Under the provisions of the Law on entry, exit, transit and residence of aliens in Vietnam in 2014, temporary residence card is a kind of paper issued to aliens by the Immigration Authority of the Appropriate Authority of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to permit aliens to reside in Vietnam termly and it substitutes visa.

The cases are granted temporary residence card and temporary residence card symbols:

– An aliens who are members of the diplomatic missions, the consular offices, the representative offices of the international organizations of the United Nations, the intergovernmental organizations in Vietnam and spouses, children under 18, helpers accompanying the office term granted temporary residence cards with symbol NG3 (NG3 – granted to members of diplomatic missions, consular offices, representative offices of international organizations of the UN, representative offices of intergovernmental organizations and spouses, children under 18, helpers accompanying the office term).

– An aliens who are granted visas with symbols LV1, LV2, DT, NN1, NN2, DH, PV1, LD, TT shall be granted temporary residence cards with symbols similar to visa symbols in Law on entry, exit, transit and residence of aliens in Vietnam in 2014 stipulated the types of new symbols and duration of each visa symbol for aliens in Vietnam.

In which the meaning of the visa symbols shall be construed as follows:

LV1 – Granting to the ones who enter to work with central departments and agencies, units of the Communist Party of Vietnam; National Assembly, the Government and the Central Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front, the Supreme People’s Court, Supreme People’s Procuratorate, the State Auditor, ministries, ministerial-level agencies, government agencies; Provincial and City Party Committees, People’s Councils, People’s Committees of the central provinces and cities.

LV2 – Granting to the ones who enter to work with political – social organizations, social organizations, Chambers of Commerce and Industry of Vietnam.

DT – Granting to foreign investors in Vietnam and foreign lawyers practicing in Vietnam.

NN1 – Granting to the ones who are the Heads of Representative Offices, the projects of international organizations, non-governmental organizations in Vietnam.

NN2 – Granting to the heads of representative offices and branches of foreign traders, representative offices of economic, cultural organizations and other professional organizations of aliens in Vietnam.

DH – Granting to the ones who enter to practice and study.

Granting to journalists permanently residing in Vietnam.

LD – Granting to employees.

TT – Granting to aliens who are spouses, children under 18 years of the aliens granted visas with symbols LV1, LV2, DT, NN1, NN2, DH, PV1, LD or aliens who are fathers, mothers, spouses and children of Vietnamese citizens.

Procedures for temporary residence card

Application for temporary residence card includes:

1. Written request of agencies, organizations and individuals who make the procedures for invitation, guarantee;
2. Declaration for temporary residence card with photo;
3. Passport of the individuals applying for temporary residence card;
4. Documents evidencing the case belonged to members of diplomatic missions, consular offices, representative offices of international organizations of the United Nations, intergovernmental organizations in Vietnam and spouses, children under 18 years, helpers accompanying or documents show that the aliens are spouses, children under 18 years of the aliens granted visas symbols LV1, LV2, DT, NN1, NN2, DH, PV1, LD or aliens are fathers, mothers, spouses, children of Vietnamese citizens.

Processing for issuance of temporary residence cards as follows:

1. Diplomatic missions, consular offices or other bodies authorized by the aliens in Vietnam send the applications for temporary residence cards with symbol NG3 at the competent authority of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs;
2. Agencies, organizations and individuals that invite or guarantee directly apply for temporary residence cards for aliens in cases of aliens granted visas with symbols LV1, LV2, DT, NN1, NN2, DH, PV1, LD, TT shall be granted temporary residence cards with symbols similar to the visa symbols under Law of entry, exit, transit and residence of aliens in Vietnam in 2014 specified the types of new symbols and duration of each visas symbol for aliens in Vietnam at the Immigration Authority where the invitation or guarantee agencies and organizations have headquarters or where invitation or guarantee individuals reside;
3. Within 05 working days from receipt of the application, the Immigration Authority or the competent authority of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs shall consider to grant temporary residence cards.

Validity of temporary residence card

1. The validity of temporary residence cards issued is shorter than the remaining term of passport at least 30 days.
2. The temporary residence cards with symbols NG3, LV1, LV2, DT and DH hold validity not more than 05 years.
3. The temporary residence cards with symbols NN1, NN2, TT hold validity not more than 03 years.
4. The temporary residence cards with symbol LD and PV1 hold validity not more than 02 years.
5. Expired temporary residence cards are considered to be re-issued.

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