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Temporary Residence Card (TRC): what it is, why it matters, how to obtain it
What is a Temporary Residence Card in Vietnam?
Temporary Residence Card — key facts
Document- Vietnamese name
- Thẻ tạm trú
- Literally “temporary residence card”; distinct from the Permanent Residence Card (thẻ thường trú) and from temporary residence registration (khai báo tạm trú), which is a separate address-declaration formality
- Issued by
- Immigration Department, Ministry of Public Security (Cục Quản lý Xuất nhập cảnh)
- Filed through the provincial Public Security immigration office, usually with a licensed sponsor handling the dossier
- Who can apply
- Foreigners with a qualifying sponsor — an employer with a work permit, an invested company, or a Vietnamese spouse or parent/child
- Symbol on the card (LD, DT, TT and others) records which category applies — not a category tied to property ownership
- Typical cost
- A modest government fee, payable in VND, plus sponsor/agent service fees where used
- Set by the Immigration Department's official fee schedule and unrelated to any property value
- Validity
- Usually 1 to 5 years, matching the length of the underlying sponsor basis (work permit, investment, marriage)
- Renewable while the qualifying basis remains valid; expires automatically if the basis ends
- Language
- Vietnamese only
- No official English version is issued; a certified translation may be requested by a bank or authority abroad
- Governing law
- Law No. 47/2014/QH13 on Entry, Exit, Transit and Residence of Foreigners in Vietnam, as amended by Law No. 51/2019/QH14
- Sets the eligibility categories, symbols and maximum validity periods described below
- Required for property purchase
- No — neither a prerequisite nor a consequence of buying
- A foreign buyer only needs a valid, legally stamped entry into Vietnam to purchase eligible real estate
Specimen: the Temporary Residence Card (Thẻ tạm trú)
How a Temporary Residence Card is obtained
⏱ About 5–15 working days once a complete dossier is filed with a valid sponsor, longer if the underlying basis (work permit, investment registration) still needs to be secured first
There is no route from buying an apartment to a TRC — the card is granted purely on immigration grounds, through a sponsor, independent of any property purchase. The exact dossier depends on which basis applies to you; a marriage-based file differs from an employer- or investor-sponsored one, but the sequence below is the general shape once a qualifying basis exists.
- 1
Secure a qualifying basis and sponsor
⏱ Varies — often the longest step if a work permit or investment registration must be obtained first
Confirm which basis applies — an employer holding a valid work permit for you, a company you have invested in, or marriage to a Vietnamese citizen — and identify the sponsor who will file on your behalf. Owning property, or visiting frequently on a tourist visa, is not a recognised basis.
DocumentsPassport · Current visa · Evidence of the qualifying basis (work permit, investment certificate, or marriage certificate)
⚠Assuming that owning a Hanoi apartment, at any value, is itself a qualifying basis — it is not, under current immigration law.
→ law firms - 2
Assemble the supporting dossier
⏱ 1–3 weeks to gather and legalise documents
Gather the application form, passport, photographs, and the documentary evidence for your basis — for a foreign-issued marriage certificate, this means a certified translation, notarisation and consular legalisation before it will be accepted.
DocumentsApplication form · Passport · Photographs · Basis evidence (legalised if issued abroad)
⚠A foreign-issued certificate without full legalisation is a common reason a dossier is returned for correction.
- 3
File the dossier with the Immigration Department
⏱ Filed in a single visit, once the dossier is complete
→ law firmsThe sponsor — employer, invested company, or the applicant with spousal support — submits the complete dossier at the provincial Public Security immigration office. A receipt confirming the dossier is under review is issued at filing.
- 4
Await review and approval
⏱ Typically 5–15 working days for a complete file◈ Government fee payable on approval
The Immigration Department checks the sponsor's standing and the supporting evidence before approving the card. No paid fast-track officially exists — treat any promise of a guaranteed same-day card with caution.
⚠Delays usually trace back to an incomplete or unverifiable sponsor file rather than anything the applicant controls.
- 5
Collect the card
Collect the physical card, in person or through your sponsor, and check the category symbol, validity dates and spelling of your name against your passport before leaving the counter. Keep the card with your passport when travelling, and start the renewal process before it expires if your qualifying basis continues.
DocumentsApproval notice · Passport
Temporary Residence Card vs Temporary Residence Registration
| Temporary Residence Card (Thẻ tạm trú) | Temporary Residence Registration (Khai báo tạm trú) | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | A multi-year immigration status card replacing the need to renew a visa | A short address-notification formality — telling police where you are staying |
| Who needs it | Foreigners with a qualifying sponsor basis (work, investment, marriage) wanting extended stay | Every foreigner in Vietnam, each time they stay somewhere overnight, TRC holder or not |
| Validity | 1 to 5 years, tied to the sponsor basis | Valid only for the specific stay being declared; repeated at each new address |
| Issued by | Immigration Department, Ministry of Public Security | Local police (ward/commune), often via the accommodation host or hotel |
| Replaces the need for | Renewing a visa for each entry over the card's validity | Nothing else — it does not confer any residence status on its own |
| Related to property purchase | No — granted independently of any purchase | Indirectly relevant once you occupy your Hanoi property, as any resident must still declare their address |
What a Temporary Residence Card costs
The government fee is fixed by the Immigration Department's official schedule; sponsor administration and any translation or legalisation work are separate, optional costs most foreign applicants still incur.
| — | Min | Max | Base |
|---|---|---|---|
| TRC government feeSet by the Immigration Department's official fee schedule — confirm the current amount before filing | €40 (≈ 1,100,000 VND) | €90 (≈ 2,475,000 VND) | one-off, per year of validity grantedApplicant, on approval |
| Sponsor/agent filing assistance | €100 (≈ 2,750,000 VND) | €350 (≈ 9,625,000 VND) | one-off, optional but commonApplicant or employer, depending on arrangement |
| Certified translation of foreign documents | €30 (≈ 825,000 VND) | €90 (≈ 2,475,000 VND) | per document setApplicant, for a marriage or investment-based file with foreign-issued documents |
| Consular legalisation of foreign documents | €40 (≈ 1,100,000 VND) | €150 (≈ 4,125,000 VND) | one-offApplicant, for documents issued outside Vietnam |
| Total | ≈ €210 (≈ 5,775,000 VND) | ≈ €680 (≈ 18,700,000 VND) |
Illustrative example — a 2-year investor-sponsored TRC with one foreign-issued document to legalise
- TRC government fee
- €70 (≈ 1,925,000 VND)
- Sponsor/agent filing assistance
- €220 (≈ 6,050,000 VND)
- Certified translation
- €50 (≈ 1,375,000 VND)
- Consular legalisation
- €80 (≈ 2,200,000 VND)
- Σ
- €420 (≈ 11,550,000 VND)
Law No. 47/2014/QH13 · Law No. 51/2019/QH14
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Frequently asked questions
How much does a TRC card cost in Vietnam?
The statutory government fee typically runs roughly €40–€90 (≈ 1.1–2.5 million VND), scaled to the years of validity granted. Most applicants also budget for sponsor or agent filing assistance and, where documents were issued abroad, certified translation and consular legalisation — together often bringing the total closer to €210–€680 (≈ 5.8–18.7 million VND).
Who is eligible for a TRC card?
Foreigners with a qualifying sponsor basis: an employer holding a valid work permit for you, a company you have invested in, or a Vietnamese spouse, parent or child. Owning a Hanoi apartment, however valuable, is not itself a recognised basis under current immigration law.
How long does TRC take in Vietnam?
Once a complete dossier is filed with a valid sponsor, the Immigration Department typically decides within 5–15 working days. The step that usually takes longer is securing the underlying basis first — a work permit or investment registration — before the TRC application itself can be filed.
Can I get a Temporary Residence Card without a work permit?
Yes — a work permit is only one qualifying basis among several. Investors in a Vietnamese company, and spouses, parents or children of a Vietnamese citizen, can also sponsor a TRC without any work permit involved. Property ownership alone, however, does not qualify under any category.
Does buying property in Vietnam grant a Temporary Residence Card?
No. Vietnam has no residency-by-property-investment programme. A TRC is granted only against a recognised sponsor basis — employment, investment, or marriage — never in exchange for a real estate purchase, regardless of price.
What is the difference between a TRC and temporary residence registration?
A TRC (thẻ tạm trú) is a multi-year immigration status card that removes the need to renew a visa. Temporary residence registration (khai báo tạm trú) is a separate, short address-declaration formality that every foreigner completes each time they stay somewhere overnight — TRC holder or not. See our guide to temporary residence registration for the full comparison.
Do I need a TRC to buy property in Hanoi?
No. A foreign buyer only needs to have entered Vietnam legally, with a passport bearing a valid entry stamp, to purchase eligible real estate. A Temporary Residence Card is not required — and, as above, buying property does not lead to one either.
Sources
- Law No. 47/2014/QH13 on Entry, Exit, Transit and Residence of Foreigners in Vietnam — sets the eligibility categories, symbols and maximum validity periods for the Temporary Residence Card.
- Law No. 51/2019/QH14, amending and supplementing Law No. 47/2014/QH13.
- Immigration Department, Ministry of Public Security (Cục Quản lý Xuất nhập cảnh) — the government authority that issues the Temporary Residence Card.
Considering extended-stay status in Vietnam?
If a Temporary Residence Card is part of your plans alongside a Hanoi purchase, our advisory desk can put you in touch with licensed immigration counsel to assess your eligibility — a separate process from your property transaction. We reply within 24 hours, no obligation.