What are the visa conditions for relatives of foreigners residing in Vietnam?

General conditions for visa issuance are based on: Article 10 Law on Entry, Exit, Transit, and Residence of Foreigners in Vietnam 2014 modified and supplemented by Point b Clause 5 Article 1 Law on entry, exit, transit, and residence of foreigners in Vietnam amended 2019 as follows:

Article 10. Conditions for visa issuance

1. Have a passport or valid international travel documents.

2. There is an agency, organization or individual in Vietnam that invites or guarantees, except for the cases specified in Article 16a, Article 16b and Clause 3, Article 17 of this Law.

3. Not falling into the cases of not allowing entry specified in Article 21 of this Law.

4. In the following cases, visa applications must have documents proving the purpose of entry:

a) Foreigners investing must have documents proving their investment in Vietnam according to the provisions of the Investment Law;

b) Foreigners practicing law in Vietnam must have a practice license according to the provisions of the Law on Lawyers;

c) Foreigners working must have a work permit according to the provisions of the Labor Code;

d) Foreigners who come to study must have a written acceptance from a Vietnamese school or educational institution.

5. Electronic visas are issued to foreigners who have passports and are not subject to Clauses 1, 2, 3 and 4, Article 8 of this Law."

How are visa procedures for relatives of foreigners residing in Vietnam?

Procedures to apply for a visit visa are based on: Article 3 Circular No. 31/2015/TT-BCA:

"Article 3. Procedures and authority to resolve visa applications

1. Agencies, organizations, and individuals guarantee foreigner entering Vietnam according to Clause 1, Article 16 of the Law on Entry, Exit, Transit, and Residence of Foreigners in Vietnam (hereinafter referred to as the Law) directly submit a written request to the Immigration Department. .

2. Visa application form according to the form issued by the Ministry of Public Security in Circular No. 04/2015/TT-BCA dated January 5, 2015 stipulating sample documents related to entry, exit, and residence. Residence of foreigners in Vietnam includes:

a) Form NA2 used for agencies and organizations;

b) Form NA3 for personal use.

3. Processing visa application:

a) The Immigration Department shall consider, resolve and respond to agencies, organizations and individuals requesting visas according to the provisions of Clause 3, Article 16 of the Law;

b) In case of request for visa issuance at the border gate, the Immigration Department shall consider and resolve according to the provisions of Clause 5, Article 16 of the Law."

Procedures for applying for a temporary residence card are specified in Article 4 Circular No. 31/2015/TT-BCA.