5-Year Visa Exemption Certificate in Ho Chi Minh City
The certificate is for the spouse or child of a Vietnamese citizen. It lasts up to 5 years, with a 6-month stay per entry, for US$10. File it at the Immigration Department, 333-335-337 Nguyen Trai Street, or online. The city police office at 196 Nguyen Thi Minh Khai does not issue it.
On this page
- Is this the right paper?
- Who qualifies
- What the certificate gives you
- How long you can stay
- Where to file in Ho Chi Minh City
- The dossier
- Fee and processing time
- Lost, expired or revoked
- Work and address registration
- Certificate or TT visa and card?
- Step by step: from family tie to certificate
- Step by step
- Common questions
The 5-year visa exemption certificate is a paper for a foreigner with a Vietnamese family tie. It lasts up to 5 years, with a 6-month stay on each entry.
Is this the right paper?
Three different things get called a “visa exemption”. The country-list exemption gives citizens of the countries named in Resolution 44/NQ-CP 45 days from entry. The certificate depends on your family tie to a Vietnamese citizen or an overseas Vietnamese. A TT visa leads to a card of up to 3 years.
The country-list exemption applies to entries until the end of 14 March 2028. For citizens of a country that Vietnam exempts unilaterally, the border stamp gives 45 days, and the person may be considered for a visa or an extension.
Who qualifies
Decree 82/2015/NĐ-CP covers overseas Vietnamese and foreigners who are the spouse or child of an overseas Vietnamese or of a Vietnamese citizen. Three conditions apply:
- A passport or travel document with at least 1 year of validity left.
- Papers proving you are in the covered group.
- You do not fall under the cases of refused entry or suspended exit.
A foreigner proves the relationship with a certified copy of the papers showing they are the spouse or child of a Vietnamese citizen or overseas Vietnamese.
What the certificate gives you
A certificate lasts up to 5 years and ends at least 6 months before the passport.
Giấy miễn thị thực có thời hạn tối đa không quá 05 năm và ngắn hơn thời hạn sử dụng của hộ chiếu hoặc giấy tờ có giá trị đi lại quốc tế của người được cấp ít nhất 06 tháng.
A visa exemption certificate lasts up to 5 years and ends at least 6 months before the passport.
Decree 82/2015/NĐ-CP, Điều 4 khoản 1
The certificate is issued to a person entering Vietnam to visit relatives or handle private matters. It is issued into the passport, and in listed cases as a loose paper. One case is a passport with no pages left for visas. A child who shares a passport with a parent gets a certificate shared with that parent.
How long you can stay
The border unit sets the stay on each entry.
Người nhập cảnh bằng giấy miễn thị thực được đơn vị kiểm soát xuất nhập cảnh cấp chứng nhận tạm trú 06 tháng cho mỗi lần nhập cảnh; nếu giấy miễn thị thực còn thời hạn dưới 06 tháng thì cấp chứng nhận tạm trú bằng thời hạn của giấy miễn thị thực.
A person entering on a certificate is given a 6-month temporary residence certificate for each entry. If the certificate has under 6 months left, the stay equals its remaining validity.
Decree 82/2015/NĐ-CP, Điều 10 khoản 1
A holder who wants to stay over 6 months, has a sponsor in Vietnam and a valid reason can be considered for an extension of no more than 6 months.
The extension is filed at the Immigration Department or at the immigration division of the city police. The dossier holds the passport, a declaration and the certificate. The extension is considered within 5 working days of a complete dossier.
The city division is at 196 Nguyen Thi Minh Khai Street, now in Xuan Hoa Ward (former Vo Thi Sau Ward, District 3). Its hours are Monday to Saturday: morning 7h to 11h30, afternoon 1h30 to 5h, and Saturday morning only.
Where to file in Ho Chi Minh City
File the certificate at the Immigration Department, not at the city police office. The Department has two offices; in the south it is at 333-335-337 Nguyen Trai Street. The Hanoi office at 44-46 Tran Phu Street is the other one.
The building sits in Cau Ong Lanh Ward on the map.
337 Nguyen Trai, Cau Ong Lanh, Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam · Open in Google Maps (opens in a new tab)
You can also file online through the National Public Service Portal or the Ministry of Public Security portal, with further papers sent by public post. When you file online, the passport is sent through public post to the receiving office.
Dossiers are received Monday to Saturday morning, except Tet and public holidays. Results are handed out Monday to Friday. A person living abroad files at a Vietnamese visa-issuing mission instead.
The dossier
- Form NA9, downloadable from the portal procedure page.
- 2 photos of 4 cm by 6 cm on a white background, facing straight, no hat, no coloured glasses: 1 stuck on the form, 1 loose.
- Your passport, with at least 1 year of validity left.
- A certified copy of papers proving the relationship, or the original brought for checking.
The result is a certificate stuck in the passport, or issued loose in some special cases.
Fee and processing time
The fee is US$10. Circular 28/2026/TT-BTC sets US$10 for a new or re-issued certificate. You pay at the counter, or online if you filed online. See Vietnam immigration fees.
Fees for foreigners are collected in dong or US dollars. If you are not eligible, or you refuse the result, the fee already paid is not refunded. A lost, damaged or expired document reissued costs the same as a new one.
The Immigration Department decides within 5 working days of a complete dossier. A dossier filed in person takes 5 working days.
Lost, expired or revoked
A holder whose certificate is lost, damaged or expired, or who needs its content changed, can be issued a new one. A certificate is revoked if the holder turns out not to belong to the covered group. A person whose certificate is revoked is not refunded the fee.
An overstay of under 16 days is fined VND 500,000 to 2,000,000. An overstay of 16 to under 30 days is fined VND 5,000,000 to 10,000,000. A stay of 1 year or more past the term is fined VND 30,000,000 to 40,000,000.
The full table is in overstay fines in Ho Chi Minh City.
Work and address registration
A foreigner married to a Vietnamese citizen and living in Vietnam is not subject to a work permit. The employer notifies the agency at least 3 working days before the start. See work permits in Ho Chi Minh City.
The temporary residence declaration is made as soon as the foreigner arrives. The steps are in registering temporary residence in Ho Chi Minh City.
Certificate or TT visa and card?
A TT visa goes to a foreigner who is the parent, spouse or child of a Vietnamese citizen. A TT card is valid for a maximum of 3 years. A card valid up to 2 years costs US$145.
The certificate lasts up to 5 years. Its fee is US$10. A single-entry visa costs US$25.
The full route for a spouse is in the spouse visa and residence card guide. To extend an ordinary visa instead, see extending your visa in Ho Chi Minh City.
Step by step: from family tie to certificate
- Check you hold a passport with at least 1 year left and papers proving the relationship.
- Download form NA9 and prepare 2 photos of 4 cm by 6 cm and the certified proof.
- File at the Immigration Department office at 333-335-337 Nguyen Trai Street, or online.
- Pay the fee of US$10 at the counter.
- Collect the certificate after 5 working days, Monday to Friday.
Step by step
- Check you qualifyHold a passport with at least 1 year left and papers proving you are the spouse or child of a Vietnamese citizen.
- Prepare the dossierDownload form NA9 from the portal page, then add 2 photos of 4 cm by 6 cm, your passport and the certified proof of the relationship.
- File at the Immigration DepartmentFile in person at 333-335-337 Nguyen Trai Street, not at the city police office, or online through the national or ministry portal.
- Pay the feePay US$10 at the counter and keep the receipt.
- Collect the certificateThe decision takes 5 working days from a complete dossier. Results are handed out Monday to Friday.
Not confirmed: A spouse who already holds a TT visa or a residence card: the decree conditions do not mention it. Ask the Nguyen Trai counter before you file. A marriage certificate issued abroad: bring it with consular legalisation and a Vietnamese translation.
Common questions
Who can get the 5-year certificate?
Overseas Vietnamese, and foreigners who are the spouse or child of an overseas Vietnamese or of a Vietnamese citizen.
Is it the same as the visa exemption for named countries?
No. The country-list exemption gives citizens of the countries named in Resolution 44/NQ-CP 45 days from entry, whatever the passport type or purpose of entry. The certificate depends on your family tie.
How long can I stay on each entry?
The border unit gives a 6-month temporary residence certificate for each entry. A stay of over 6 months can be extended by up to 6 months with a sponsor and a valid reason. The extension goes to the city police office at 196 Nguyen Thi Minh Khai.
How much does it cost?
The fee is US$10, paid at the counter against a receipt. It is not refunded if the certificate is revoked.
How long does it take?
The Immigration Department decides within 5 working days of a complete dossier.
Where do I file in Ho Chi Minh City?
At the Immigration Department office at 333-335-337 Nguyen Trai Street, or online through the National Public Service Portal or the Ministry of Public Security portal.
How much passport validity do I need?
At least 1 year. The certificate then ends at least 6 months before the passport.
Do I need a work permit with a certificate?
A foreigner married to a Vietnamese citizen and living in Vietnam is not subject to a work permit. The employer notifies the agency at least 3 working days before the start.
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General information checked against the sources listed above, not legal advice for your situation. Rules and office practice change; confirm with the immigration office or a licensed adviser before you act. See how guides are checked.
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