Vietnam 5-Year Visa Exemption Certificate for Overseas Vietnamese
The visa exemption certificate is issued to people of Vietnamese origin and to the foreign spouse and children of Vietnamese citizens or of overseas Vietnamese. It is valid for up to 5 years and allows a stay of up to 180 days per entry — the cheapest option for anyone returning to Vietnam regularly.
Who is eligible
- People of Vietnamese origin holding a foreign passport
- Foreign spouses and children of people of Vietnamese origin
- Foreign spouses and children of Vietnamese citizens
Proving Vietnamese origin
This is the part that decides the case. Accepted evidence includes an old Vietnamese passport or ID card, a birth certificate issued in Vietnam, old household registration records, a certificate of Vietnamese origin issued by a Vietnamese representative mission, or documents of parents proving the line of descent. Documents issued abroad must be consularly legalised and translated into Vietnamese.
Where to apply
Applications can be filed at a Vietnamese embassy or consulate abroad, or inside Vietnam with the Immigration Department. The certificate is stamped into the passport; when the passport is replaced, the certificate must be transferred to the new one.
Fees and timing
Government fee 20 USD; service fee from 3,200,000 VND; processing 5–7 working days once the origin documents are complete.
Limits to know
The certificate does not allow employment. To work in Vietnam you still need a work permit. Each stay is capped at 180 days; to remain longer, apply for a visa or a temporary residence card before the 180 days run out.
