Temporary Residence Card (TRC / Thẻ Tạm Trú)
The physical card that turns a long-stay visa into proper residency — required for bank accounts, leases, school enrolments, and free exit/re-entry.
The Temporary Residence Card — TRC, Thẻ tạm trú — is the credit-card-sized residency document issued by the provincial Immigration Department to foreigners with a qualifying long-stay visa. It is the document most landlords, banks, mobile operators, and schools ask for. It is also what lets you leave and re-enter Vietnam freely without a new entry visa.
Rules current as of 2026-05-17. Confirm via the Provincial Immigration Department (PA61 in HCMC, PA72 in Hanoi) before applying.
Why you want one
If you're planning to live in Vietnam for more than a few months, the TRC unlocks:
- Bank accounts at Vietnamese banks (most won't open accounts for tourists)
- Long-term apartment leases without monthly visa-run hassles
- SIM card registration under your own name with full features
- Children's enrolment in many international schools that require parental TRC
- Free exit and re-entry — no entry visa needed for the duration of the card
- Driving licence conversion (for many nationalities)
Without a TRC, even with a long-stay visa, day-to-day administrative life is harder than it needs to be.
Who is eligible
You need a qualifying long-stay visa first. The TRC is essentially the residency document that runs on top of:
- LD work-permit visa — most common route. See work permit.
- DT investor visas — DT1, DT2, DT3, DT4. See investor visa.
- TT marriage / family visa — spouses of Vietnamese citizens. See marriage visa.
- NN diplomatic / consular — for accredited diplomats and their families.
- DH student visa — for enrolled students. See student visa.
- PV1 / PV2 press — for accredited foreign journalists.
The DTV digital talent visa is itself a residency visa with multi-year validity — it serves a similar role to a TRC for many practical purposes, though a separate TRC can still be obtained in certain cases.
Validity and duration
The TRC matches the underlying visa class, capped by Vietnamese law:
| Visa class | Maximum TRC duration |
|---|---|
| LD (work) | Matches work permit, up to 2 years |
| DT1 | Up to 10 years |
| DT2 | Up to 5 years |
| DT3 | Up to 3 years |
| DT4 | Up to 1 year |
| TT (marriage / family) | Up to 3 years |
| DH (student) | Matches enrolment |
| PV (press) | Up to 2 years |
When the underlying visa or permit is renewed, the TRC is reissued for the new period.
Documents
| Document | Notes |
|---|---|
| Passport | Original + scan of bio page and all visa pages |
| Current visa | The long-stay class visa you arrived on |
| Photos | 2×3 cm, white background |
| Application form | NA8 form, available at the Immigration Department |
| Underlying eligibility document | Work permit, business licence, marriage certificate, etc. |
| Temporary residence registration | Form NA17, completed by your landlord or hotel |
| Health insurance | Required for some classes, optional for others — check current rules |
The temporary-residence registration (Form NA17) catches first-time applicants out. Every foreign resident in Vietnam is required to register their address with the local ward police. The landlord usually does it; in serviced apartments and hotels they handle it automatically. If you're in a private rental, ask the landlord to file the form; without it the TRC application is rejected.
Process
- Have your long-stay visa in your passport — TRC cannot be applied for from outside Vietnam.
- Have your address registered (Form NA17) at the local ward police.
- Submit the dossier at the Provincial Immigration Department (PA61 in HCMC at 196 Nguyễn Thị Minh Khai, or PA72 in Hanoi at 44 Phạm Ngọc Thạch). Officially 5 working days; in practice 5–10.
- Collect the card in person with the receipt and your passport.
Cost
| Duration | Government fee (USD equivalent) |
|---|---|
| Up to 1 year | $145 |
| 1–2 years | $155 |
| 2–5 years | $165 |
| 5–10 years | $175 |
Plus minor fees for forms and photos. An immigration agent typically charges $200–600 on top of government fees to handle the paperwork.
Renewal
The TRC must be renewed before expiry; lapsed cards mean restarting from a fresh long-stay visa. Plan the renewal 30–60 days ahead of expiry to allow for any document collection (a new work permit cycle, refreshed business licence, etc.).
Common pitfalls
- Forgetting Form NA17. The most common reason for rejection at first-time application.
- Landlord won't register your address. Some informal rentals refuse — find a different landlord or accept that TRC isn't going to work at this address.
- Renewing after expiry. Expired TRC + expired underlying visa = overstay; you must leave and start fresh. Don't wait until the last week.
- Confusing TRC with the permanent residence card (PRC). The PRC is a separate, much harder-to-obtain document for people who have held a TRC for many years. Most expats never need or get one.
Compared with the DTV
Many remote workers who would previously have needed a work permit + TRC now use the DTV digital talent visa instead. The DTV provides up to 5 years of residency in its own right and doesn't require Vietnamese employment. See the full comparison at DTV vs work permit.
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