How do you get a temporary residence card in Vietnam in 2026?

Vietnam's foreigners' residence law covers defined official, legal-practice, investment, company-representative, study, press, work, and family categories. For movers, common routes include a qualifying investor, a worker with a permit or recognised exemption, a student sponsored by an institution, and an eligible relative of a Vietnamese citizen or qualifying foreign card holder.

The codes describe function, not status level. For example, LD1 means employment where the worker has a recognised work-permit exemption; LD2 means employment requiring a work permit. TT is the family category for specified parents, spouses, and children. Investment categories are split by qualifying capital level. An EV e-visa (electronic entry visa) is not on the card-eligibility list, so an e-visa alone does not qualify.

The inviting or guaranteeing party is the sponsor. A company, school, or other organisation uses Form NA6, its formal request. An individual family sponsor uses Form NA7. The foreign applicant completes Form NA8, the card application. The file also needs the original passport and evidence supporting the category, such as a work permit or exemption certificate, investment records, school evidence, or legalised family records.

The sponsor submits to the Immigration Department of the Ministry of Public Security or the immigration division of the provincial or centrally governed city police where the organisation is based or individual sponsor resides. The Ministry of Public Security Public Service Portal supports online filing for listed procedures, with originals or authenticated records supplied as directed. This is not a district-level process after the 2025 administrative reorganisation.

Your tạm trú (temporary residence declaration) should accurately show the current ward or commune address. Foreign-issued marriage, birth, or corporate documents may need consular legalisation, which confirms them for Vietnamese use, plus certified Vietnamese translation. The official service states a five-working-day decision period after a complete file. Follow the portal notice if immigration requires an in-person identity check, original passport, photograph, or other biometric data used to confirm identity.

The maximum depends on category and can be cut by the passport or underlying approval. Work-category cards run no longer than two years. The family category runs no longer than three years. Some investor categories permit longer caps. Every card must expire at least 30 days before the passport.

A valid card serves in place of a visa for exit and re-entry, but border inspection still checks the person, passport, and card. Renew early enough for the sponsor to rebuild the file. A new passport, sponsor, employer, address, family basis, or work-permit status can require immigration action even when the printed card has time left. Re-declare accommodation after moving.