During their residence and employment in Vietnam, many foreign nationals wish to sponsor their spouses and children to join them for family reunification. Under Vietnamese law, relatives of foreign nationals who are lawfully residing in Vietnam may be considered for the issuance of a Temporary Residence Card under the dependent/visiting purpose category (coded “TT”), provided that statutory conditions are satisfied. This article provides an overview of eligible applicants and the required application dossier for obtaining a TT Temporary Residence Card for relatives of foreign nationals in Vietnam.

Eligible Applicants for TT Temporary Residence Cards

The applicable regulations distinguish between two main cases:

(1) Spouses and children under 18 years old of a foreign national who has been granted a Temporary Residence Card or is lawfully residing in Vietnam: In this case, the Temporary Residence Card may be granted with a validity period corresponding to that of the sponsoring foreign national.

(2) Other relatives of foreign nationals, such as children over 18 years old, parents, or siblings: Current laws do not provide for the issuance of TT Temporary Residence Cards in these cases. In practice, such individuals are typically considered for short-term dependent/visiting visas (TT visas) with a maximum validity of up to six (06) months, rather than long-term residence cards.

Application Dossier for TT Temporary Residence Cards

An application dossier for a TT Temporary Residence Card generally includes the following documents:

• A valid passport;
• Application form for issuance of a Temporary Residence Card (Form NA8);
• Two (02) photographs (2×3 cm), white background, full-face, uncovered head, no glasses, taken recently;
• Declaration of temporary residence in Vietnam;
• Documents evidencing the family relationship with the sponsor, such as:
  • Marriage Certificate (for spouses);
  • Birth Certificate (for children);
• Copy of the sponsor’s valid passport;
• Copy of the sponsor’s valid Temporary Residence Card or visa;
• Documents evidencing the sponsor’s purpose of residence (depending on the case, such as a work permit or audited financial statements);
• Copy of the Enterprise Registration Certificate;
• Official request letter for issuance of a Temporary Residence Card (Form NA6);
• Specimen seal and signature registration of the enterprise’s legal representative (Form NA16);
• A letter of introduction or authorization for the individual submitting the application to the immigration authority.

Key Notes When Applying for a TT Temporary Residence Card

Firstly, the sponsor must be lawfully residing in Vietnam

The sponsor must be a foreign national who has been granted a Temporary Residence Card or is legally residing in Vietnam under a valid visa or residence document.
Where the sponsor is employed by an enterprise or organization in Vietnam, such an entity will typically carry out the application procedures with the immigration authority on the sponsor’s behalf.

Secondly, the validity of passports and the duration of residence

The applicant’s passport must remain valid and be consistent with the intended duration of the Temporary Residence Card. By law, the card’s validity must be at least 30 days shorter than the passport’s validity.
In addition, the validity of the Temporary Residence Card issued to the dependent must not exceed that of the sponsor’s card.

In practice, immigration authorities will only grant the card if both the applicant’s passport and the sponsor’s residence status have sufficient remaining validity to meet regulatory requirements.

Thirdly, proof of lawful family relationship

Applicants must provide documentary evidence of their family relationship with the sponsor (as outlined above).

Where such documents are issued overseas, they must undergo consular legalization in accordance with regulations and be translated into Vietnamese and notarized before submission to the immigration authority.