Temporary Residence Card (TRC / Thẻ Tạm Trú)

The Temporary Residence CardThẻ Tạm Trú (The Tam Tru)teh tahm trooTemporary Residence Card. A multi-year residence permit issued to foreigners on qualifying visa categories; typically valid 1-3 years. — 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.

If you are a general remote worker hoping a Vietnamese 5-year "Digital Talent Visa (DTV)" exists to give you residency without one of the above, read the reality check — that route is not confirmed and online claims usually conflate Thailand's DTV with Vietnam.

Validity and duration

The TRC matches the underlying visa class, capped by Vietnamese law:

When the underlying visa or permit is renewed, the TRC is reissued for the new period.

Documents

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

1. Have your long-stay visa in your passport — TRC cannot be applied for from outside Vietnam.
2. Have your address registered (Form NA17) at the local ward police.
3. 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.
4. Collect the card in person with the receipt and your passport.

Cost

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 rarely need or get one.

Note on the "Vietnam DTV" myth

Some online sources describe a Vietnamese 5-year "Digital Talent Visa (DTV)" as a TRC-equivalent alternative for remote workers. No such general route is confirmed. That claim conflates Thailand's DTV (which is real) with Vietnam's situation. Read the reality check and the long-stay visa comparison before assuming you can substitute a "DTV" for the work-permit-and-TRC pathway above.

What this does NOT let you do

Holding a TRC does not expand what your underlying visa class authorises. The card is a residency document, not a permission-expansion document.

• Take paid employment if your TRC is not on an LD (work-permit) visa — only holders of a valid work permit tied to a specific employer and sector may receive a salary from a Vietnamese entity. A TRC on a DT investor, TT marriage, or DH student visa does not authorise local employment.
• Work for a different employer than the one named on your work permit — the LD visa and TRC are employer-specific. Changing jobs requires a new work permit and TRC reissuance before starting the new role.
• Operate as a freelancer or independent contractor for Vietnamese clients — even with a TRC, earning fees from Vietnamese businesses without a proper work permit and registered legal entity may violate labour and tax law; you may need to verify the current rules with a licensed Vietnam lawyer.
• Treat Vietnam as a confirmed remote-work or retirement destination — Vietnam has no publicly confirmed general digital-nomad or retirement visa. Anyone relying on a TRC for long-term residence without the correct qualifying visa category should verify their status with the Provincial Immigration Department before their next renewal.
• Sponsor a family member's TRC automatically — family members need their own qualifying visa (usually TT) and must apply separately; the primary holder's TRC is not a direct sponsorship instrument.

Refer to the digital nomad reality check or the retirement reality check where remote work or retirement comes up — Vietnam has no confirmed general route for either.

Verify before acting. Visa rules change. Confirm with the Vietnamese embassy in your country or evisa.gov.vn before relying on any specific limitation here.