Vietnam: Maximum Stay for Business Visitors Shortened; New Document Requirements for Family Members of Work Permit Holders

The maximum stay for business visa holders in Vietnam is now three months, a reduction from the previous maximum of six months. Similarly, the maximum stay for visa-waiver business visitors – 15 or 30 days, depending on nationality – can now be extended only once, for 30 days. If a business visitor seeks to remain in Vietnam beyond these new maximum periods, he or she must obtain a work permit. In addition, there are new heightened documentary requirements for dependents of work permit holders seeking to renew their visas.

The Vietnamese Immigration Department has recently reduced the maximum initial period of stay for business visa holders to three months, from six months.

Similarly, while the maximum initial period of stay for visa-waived nationals will remain the same – 15 or 30 days, depending on nationality – visa-waived business visitors may now obtain only a single 30-day extension.

If a business visitor, whether holding a business visa or visa-waived, seeks to remain in Vietnam beyond these new maximum periods, he or she must obtain a work permit. After obtaining a work permit, a foreign national may continue to extend his or her stay in six-month increments for the duration of the work permit. Alternatively, a foreign national who has stayed in Vietnam for at least six months may obtain a temporary residence permit, which is typically issued for the duration of the work permit.

In related news, a foreign national entering Vietnam as the spouse or child of a work permit holder is now required to submit copies of documents evidencing his or her relationship to the work permit holder such as a marriage or birth certificate to renew an authorized stay. If in a language other than Vietnamese or English, the documents must be accompanied by a translation into one of these languages.

In preparing this alert, Fragomen has worked closely with Resident Vietnam (Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City). The content herein is provided for informational purposes only.

If you have any questions regarding this alert, please do not hesitate to contact the global immigration professional with whom you work at Fragomen Global Immigration Services or send an email to APCCInitiations@fragomen.com.

Source: Fragomen