TRC or 5-year visa free ?Which one is better ?

The type of visa to stay in Vietnam doesn't affect your ability to get visa to other countries.  Your passport is the only factor.  You do not have to present the TRC or VEC (5 year visa) to the consulate of the country you wish to visit when you apply for visa to that country, you only need to show your passport.

JaydenVuong wrote:

I’m planing to get the 5-year visa free Or TRC.

As I know  for 5-year visa free each time I can stay up to 180 days and for TRC I will get 3 years visa without leaving Vietnam in every 6 months.

After getting the TRC or 5-year visa I will apply for Japan tourist  visa in Vietnam or Korean tourist visa in Vietnam for my honeymoon. The question is someone told me that it’s better to get the TRC as for the 5-year visa free maybe difficult to get other countries Visa in Vietnam due to the time limitation. 

Anyone knows about this ?

Please give me some advice.

Thank you.

Where do people get this misinformation from.

In relation to the TRC, some provences only issue 2 year spousal TRCs.

To make my answer clearer: the length of your absence from Vietnam doesn't count either toward or against the VEC's 180 day stay.

For example, you receive the VEC on Jan 1, 2020.  The first stamp on your passport shows the first day of your first 180 day stay.  Meaning you should take a trip out of the country BEFORE June 29. 

Doesn't matter how long you're away, the day you return to Vietnam is the first day of your second 180 day stay. 

If you leave for honeymoon on May 15 and return on July 15, you'll need to take another trip BEFORE Jan 11, 2021 (180 days after July 15). 

See why the type of visa to stay in Vietnam doesn't matter at all on your honeymoon?

Hi Ciambella,

Thank you for your answer .

If I decide to get the VEC, will the length of the visa (180 days)affect the result of the visa to other countries ?like higher chance to get rejected as each time I entry Vietnam only can stay up to 180 days.

For example

I received my VEC on 1st Jan 2020 and 1st May 2020 I decide to go other countries and apply the visa in Vietnam, then the stamp on my passport shows that I only can stay till end of June 2020.. will it affect me to get the visa to other countries ?

I got it from one of the agent in HCMC.

JaydenVuong wrote:

Hi Ciambella,

Thank you for your answer .

If I decide to get the VEC, will the length of the visa (180 days)affect the result of the visa to other countries ?like higher chance to get rejected as each time I entry Vietnam only can stay up to 180 days.

For example

I received my VEC on 1st Jan 2020 and 1st May 2020 I decide to go other countries and apply the visa in Vietnam, then the stamp on my passport shows that I only can stay till end of June 2020.. will it affect me to get the visa to other countries ?

Seriously you are over thinking things. I cant understand how your Vietnam VEC will affect your visa to another country as a tourist. Just because you have a visa to one country, this wont affect your visa to another country.

Precisely as Colin said. And as I've said twice earlier, now repeating again here:

1- Your passport is the only thing that determines the outcome of your tourist visa to another country.  The type of visa you use to stay in Vietnam doesn't matter one way or another.

If you get rejected when applying for tourist visa to another country, it would be because you did something bad as a Chinese passport holder and not because your CURRENT stay in Vietnam ends on June 1, 2020.

2- The stamp in your passport shows the date of your CURRENT stay, but your VEC is not for one stay, it's a multiple entry visa exemption certificate.  It's good for 5 years.  Just because you need to exit the country on June 2020 doesn't mean your VEC expires on June 2020.

3- When you go to another country on May 1, the CURRENT stay ends the moment you pass through immigration desk to enter the deeper part of the airport.  It's supposed to end on June 1, but because you leave on May 1, it ends one month early.  Then, 7 days later, when you return, the stamp at the immigration desk will show that the first day of your NEXT stay is May 7 and the last day is Nov 7 (6 months later).

4- Still, your VEC doesn't expire on any of those days.  It'll expire on Dec 31, 2024, 5 years after the day you receive the VEC. 

5- Other countries will not look at your VEC, they only look at the expiration of your passport.  They don't care where you live the day you apply for tourist visa, they only care that you are a Chinese with a valid passport.

6- I don't think the agent in Saigon gave you wrong information.  Based on what you wrote here and in the other thread, I think you misunderstood him big time.

colinoscapee wrote:

Just because you have a visa to one country, this wont affect your visa to another country.

This would seem logical but do you recall the thread in which a Filipina national stated that she could not obtain a visa to Japan?  Apparently she was not alone as the issue arose in a second thread after that.  One person, a Canadian, stated that certain Asian citizens needs  a TRC in VN to obtain a visa to a third country.  That may be correct but still seems puzzling.

https://www.expat.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=630575https://www.expat.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=739281

THIGV wrote:

colinoscapee wrote:

Just because you have a visa to one country, this wont affect your visa to another country.

This would seem logical but do you recall the thread in which a Filipina national stated that she could not obtain a visa to Japan?  Apparently she was not alone as the issue arose in a second thread after that.  One person, a Canadian, stated that certain Asian citizens needs  a TRC in VN to obtain a visa to a third country.  That may be correct but still seems puzzling.

https://www.expat.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=630575https://www.expat.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=739281

It seems the OP hasnt actually spoken to the embassies in question, just been told by someone. We all know about the misinformation that is rampant in the expat scene and by agents. I would contact the embassy first to clarify. The only reason I could think of why they do this is,both these countries have had issues with people from various countries overstaying their visa, by having a TRC or VEC in VN this may show that they will return.

I see the OP of your first link really appreciated your feedback. 🙊

JaydenVuong wrote:

I’m planing to get the 5-year visa free Or TRC.

As I know  for 5-year visa free each time I can stay up to 180 days and for TRC I will get 3 years visa without leaving Vietnam in every 6 months.

After getting the TRC or 5-year visa I will apply for Japan tourist  visa in Vietnam or Korean tourist visa in Vietnam for my honeymoon. The question is someone told me that it’s better to get the TRC as for the 5-year visa free maybe difficult to get other countries Visa in Vietnam due to the time limitation. 

Anyone knows about this ?

Please give me some advice.

Thank you.

If you want to apply Visa for some countries in Vietnam, then you should need to have TRC or Work permit (for Asian and African only). And also you need to prove all evidence (depends on each country's visa requirement, I think everything depends on your nationalities not because of your current status.
As my pieces of knowledge, it is a bit hard Chinese to get Visa to Korean and Japan even for Europe.

I have similar questions:
I have a 5yr VEC, ending next January, I will return to VN by end of November.
1) Will I get a stamp for 180 days or only until the end of January?
2)  If I apply for either another 5 year VEC or TRC, how long before the final date I have to apply?
3) all applying to be done at the Immigration office? Or any other authority?

1) No
2) lodge a few weeks before expiry or you will be illegally in VN after the expiry date.
3) I did my TRC at the immigration office, much cheaper than using an agent.

Lutz26 wrote:

I have a 5yr VEC, ending next January, I will return to VN by end of November.
1) Will I get a stamp for 180 days or only until the end of January?

colinoscapee wrote:

1) No

What Colin meant was that you'll only get a stamp to stay until the last day of your VEC.

Ciambella wrote:

Lutz26 wrote:

I have a 5yr VEC, ending next January, I will return to VN by end of November.
1) Will I get a stamp for 180 days or only until the end of January?

colinoscapee wrote:

1) No

What Colin meant was that you'll only get a stamp to stay until the last day of your VEC.

Correct, I should have added more info, but I thought the answer was quite obvious. 🤪

colinoscapee wrote:

Correct, I should have added more info, but I thought the answer was quite obvious. 🤪

The question had "or" in it, Colin.   

Ciambella wrote:

Lutz26 wrote:

I have a 5yr VEC, ending next January, I will return to VN by end of November.
1) Will I get a stamp for 180 days or only until the end of January?

colinoscapee wrote:

1) No

What Colin meant was that you'll only get a stamp to stay until the last day of your VEC.

I thought his answer was a comment on the existential conundrum that is visa matters in Vietnam.   

What is the problem with this 180 days?  I like to travel and the 180 days never became a problem.  I'd have 2 months left and go somewhere, come back and get another 180 days.  Why get a 5 yr and have the hassle with immigration every 90 to 180 days?  A 2 or 3 yr TRC is much better.  Even with the 5yr, here in DaNang you only had to turn your passport into Immigration and after 3 days it's returned to you at a small cost.  I'm on my third TRC after having a 5 yr exemption and will attempt again in 2022 when I renew my passport to get another if not a PRC...Everytime you return, the locals want a copy with the 5 yr...on the TRC...it expires down the road and you only need show once (if you stay at one area).

I am back now in Vietnam. The stamp I got now on my 5yr VEC was limited until the last day of the VEC.
You think it is much better to apply for a TRC even it is only valid 3 yrs?
As a retiree married to my Vietnamese wife for >5yrs I am not on the list preferred for the TRC.

How many TRC periods you need before you can apply for PRC?

When I was about to stay longer than the 180 days on my VEC I just went to the immigration office to get a short period Visa on top, just to avoid the visa-run. no big problem as the immigration office is just 15 mins away by motorbike.

Lutz26 wrote:

I am back now in Vietnam. The stamp I got now on my 5yr VEC was limited until the last day of the VEC.
You think it is much better to apply for a TRC even it is only valid 3 yrs?
As a retiree married to my Vietnamese wife for >5yrs I am not on the list preferred for the TRC.

How many TRC periods you need before you can apply for PRC?

When I was about to stay longer than the 180 days on my VEC I just went to the immigration office to get a short period Visa on top, just to avoid the visa-run. no big problem as the immigration office is just 15 mins away by motorbike.

I think if you apply for PRC  its 1000 usd, a TRC is 150 usd, I know which one I prefer.

Lutz26 wrote:

I am back now in Vietnam. The stamp I got now on my 5yr VEC was limited until the last day of the VEC.
You think it is much better to apply for a TRC even it is only valid 3 yrs?
As a retiree married to my Vietnamese wife for >5yrs I am not on the list preferred for the TRC.

How many TRC periods you need before you can apply for PRC?

When I was about to stay longer than the 180 days on my VEC I just went to the immigration office to get a short period Visa on top, just to avoid the visa-run. no big problem as the immigration office is just 15 mins away by motorbike.

If You have TRC and more benefits, you will get then VEC, So recommends you to get TRC.

one disadvantage of the 3yr TRC is that renewing your driving license is restricted to the same period (3yrs). If you have a 5yr VE renewal in your passport, your VN driving license will be renewed for another 5 years, too. And the VE is FREE of charge (3yr TRC 150$).
So I am still in doubt as my major period in VN normally is not more than 6 months.

Lutz26 wrote:

one disadvantage of the 3yr TRC is that renewing your driving license is restricted to the same period (3yrs). If you have a 5yr VE renewal in your passport, your VN driving license will be renewed for another 5 years, too. And the VE is FREE of charge (3yr TRC 150$).
So I am still in doubt as my major period in VN normally is not more than 6 months.

You pay for convenience. In 5 yrs you have to exit 9 times. Add the cost of exiting and youll find a TRC a better option.

As mentioned before, all my stays except one yet have been within the 180 days limit (better: 6 months) within the last 5 years.
And returned after another 6 months.
If I would intend to stay longer a TRC might be the better option.
Just the driving license issued now for 5 years would be reduced to 3 yrs in case of a TRC always according to your visa validation limit.
So every 3 years I have to go to immigration AND the driving license office. And both offices wait for each a week and go again for pick up.
So convenience can be seen different, depends on your personal situation.

Lutz26 wrote:

As mentioned before, all my stays except one yet have been within the 180 days limit (better: 6 months) within the last 5 years.
And returned after another 6 months.
If I would intend to stay longer a TRC might be the better option.
Just the driving license issued now for 5 years would be reduced to 3 yrs in case of a TRC always according to your visa validation limit.
So every 3 years I have to go to immigration AND the driving license office. And both offices wait for each a week and go again for pick up.
So convenience can be seen different, depends on your personal situation.

These two reasons are why I'm going VEC.  Plus, I'm moving back to the US in a year so having VEC will make it easier for me when I do visit over the next few years to not worry about cost but more importantly the time to obtain both the VEC and the driver's license.

colinoscapee wrote:

You pay for convenience. In 5 yrs you have to exit 9 times. Add the cost of exiting and youll find a TRC a better option.

I can see this option if you don't plan to travel anywhere.  If I was here full time and retired I'm positive I could decide on a new country to visit every six months for a week.

Just this upcoming year I have a friend from my hometown that is moving to Thailand with his Thai wife in October so I will be able to go to visit them.  My brother is visiting the Philippines with his Filipino wife in 2020.  We will go there a week to visit them.  In addition I still want to go to Australia, NZ, Japan, Singapore, Malaysia, Korea when I am this close.  I never get that option when I'm in the US.

Lutz26 wrote:

As mentioned before, all my stays except one yet have been within the 180 days limit (better: 6 months) within the last 5 years.
And returned after another 6 months.
If I would intend to stay longer a TRC might be the better option.
Just the driving license issued now for 5 years would be reduced to 3 yrs in case of a TRC always according to your visa validation limit.
So every 3 years I have to go to immigration AND the driving license office. And both offices wait for each a week and go again for pick up.
So convenience can be seen different, depends on your personal situation.

I have had two TRCs and a VEC, I still think the TRC is more convenient.

SteinNebraska wrote:

colinoscapee wrote:

You pay for convenience. In 5 yrs you have to exit 9 times. Add the cost of exiting and youll find a TRC a better option.

I can see this option if you don't plan to travel anywhere.  If I was here full time and retired I'm positive I could decide on a new country to visit every six months for a week.

Just this upcoming year I have a friend from my hometown that is moving to Thailand with his Thai wife in October so I will be able to go to visit them.  My brother is visiting the Philippines with his Filipino wife in 2020.  We will go there a week to visit them.  In addition I still want to go to Australia, NZ, Japan, Singapore, Malaysia, Korea when I am this close.  I never get that option when I'm in the US.

If someone was here full time and retired then a VEC is a good option. Not everyone on a VEC is retired, thats where the TRC becomes more beneficial.

Reasons?

colinoscapee wrote:

Lutz26 wrote:

As mentioned before, all my stays except one yet have been within the 180 days limit (better: 6 months) within the last 5 years.
And returned after another 6 months.
If I would intend to stay longer a TRC might be the better option.
Just the driving license issued now for 5 years would be reduced to 3 yrs in case of a TRC always according to your visa validation limit.
So every 3 years I have to go to immigration AND the driving license office. And both offices wait for each a week and go again for pick up.
So convenience can be seen different, depends on your personal situation.

I have had two TRCs and a VEC, I still think the TRC is more convenient.

VEC able to get if we married to Vietnamese only?

Contem talk wrote:

colinoscapee wrote:

Lutz26 wrote:

As mentioned before, all my stays except one yet have been within the 180 days limit (better: 6 months) within the last 5 years.
And returned after another 6 months.
If I would intend to stay longer a TRC might be the better option.
Just the driving license issued now for 5 years would be reduced to 3 yrs in case of a TRC always according to your visa validation limit.
So every 3 years I have to go to immigration AND the driving license office. And both offices wait for each a week and go again for pick up.
So convenience can be seen different, depends on your personal situation.

I have had two TRCs and a VEC, I still think the TRC is more convenient.

VEC able to get if we married to Vietnamese only?

Overseas Vietnamese can also apply for a VEC.

colinoscapee wrote:

Contem talk wrote:

colinoscapee wrote:

I have had two TRCs and a VEC, I still think the TRC is more convenient.

VEC able to get if we married to Vietnamese only?

Overseas Vietnamese can also apply for a VEC.

So it does mean the benefits which can get all who are married Vietnamese or Overseas Vietnamese (VQ), But none of then do not have to concern about which one they have to get TRC/VEC. They can get only TRC. Am I correct?