Latest Comprehensive Guide to the Vietnam 5-Year Visa

A Vietnam 5-year visa is a visa exemption policy applied to certain individuals wishing to stay in Vietnam for a long period. This type of visa is a great option for you if Vietnam is your regular destination.

In this guide, Thao & Co. provides a comprehensive overview of the 5-year visa exemption, covering all aspects from requirements, procedure, and fees to key considerations for a seamless application process.

What is a Vietnam 5-year visa exemption certificate?

A 5-year visa exemption certificate, also known as a Vietnam 5-year visa, is a permit that allows multiple entries into Vietnam within 5 years for business purposes or to visit family. 5-year visas are issued for:

1. ● Overseas Vietnamese
2. ● Foreign nationals who are spouses or children of Vietnamese citizens or overseas Vietnamese

Entering Vietnam with this visa exemption certificate, holders are allowed to stay in Vietnam for no longer than 6 months per entry. If the certificate has less than 6 months of validity remaining, the holder can stay in the country until it expires.

Duration of stay can be extended for a maximum of 6 months for legitimate reasons. A visa exemption certificate is valid for a maximum of 5 years and expires at least 6 months before the expiry of the holder’s passport or permanent residency document.

Eligibility criteria for 5-year visa exemption

The eligibility criteria for visa exemption encompass 2 categories.

For overseas Vietnamese:

1. ● Holding a foreign passport or a passport-equivalent document with at least 1 year of validity remaining.
2. ● If such documents are not available, the applicant will need to present foreign-issued permanent residency documents with a remaining validity of at least 1 year from the intended entry date.

For foreign nationals who are spouses or children of Vietnamese citizens or overseas Vietnamese:

1. ● Holding a foreign passport or a passport-equivalent document with a remaining validity of at least 1 year.

Document requirements for 5-year visa exemption

The two eligible groups are required of two different sets of supporting paperwork.

For overseas Vietnamese:

1. ● Completed visa exemption application form
2. ● Two 4x6cm (equivalent to 2×2 inches) photographs with a white background
3. ● Passport or passport-equivalent document and foreign permanent residency document (e.g. re-entry permit, green card) with at least 1 year of validity remaining
4. ● One of the following papers as proof of Vietnamese origin:
   • ○ Birth certificate
   • ○ Decision for renunciation of Vietnamese citizenship
   • ○ Certificate of loss of Vietnamese citizenship
   • ○ Expired Vietnamese passport
   • ○ Citizen identity card, household registration book
   • ○ Driving license issued before 1975
   • ○ Foreign-issued documents indicating the Vietnamese citizenship or Vietnamese origin of the applicant

For foreign spouses and children of Vietnamese citizens or overseas Vietnamese:

1. ● Completed visa exemption application form
2. ● Two 4x6cm (equivalent to 2×2 inches) photographs with a white background
3. ● Passport or passport-equivalent document
4. ● One of the following documents as proof of relationship between the applicant and a Vietnamese citizen or an overseas Vietnamese:
   • ○ Marriage certificate
   • ○ Birth certificate
   • ○ Confirmation letter of relationship
   • ○ Documents confirming the applicant’s spouse, mother, or father is Vietnamese.

How to apply for a Vietnam 5-year visa

Once you have gathered all of the required documents, you need to submit your application dossier in person and follow the mandated procedure.

Where to apply

You need to hand in your application at the Vietnam Embassy or Consulate in your country of residence. If you can’t apply in person, applying by post is the alternative option.

Step-by-step process

1. ● Step 1: Prepare the required documents: completed visa exemption application form, passport, foreign-issued permanent residency document, and proofs of eligibility for visa exemption.
2. ● Step 2: Submit your application in person or by post to the Vietnam Embassy or Consulate in your country residence.
3. ● Step 3: Pay the application fee and courier service fee for passport return if applicable.
4. ● Step 4: Your application undergoes a review. You might be asked to submit additional paperwork during this time.
5. ● Step 5: If your application is approved, you will be granted a 5-year visa exemption certificate.

Processing time and application fee for Vietnam 5-year visa

The processing time for a 5-year visa application is typically 3-7 working days from the receiving date of the complete application. Make sure you include all the required papers in your application to avoid unnecessary delay due to insufficient documentation.

A Vietnam 5-year visa fee is USD 10 per applicant. This fee must be paid by money order or cashier’s check payable to the Vietnam Embassy.

Where to find a reliable translation service for your visa exemption documents?

To apply for visa exemption, translations for non-Vietnamesee documents are required. This is to help the visa issuing authority get hold of the information you provide, thus facilitating the review of your application. Therefore, it is vital to make sure the translations of your documents retain both the meaning and format of the originals.

In addition, your translations need to be signed and stamped by the translator or agency in charge to be valid for legal use. In some cases, you might as well be asked to provide notarized translations of your documents. Failing to meet these translation requirements, your application will very likely be rejected.

Finding the visa application procedure too complicated? If you are looking for an agency that can provide prompt and professional help with this complex process, Thao & Co. can be your trusted partner.

With extensive experience in providing legal translation services in general and visa application translation services in particular, we are committed to delivering high-quality translations that will help smoothen your application process.

Along with certified translation services, we also offer assistance with document preparation, saving you the time and costs of navigating the complexities of visa application on your own.

By choosing Thao & Co., you can expect a wide array of benefits:

1. ● Accurate translations with precise legal terminology.
2. ● A team of accredited translators with extensive expertise and experience in translating visa documents.
3. ● Translation services available for 50+ languages, even less common ones.
4. ● On-time delivery – For standard documents, translations are delivered within 24 hours.
5. ● Strict confidentiality protocols to safeguard your data and documents.
6. ● A Certificate of Translation Accuracy issued by Thao & Co. free of charge – Notarization and Consular legalization services are available upon request at a reasonable extra cost.
7. ● Access to our proprietary platform for effortless file transfer and convenient progress tracking.

Perhaps this exhaustive guide will be helpful to you in navigating the Vietnam 5-year visa exemption application procedure. Contact us right now through our Get A Quote page for cost-effective translation services that satisfy all of your requirements!

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