Effective July 2025, Chinese passport holders who have been granted a valid Work Permit or Work Permit Exemption Certificate will be eligible to apply for a Temporary Resident Card. This confirmation from the Vietnam immigration authorities in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City is a positive development and is expected to ease travel and administrative procedures for affected individuals.
Foreign nationals working in Vietnam who hold a valid Work Permit (WP) or Work Permit Exemption Certificate (WPEC), as well as their accompanying family members, are eligible to apply for a Temporary Resident Card (TRC). A TRC is granted to individuals who are expected to reside in Vietnam for a period of more than one year or longer.
The TRC serves multiple functions; it may be used in lieu of a passport for domestic travel within Vietnam and functions as a valid entry and exit document together with the passport, thereby eliminating the need for a separate visa for the cardholder.
For instance, in the case of expatriate employees assigned to work in Vietnam for a two-year period, they must first obtain a WP or WPEC along with an entry visa. Upon securing the WP/WPEC, they may then apply for a TRC, which can be issued up to two years. While applying for a TRC is optional, it offers practical benefits by simplifying immigration procedures and reducing the need for repeated visa renewals given TRC holders are not required to obtain a separate visa for entry or exit during its validity.
Prior to July 2025, Chinese passport holders with a valid WP or WPEC were not eligible to apply for a TRC. As work visas are typically issued with a maximum validity of 12 months, this necessitated repeated visa applications, resulting in administrative inconvenience for both sponsoring entities and the individuals concerned. The recent change allowing Chinese nationals to obtain a TRC represents a positive development by the Vietnam immigration authorities, promoting greater efficiency and ease of travel for eligible individuals.
This announcement means that Chinese passport holders who have obtained a WP or WPEC with a validity period of more than one year are now eligible to apply for a TRC, which may be issued for up to two years. This is a welcome development by the immigration authorities in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.
However, some practical challenges remain in the application process. In certain cases, immigration officers may raise additional queries, and there is currently limited clarity on whether further documentation may be required. We will continue to monitor the implementation of this change and will keep you informed of any updates as the process evolves.
For a deeper discussion on the above, please reach out to your Vialto Partners point of contact, or alternatively:
Brittany Chong
Partner
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