Vietnam Spouse Visa and TRC Guide 2026: Requirements, Fees and Application Steps | Easytiger
Legal & Visa · Vietnam 2026
Vietnam Spouse Visa and TRC Guide 2026: Requirements, Fees and Application Steps
Kylie NguyenCo-founder at Easytiger.vn · October 20, 2026 · 8 min read
How foreigners married to Vietnamese citizens can apply for a TT visa, prepare their marriage documents and move towards a temporary residence card valid for up to three years.
In this article3
The wedding is over. You have a marriage certificate, a home together and plans that stretch beyond your current visa. Then you check your passport and realise that your permission to stay still expires next month.
For international couples in Vietnam, this is where family life meets immigration paperwork. Marriage creates a basis for sponsorship, but it does not automatically extend your stay.
The usual route for a foreign spouse moving to Vietnam is a TT family visa, followed by a TT temporary residence card, commonly called a TRC. For someone managing a small business or building a career here, getting this sequence right means fewer immigration deadlines interrupting everyday life.
“Vietnam marriage visa” and “Vietnam spouse visa” are common search terms. The official immigration category is TT, which covers specified family relationships, including a foreign national married to a Vietnamese citizen.
A TT visa can be issued for up to 12 months, with single or multiple entries. Twelve months is the legal maximum, not an automatic entitlement. Its expiry must also fall at least 30 days before the passport expires.
Your Vietnamese husband or wife acts as the individual sponsor. The application therefore centres on your marriage, their identity and residence, and your passport, rather than a company's sponsorship.
Start with the marriage certificate
This document supports both the visa and the later TRC application, so resolve it before booking travel around a promised approval date.
If you married in Vietnam, use the marriage certificate issued by the competent Vietnamese authority. Prepare the required certified copy and retain the original for comparison.
If you married abroad, check three separate steps: authentication, Vietnamese translation and recording the marriage in Vietnam's civil-status register.
Authentication changed recently. Since 11 September 2026, the Apostille Convention has applied between Vietnam and participating countries with which it has treaty relations. An eligible foreign public marriage certificate bearing the appropriate Apostille can replace the traditional consular-legalization chain. This does not apply automatically to every country. Where the Convention does not apply, consular legalization generally remains necessary unless another exemption applies.
Foreign-language documents still need a Vietnamese translation with the required notarization or certification. An Apostille authenticates the document's origin; it does not translate it or establish that the marriage meets Vietnamese recognition requirements.
For an overseas marriage involving a Vietnamese citizen, arrange its recording in Vietnam's civil-status register and obtain the marriage-recording extract. Ask the competent commune-level civil-status authority for the current procedure, and confirm which marriage evidence the immigration office requires. Recording the marriage and authenticating the foreign certificate are different procedures.
What documents are needed for entry approval?
For the usual sponsored-entry route, your Vietnamese spouse applies for immigration approval before you obtain the visa.
Prepare:
Form NA3, the application to sponsor a foreign relative's entry, with the certification required by the current form.
The Vietnamese spouse's valid identity card and current residence information.
Marriage evidence prepared as described above.
A clear copy of the foreign spouse's passport information page.
Proposed entry dates, requested visa duration and the Vietnamese embassy or consulate where the visa will be collected.
NA3 is the sponsorship form for this stage. It is not a TRC application or a five-year visa-exemption application. The Ministry of Public Security publishes the current entry-approval procedure and form.
The foreign spouse normally presents the original passport at the visa-issuance stage, together with the approval details, visa application form, photograph and payment required by the receiving mission. Confirm that mission's checklist before sending documents.
For this entry-approval procedure, the current national listing identifies Immigration Department offices at 44–46 Tran Phu, Hanoi, and 333–335–337 Nguyen Trai, Ho Chi Minh City. It states up to five working days after receipt of a complete dossier for cases collecting visas at Vietnamese missions abroad. Allow additional time for the mission to issue the visa.
Airport collection is available only where the legal conditions and approval permit it. Marriage alone does not mean you can arrive without arranging the correct entry document.
How much does a TT visa cost?
The relevant standard visa fees under Circular 28/2026/TT-BTC, effective from 1 April 2026, are:
Visa issued
Government fee
Single entry
$25
Multiple entry, up to 90 days
$50
Multiple entry, over 90 days to 180 days
$95
Multiple entry, over 180 days to one year
$135
These are official issuance fees, not an agency's package price. Translation, authentication, delivery and professional assistance cost extra. If collecting abroad, confirm the mission's payable amount, currency and payment method.
What if you are already in Vietnam?
You may not need to leave simply because you entered under another visa category. Vietnamese immigration law allows a change of visa purpose where documents establish a qualifying family relationship with the individual sponsor. Approval and a new visa are still required.
For an in-country visa application or temporary-stay extension, NA5 is the relevant form, alongside the original passport and supporting sponsorship documents. This differs from the NA3 entry-approval process. Check your existing status with the receiving immigration office before arranging a border trip.
Keep your current permission valid while preparing the application. A marriage certificate does not cure an overstay.
Part Two: Moving from a TT visa to a marriage-based TRC
What does a TT temporary residence card give you?
A TT TRC provides permission to reside in Vietnam for its stated validity and serves as a visa substitute. With a valid passport and card, you can leave and re-enter without obtaining a fresh visa for each trip.
For a couple settling here, that means planning family visits or business travel without repeatedly rebuilding a short-term visa application. It remains temporary residence, with an expiry date and an underlying family basis.
The maximum validity is three years, and the card must expire at least 30 days before your passport. To receive the full three years, your passport therefore needs at least three years plus 30 days remaining when the card is issued. If renewal is approaching, renewing the passport first may prevent a shorter card.
Who qualifies, and what should be ready?
For the marriage-based route, the essential foundation is a marriage recognized under Vietnamese law, a Vietnamese spouse acting as sponsor, and the foreign spouse's lawful immigration status.
Before filing, establish the appropriate TT basis with immigration and ensure your accommodation has declared your temporary residence. If you are staying in your spouse's home, check that the declaration has actually been made. Being married to the homeowner does not replace this step.
Prepare the file in two groups.
The Vietnamese sponsor's documents:
Form NA7, the individual's sponsorship request for a temporary residence card.
A valid Vietnamese identity card, with copies or electronic verification as required.
Current residence information or confirmation requested by the receiving office.
The marriage certificate or marriage-recording evidence, with properly prepared foreign documents where applicable.
Use current residence records. Old paper household registration books ceased to be valid residence documents from 1 January 2023, despite still appearing on some online checklists.
The foreign applicant's documents:
Original valid passport.
Current visa and relevant entry or residence records.
Completed NA8 TRC application.
Two 2 × 3 cm photographs, one attached to the application and one separate.
Evidence of the declared temporary address, as requested.
The official core dossier includes the sponsorship request, NA8, passport, eligibility evidence and photographs. Confirm how the receiving office wants supporting identity and address evidence supplied before certifying multiple copies.
Where do you apply, and how long does it take?
The sponsor files with the immigration authority responsible for their place of residence. Depending on jurisdiction, this is the provincial or municipal police immigration office or the Immigration Department.
The published TRC procedures allow direct submission and online filing through the official public-service channels. Online submission does not necessarily eliminate physical documents: the original passport and documents lacking accepted electronic certification may still need to be sent as instructed.
A practical sequence is:
Confirm jurisdiction, current forms and marriage-document requirements.
Submit the complete application and pay the official fee.
Keep the acceptance receipt and respond to any request for clarification.
Collect the card and check the name, passport number, TT category and expiry immediately.
The published processing time is five working days from receipt of a complete dossier. That excludes the time spent obtaining an Apostille, translating documents, recording an overseas marriage or correcting a rejected submission. Leave room for those steps before your existing stay expires.
What does a marriage-based TRC cost?
The government fee is $145 for a card valid for up to two years, or $155 for a card valid for more than two years and up to three years under the TT category. The wider fee band extends to five years, but it does not extend TT eligibility beyond three.
Can you work or run a business with a TT TRC?
Foreigners married to Vietnamese citizens and residing in Vietnam fall within the work-permit exemption. Under Decree 219/2025/ND-CP, this category does not require a separate work-permit exemption certificate, but the employer must notify the competent authority at least three working days before employment begins.
The card itself does not replace employment compliance or the registrations and licences needed to operate a business. A founder should settle residence, employment and business requirements as connected but separate tasks.
Once the card is issued, keep copies of the accepted dossier and set an early reminder before expiry. A future card requires another application and continued eligibility. If your passport or marital circumstances change, ask immigration how your status must be updated.
For help coordinating the marriage documents, visa and TRC application, Easytiger.vn can help you find an immigration or legal professional in Vietnam.
Frequently asked questions
No. Marriage makes you eligible to apply for residence through your Vietnamese spouse, but it does not automatically extend your visa or grant permanent residence. The usual route is a TT family visa, followed by a TT temporary residence card. Your existing permission to stay must remain valid while you arrange the application.
A TT spouse visa can be issued for up to 12 months, while a TT temporary residence card can last up to three years. Neither maximum is guaranteed. Both must expire at least 30 days before your passport, so obtaining a full three-year TRC requires a passport valid for at least three years plus 30 days when the card is issued.
The core application includes your original passport, Form NA8, two 2 × 3 cm photographs, your Vietnamese spouse’s sponsorship request using Form NA7, and evidence of your legally recognized marriage. Prepare your spouse’s identity and residence information, your current immigration records, and evidence of your declared temporary address as requested. For overseas marriages, check authentication, certified Vietnamese translation and marriage-recording requirements before filing.
The government fee is $145 for a card valid for up to two years, or $155 for a TT card valid for more than two years and up to three years. Published processing time is five working days after receipt of a complete dossier. Translation, document authentication, delivery and professional service fees are additional, and document preparation can take longer than the immigration review itself.
Foreigners married to Vietnamese citizens and residing in Vietnam qualify for a work-permit exemption. A separate exemption certificate is not required for this category, but the employer must notify the competent authority at least three working days before employment begins. The exemption arises from your qualifying marriage and residence status, rather than the TRC alone. Business registration, licensing and other employment obligations still apply.
