Foreign enterprises or organizations in Vietnam and Vietnamese citizens can sponsor foreigners to enter Vietnam under the family visit category. One of the two types of family visit visas issued to foreigners is denoted a VR Visa (Private affairs) or TT visa (Visit relatives). So what do we need to know about VR visa – Vietnam family visa application procedures and visa extension? The following article helps you better understand the legal issues related to this type of visa.
Legal Basics:
- Consolidated document No. 27/VBHN-VPQH on entry, exit, and transit of residents outside Vietnam (including Law No. 47/2014/QH13 and Law No. 51/2019/QH14).
- Law No. 31/2015/TT-BCA, dated July 6, 2015, of the Ministry of Public Security guiding contents on visa issuance, temporary residence card issuance, entry and exit permit, settlement of permanent residence for foreigners in Vietnam.
- Law No. 04/2015/TT-BCA dated January 5, 2015, of the Ministry of Public Security, stipulates the form of documents related to the entry, exit, and residence of foreigners in Vietnam.
- Decision No. 5551/QD-BCA-V19 dated September 25, 2015, promulgates a set of administrative procedures handled by the Ministry of Public Security.
What is VR Visa?
According to the provisions of Clause 19, Article 8 of Law No. 27/VBHN-VPQH, VR Vietnam Visa is a type of visa that grants to foreigners entering Vietnam to visit their relatives here including parents, grandparents, and spouses, children,…or for some other visiting purposes.
Foreigners entering Vietnam to visit relatives must prove their relationships with the invited or guaranteed persons by giving out legal documents such as marriage certificates, household registration, or equivalent legal document.
Conditions for foreigners who want to apply for a VR visa
To apply for a VR visa, you need to meet the conditions specified in Articles 10 and 21 of the Consolidated Document, Law No. 27/VBHN-VPQH, specifically:
→ Own a valid passport or international travel documents with an appropriate validity period.
→ Have sponsored enterprises, organizations, or individuals.
→Have documents proving the personal relationship with the sponsor or documents proving the purpose of entry.
→ Except for the following cases:
- Forging documents, giving false statements.
- Suffering from mental illnesses or infectious diseases can put Public Health in danger.
- Deported from Vietnam
- Forced to exit Vietnam
- Disease prevention and control issues
- Natural disasters
- National defense, security, social order, and safety issues
VR visa (Private affairs), and TT visa (Visit relatives) are different depending on travelers’ purposes on arrival.
VR visa (Private Affairs) type:
Who can be granted for VR visa (Private affairs) type?
- Having a valid passport or international documents
- Having a sponsoring/inviting company or agency, or organization, or individual in Vietnam.
- Travelers who are legally allowed to enter Vietnam according to the law on entry and exit including parents and children above 18 years old.
-Maximum visa validity: 6 months.
-TRC is not available to process.
TT Visa (Relatives Visit) type:
Who can be granted for TT visa (Relatives visit) type?
- Parents, spouses, or children of Vietnamese citizens;
- Foreigners’ spouses or children under 18 years old can be issued with LV1, LV2, LS, DT1, DT2, DT3, NN1, NN2, DH, PV1, LD1, or LD2 visas types.
TT Visa type includes:
- LV1 visa type– Issued to experts who work with units affiliated with the government, the People’s Supreme Court, Vietnam’s Communist Party; the National Assembly, Governmental agencies, the People’s Councils, the People’s Committees of provinces, and so on.
- LV2 visa type– Issued to whom works with socio-political organizations, social organizations, Vietnam Chamber of Commerce, and Industry.
- LS visa type– issued to foreign lawyers practicing in Vietnam
- DT1 visa type– Issued to foreign investors in Vietnam and representatives of foreign organizations investing in Vietnam and contributing capital of VND 100 billion or more or investing in business lines benefitting from investment incentives, in administrative divisions benefitting from investment incentives decided by the Government.
- DT2 visa type – Issued to foreign investors in Vietnam and representatives of foreign organizations investing in Vietnam and contributing capital of VND 50 billion to less than VND 100 billion or investing in business lines benefitting from investment incentives treatment decided by the Government.
- DT3 visa type – Issued to foreign investors in Vietnam and representatives of foreign organizations investing in Vietnam and contributing capital of VND 3 billion to less than VND 50 billion.
- NN1 visa type – Issued to Managers of representative offices or projects of international organizations and foreign non-governmental organizations in Vietnam.
- NN2 visa type– Issued to heads of representative offices, branches of foreign traders, and representative offices of other foreign economic, cultural, and professional organizations in Vietnam.
- DH visa type – Issued to whom travels to Vietnam to study or serve an internship.
- PV1 visa type – Issued to permanent journalists in Vietnam.
- LD1 visa type – Issued to foreigners working in Vietnam and certified of eligibility for work permit exemption, unless otherwise specified by international agreements to which Vietnam is a signatory.
- LD2 visa type– Issued to foreigners working in Vietnam with work permits.
-Maximum visa validity: 12 months.
-TRC is issued no longer than 3 years.
After considering two types of visas, you can easily figure out the difference between VR visa, and TT visa types. VR visa allows a larger number of people but the duration of stay in Vietnam is shorter. By contracts, the TT visa type required smaller groups of people but the duration of stay in Vietnam is longer. Therefore, sponsors are asked to fully understand the needs of the foreigner, and make appropriate explanations to choose the right type of visa.
Required documents to apply for a VR visa at the Immigration Department
Documents include:
♦ Visa application form in Circular No. 04/2015/TT-BCA:
Form NA2 for sponsored enterprises/organizations.
Form NA3 for an individual sponsor.
♦ Copies of legal documents:
– ID/CCCD/personal passport of sponsors.
-Certificate of business registration of an enterprise/organization together with a copy of the certificate of exemption from work permit/work permit of the sponsoring foreigner.
♦ A notarized copy of the certificate of family relationship/marriage certificate of sponsor and foreigner. Documents need to be translated, consular legalized, and notarized before handing in.
♦ Copies of passports of foreigners;
Receiving agency: Provincial Immigration Department or Immigration Department – Ministry of Public Security.
Processing time: 05 working days from the date of receiving the application.
Currently, due to the impact of the COVID-19 epidemic, foreigners entering Vietnam under the family visit category are not prioritized. Except entering the country at the same time with technical labor. A foreigner can apply for a VR visa instead during the Covid epidemic.
Any customers who need consultation for VR visa service to visiting relatives or extending visas, please contact Bistax Law Consulting Company Limited immediately via hotline 077 7723 283 (Via Phone call, Zalo, Viber, Whatsapp) for support.