Vietnam Temporary Residence Card in 2026: how to apply

What a Vietnam TRC is, and why you'd want one

A Vietnamese residence permit is the Temporary Residence Card (Thẻ tạm trú, or TRC). It is issued by the Immigration Department under the Ministry of Public Security. A TRC replaces your visa: while the card is valid, there are no extensions to chase and no visa runs.

The TRC is a plastic card with your photo and an expiry date. With it you cross the border freely, open bank accounts and sign business deals. This guide is about the card itself: who qualifies, what documents you file, where, and for how much. If you are still deciding which route fits you, or you want the full permanent-residence and citizenship picture, read our Vietnam permanent residence guide first, then come back here for the paperwork.

When you don't need one

Not everyone needs a resident card. Visa-free entry (45 days) and an e-visa (up to 90 days) are plenty for a couple of months. A TRC makes sense when you:

• Live in Vietnam more than 6 months a year
• Work on the books or run a business
• Want to open a bank account and local insurance
• Are tired of visa runs and want a stable legal status
• Plan to buy property or a motorbike in your own name

Card types and validity tiers — who gets what

A TRC is issued to foreigners with a legal ground for a long stay: work, business, family or study.

The most common routes for expats are LD (work), DT (investment/business) and TT (marriage). One rule cuts across all of them: your card can never outlast your passport. The TRC is issued for at least 30 days less than the validity remaining on your passport, so a passport with only 18 months left caps you at a shorter card no matter which category you fall under.

TRC through employment — Work Permit and card

The work resident card (LD) is the most direct way to a TRC if you have a formal employer. It runs up to 2 years and can be renewed.

Who qualifies for a work TRC

A foreigner with a valid Work Permit (Giấy phép lao động), issued for at least 12 months. Since August 2025, Decree 219/2025/ND-CP has widened the list of exemptions from the Work Permit (intra-company transfers, specialists staying up to 30 days), and filing has moved partly online.

Step by step

1. The employer applies for the Work Permit at the provincial Department of Labour
2. Processing: 10 working days for review
3. Work Permit issued — valid for up to 2 years
4. TRC application filed at the Immigration Department
5. Processing: 5 working days
6. TRC issued — a plastic LD-category card

Total time from filing to card in hand is roughly 3–4 weeks.

What happens if you leave the job

When a contract ends, the company must notify the Immigration Department and the TRC is cancelled. You get roughly 15 days to find a new sponsor or leave the country.

💬 "From August 2025 the process got simpler — part of the paperwork is filed online, and IT specialists moving on an intra-company transfer no longer need a Work Permit." — Vietnam Briefing, 2025

TRC through investment or starting a company

The investor TRC (category DT) is the most popular route for freelancers, entrepreneurs and remote workers. You open a company, put in the charter capital, and get a card valid for 1 to 10 years.

Investment thresholds

For most people the realistic tier is ĐT4 (up to a year) or ĐT3 (up to 3 years).

Setting up a company — step by step

1. Register the company — get a Business Registration Certificate (BRC). 5–10 working days
2. Investment licence (Investment Registration Certificate) — if foreign capital exceeds 51%. 15–20 working days
3. Deposit the charter capital — within 90 days of registration
4. Get the DT visa — file at the Immigration Department
5. Apply for the TRC — the standard procedure (5 working days)

The whole thing, from idea to card in hand, takes 2–4 months with a lawyer. On your own it takes longer.

What it costs to open a company

Registering it yourself runs $300–$500 (government fees, a legal address, notary). Through a law firm it is $3,000–$5,000 for the full package: registration, licence, DT visa and TRC.

TRC through marriage to a Vietnamese citizen

The TT card (thẻ tạm trú TT) is issued to spouses, children under 18 and parents of Vietnamese citizens. The maximum term is 3 years, renewable.

Requirements and documents

• Marriage certificate — legalised, translated into Vietnamese, notarised. A foreign marriage needs an apostille plus consular legalisation
• Passport with at least 13 months of validity
• Sponsor statement from the spouse (form NA7)
• Proof of residence — local address registration

Timeline and quirks

Once your file is complete, the TRC itself is issued in the usual 5 working days (immigration may stretch this to 10–15 if anything needs checking). What makes the marriage route feel slow is everything before that: registering the marriage, and getting a foreign marriage certificate apostilled, legalised and translated. Budget a few months end to end. You can only file inside Vietnam, and if you divorce, the TRC is cancelled.

Legalising a foreign marriage certificate goes through the consular section of your embassy — start early, because in high season the queue can stretch to 2–3 weeks. The one shortcut here: a TT card cuts the path to citizenship from five years to three, though for most people that is a distant concern.

TRC through study

The student TRC (category DH) goes to foreigners enrolled at Vietnamese universities or language programmes. The maximum term is 5 years and the sponsor is the school.

It is the least common route, but the cheapest. Tuition at Vietnamese state universities runs $1,000–$2,000 a year; a Vietnamese language course is $500–$1,500 per semester. You cannot work on a DH card without a separate permit.

The institution acts as sponsor and files form NA6. You put together the rest: passport, photos, proof of enrolment, a Vietnamese translation of your diploma or school certificate. Review is the standard 5 working days.

Documents for a TRC and where to file

The document package is the same for all categories. Only the supporting ground document differs.

Translating one document costs 200,000–500,000 VND (~$8–20).

Where to file

• Immigration Department (Cục Quản lý xuất nhập cảnh) in Hanoi — for any category
• Provincial offices — where you live (Ho Chi Minh City, Da Nang, etc.)
• The Ministry of Public Security online portal — for pre-submission

Review time: 5 working days once the complete file is accepted. If immigration wants extra checks or a missing paper, expect 10–15 working days instead.

VNeID — the step nobody warned you about

This is the part most 2024-era guides miss. Since 1 July 2025, every foreigner holding a TRC (or PRC) has to register for a Level 2 VNeID— Vietnam's digital identity, tied to a phone app. It is not optional, and getting the card no longer ends the process.

You register in person at the immigration office that issued your TRC — bring your passport, the physical card, and a Vietnamese SIM registered in your own name (a company or unregistered number will be rejected). The appointment itself takes 30 minutes to two hours: biometrics, a form, and SMS verification. Afterwards you download the VNeID app (English and Vietnamese) and activate it with a code sent within a few days.

💬 "Since July 2025, all TRC holders must register in Vietnam's VNeID digital identity system. The updated process adds roughly two weeks to issuance." — legal alert, Fragomen, 2025

How much a Vietnam TRC costs in 2026

These state fees are set nationally and do not change by city or office — the same $145 in Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City. Payment is in USD or the VND equivalent at the day's interbank rate.

Extra costs

DIY or through an agent?

With a Work Permit or a marriage certificate in hand, filing yourself is realistic. The $145 fee, document translations, a couple of trips to immigration — call it $200–$300 all in.

Going the investment route from scratch, a lawyer is all but mandatory. A slip in the company paperwork costs you months. Budget $3,000–$5,000 for the full package.

Prices current as of July 2026. Rate used: $1 ≈ 25,000 VND.

Renewing and reissuing a TRC

The resident card is not open-ended. File for renewal 30 days before it expires, or the status lapses.

How to renew

1. Make sure the ground for your TRC still holds (Work Permit not expired, company active, marriage valid)
2. Gather an updated file (forms NA6/NA7/NA8 plus a passport copy)
3. File at the same office that issued the TRC
4. Pay the fee: $10 for renewal
5. Review time: 5 working days

When you need a reissue

• New passport — the TRC is tied to the old one and must be reissued
• Category change — say from LD to DT. That is a fresh application
• Lost card — a statement plus a reissue

Common mistakes when getting a TRC

1. Living on visa runs for years. Every 45–90 days, a flight to Cambodia or Thailand ($100–$200 a trip). Over a year, $1,200–$2,400 — more than a TRC.

2. Overstaying your visa. Since December 2025, Decree 282/2025/NĐ-CP has tightened penalties. Each day: $10–$20. A week can reach $140. A long overstay means detention, questioning and an entry ban.

3. Not checking passport validity. A TRC needs at least 13 months, not the 6 that visa-free entry does. If your passport expires within a year, you can be refused.

4. Not translating documents into Vietnamese. Every foreign document needs a notarised translation. An original in your own language won't even be accepted.

5. Setting up a company without a lawyer. A faulty charter, a missing licence or unpaid charter capital are all grounds to refuse the DT visa. Saving $2,000–$3,000 costs you months.

6. Confusing a TRC with a visa. A TRC is not a visa. You cannot apply for a TRC on visa-free entry. First a visa of the right category (LD, DT, TT), then the card.

7. Forgetting company reporting. The tax authority (Tổng cục Thuế) requires quarterly filings even from companies with zero turnover. Skip it and your tax code is blocked, with fines and TRC renewal trouble.

💬 "A common trap is opening a company just for the card and never doing the accounting. Six months in, a notice arrives from the tax office." — from expat forums and duan.asia

Visa runs vs a TRC — which is cheaper

If you plan to live in Vietnam more than half the year, a TRC is cheaper and safer than visa runs.

FAQ — common questions about Vietnam residency

Can a foreigner get residency in Vietnam?

Yes. A TRC is open through employment, investment, marriage or study. There is no nationality restriction. The easiest routes are through an employer (LD, up to 2 years) or by opening a company (DT, up to 3 years).

How much does a Vietnam residence card cost?

The government fee is fixed by term: $145 (up to 2 years), $155 (2–5 years) or $165 (5–10 years), the same in any city. With translations and an agent, $200 to $2,500. Through a business, from $120,000 (charter capital) plus $3,000–$5,000 in fees.

Can you work without a residence card?

Legally, only with a Work Permit and a work visa. Freelancers on a tourist entry are technically in a grey zone. To go legal: an employer (LD) or your own company (DT).

What passport do you need?

Any valid passport works. The key requirement is at least 13 months of validity on the date you apply.

Are visa runs cheaper than a TRC?

The TRC. One visa run is $100–$200, so a year is $1,200–$2,400. A 2-year TRC is $145 in fees. Even with an agent the card pays for itself within half a year.

Does a TRC give access to healthcare?

The TRC does not include insurance. But with the card it is easier to buy Vietnamese health cover (Bảo hiểm y tế), open a bank account and use public hospitals. A policy starts from 3,000,000 VND a year (~$120).

Can you get a TRC by buying property?

No, buying property does not grant residency directly. But you can register a company to manage the property and get a DT3 card (charter capital from 3 billion VND / ~$120,000).

Can a retiree get a TRC?

There is no dedicated retirement visa. The usual routes are marriage to a Vietnamese citizen or an investment card. If you are weighing the options, the permanent residence guide lays them out side by side.

Do you have to register for VNeID after getting a TRC?

Yes, since 1 July 2025. You register a Level 2 VNeID in person at the office that issued your card, with your passport, the TRC and a Vietnamese SIM in your own name. Skip it and you cannot bank, file taxes or run a company — the things the card was for.

Do you still need visa runs with a TRC?

No. A TRC gives multiple entry and exit with no restrictions for its whole validity.

What comes after a TRC — PRC and citizenship?

After three continuous years on a TRC you can apply for permanent residence (PRC). Citizenship is possible but rare — Vietnam does not recognise dual nationality. We cover both in the permanent residence guide; this article stops at the TRC.

Data current as of July 2026. Prices and rules can change — check the official site before you file.