - so I discontinued the idea because I don't want to lose Oz residency for tax purposes for various personal/family reasons. 
That said, the above might no longer apply - and/or you might not be concerned about losing Oz residency for tax purposes (but make sure you know what's entailed before you decide to let it go...).  It's just something that you might want to consider before submitting your application.................... 

Thanks for your comment.I have retired and collected my super [ and no investments in Oz ] so that wouldn't be an issue for me. The pension eligibility may be affected but think that's another problem to look at, when the time arises

Sure thing - entirely your choice.  I've found many expats willing to argue the toss about the value or otherwise of keeping 'residency for tax purposes' - but it's invariably because they don't realise that we all have our own often unique set of life circumstances, and there's no 'one size fits all'.