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For Ho Chi Minh City
Your situation
Employee of a Vietnamese companyA work permit, then an LĐ work visa and a temporary residence card. 7 steps Spouse or child of a permit holderA TT visa and a dependant's temporary residence card, sponsored by the family member. 4 steps Founder or investorA DT investor visa, with residence cards of up to ten years for larger investments. 3 steps Exploring first, on the e-visaA 90-day e-visa, single or multiple entry, for a scouting stay. It is not a work visa. 3 steps Open a step on the roadmap to see what it involves. Rules change
Every long-stay route in Vietnam runs through a sponsor: an employer, an invested company or a family member. Your address must be declared to the local police wherever you stay, and immigration will check it. This is a general guide, not legal advice. Confirm each step with the Immigration Department of the Ministry of Public Security before you rely on it.
Your roadmap · Employee of a Vietnamese company 7 steps 3–4 months before → to Year 2 1 Step 1: Order and legalise documents at home3–4 months before + A criminal record certificate issued within the last six months, your degree certificate and proof of experience, each legalised in the issuing country. This is the slowest part; start before you accept the offer. 2 Step 2: Let the employer file the work permit6–10 weeks before + The company registers its need for foreign staff and applies to the provincial labour authority with your translated, notarised documents and passport photos. The permit runs up to two years. 3 Step 3: Get the health checkWeek 1 + A medical certificate from a hospital on the approved list, valid for twelve months. Some employers arrange it before you travel at a recognised clinic abroad; most do it in Vietnam in the first week. 4 Step 4: Enter on the right visaDay 0 + The employer sponsors an LĐ work visa, or you enter on an e-visa and the company converts it once the permit is issued. Ask which before you book the flight. 5 Step 5: Declare your addressWithin 24 hours + Your landlord or hotel declares your temporary residence to the ward police. Get the confirmation; the next step asks for it. 6 Step 6: Apply for the temporary residence cardWeeks 2–8 + Through the immigration office with your work permit, passport, the sponsor's forms and the address confirmation. The card (thẻ tạm trú) runs as long as the permit, up to two years, and replaces repeated visas. 7 Step 7: Renew before expiryYear 2 + Work permits are renewed once for up to two more years; after that a new permit is needed. Start 45 to 60 days before expiry. Get help with the move to Ho Chi Minh City → Chat with Eva