Where are you all from ?

Hello Johnfashman,

Welcome on board !

I have created a new thread from your post on the Vietnam forum so that members can share their experience with  you.

DO you have an idea about the town or village you would like to settle in ?

Find out more about visas and formalities by reading the articles of the Living in Vietnam guide for expats.

All the very best

Bhavna

Regards

Bhavna

...I am moving to Vietnam in the near future. I guess this will men leaving the country every 30 days ? Unless I can figure something else out.
I am from England, and while I really like Vietnamese people, (I have a Vietnamese Partner) I'm going to miss interaction with Western people. -@johnfashman

If you are referring to a male/female partnership, and your "Vietnamese partner" is a Vietnamese citizen (with passport) OR a person whose Vietnamese origins or connections (born in Vietnam OR the child of a Vietnamese parent recognized as Việt Kiều--Vietnamese diaspora) entitles them to a 5 year Visa Exemption Certificate (VEC), then you can marry your Vietnamese partner and become eligible for your own VEC, good for 6 month stays (sometimes extendable in country), with the future possibility of obtaining a 3 year Temporary Resident Card (TRC) should you both decide to reside here.

...I am moving to Vietnam in the near future. I guess this will men leaving the country every 30 days ? Unless I can figure something else out.
I am from England, and while I really like Vietnamese people, (I have a Vietnamese Partner) I'm going to miss interaction with Western people. -@johnfashman

If you are referring to a male/female partnership, and your "Vietnamese partner" is a Vietnamese citizen (with passport) OR a person whose Vietnamese origins or connections (born in Vietnam OR the child of a Vietnamese parent recognized as Việt Kiều--Vietnamese diaspora) entitles them to a 5 year Visa Exemption Certificate (VEC), then you can marry your Vietnamese partner and become eligible for your own VEC, good for 6 month stays (sometimes extendable in country), with the future possibility of obtaining a 3 year Temporary Resident Card (TRC) should you both decide to reside here.
-@OceanBeach92107

There you go again quoting the "marry word" put me clean off my lunch!

If you are referring to a male/female partnership, and your "Vietnamese partner" is a Vietnamese citizen (with passport) OR a person whose Vietnamese origins or connections (born in Vietnam OR the child of a Vietnamese parent recognized as Việt Kiều--Vietnamese diaspora) entitles them to a 5 year Visa Exemption Certificate (VEC), then you can marry your Vietnamese partner and become eligible for your own VEC, good for 6 month stays (sometimes extendable in country), with the future possibility of obtaining a 3 year Temporary Resident Card (TRC) should you both decide to reside here.
-@OceanBeach92107

Provided the VN partner is of the opposite sex. Same-sex marriage is not recognized in VN, nor is common law marriage between partners of the opposite sex.

If you are referring to a male/female partnership, and your "Vietnamese partner" is a Vietnamese citizen (with passport) OR a person whose Vietnamese origins or connections (born in Vietnam OR the child of a Vietnamese parent recognized as Việt Kiều--Vietnamese diaspora) entitles them to a 5 year Visa Exemption Certificate (VEC), then you can marry your Vietnamese partner and become eligible for your own VEC, good for 6 month stays (sometimes extendable in country), with the future possibility of obtaining a 3 year Temporary Resident Card (TRC) should you both decide to reside here.
-@OceanBeach92107

Provided the VN partner is of the opposite sex. Same-sex marriage is not recognized in VN, nor is common law marriage between partners of the opposite sex.
-@Aidan in HCMC

Did you not see where I began my comment: "If you are referring to a male/female partnership"?

Did you not see where I began my comment: "If you are referring to a male/female partnership"?
-@OceanBeach92107

Aaaaarrrgghhh. No, I didn't. Sorry

I guess Andy was right.

Did you not see where I began my comment: "If you are referring to a male/female partnership"?
-@OceanBeach92107

Aaaaarrrgghhh. No, I didn't. Sorry
I guess Andy was right.
-@Aidan in HCMC

😁😁😁

@Aidan in HCMC

Well, yes same sex marriage is not legal in Vietnam but if the marriage is done outside of Vietnam it is recognized. I have a friend married to a Vietnamese man, he got a TTRC, and he is always able to get a his TTRC renewed.

@Aidan in HCMC
Well, yes same sex marriage is not legal in Vietnam but if the marriage is done outside of Vietnam it is recognized. I have a friend married to a Vietnamese man, he got a TTRC, and he is always able to get a his TTRC renewed.
-@cougarcar20

Might he have used the services of a (ahem) well-connected agency to acquire the TRC? (and a VEC too?)

Article 8. Conditions for getting married

...

2. The State s̲h̲a̲l̲l̲ ̲n̲o̲t recognize marriage between persons of the same sex. (link)

also, here (in Vietnamese) (link)

here (link)

and

here (link)

I'm genuinely curious about this, as it is no doubt a concern of expat.com members (link)

@Aidan in HCMC

No, he did not use an agency he and his partner went into the immigration office together and did it themselves.

Well, yes same sex marriage is not legal in Vietnam but if the marriage is done outside of Vietnam it is recognized. I have a friend married to a Vietnamese man, he got a TTRC, and he is always able to get a his TTRC renewed.
-@cougarcar20

Might he have used the services of a (ahem) well-connected agency to acquire the TRC? (and a VEC too?)

Article 8. Conditions for getting married
...
2. The State s̲h̲a̲l̲l̲ ̲n̲o̲t recognize marriage between persons of the same sex. (link)

also, here (in Vietnamese) (link)
here (link)
and
here (link)

I'm genuinely curious about this, as it is no doubt a concern of expat.com members (link)
-@Aidan in HCMC

        No, he did not use an agency he and his partner went into the immigration office together and did it themselves.  -@cougarcar20

Cougar20, that really is some blockbuster news. This would certainly impact not only the lives of many expats currently in VN, but also of Viet Kieu and future expats to VN.

I do not doubt the veracity of your friends experience and his relating it to you. At the same time though, I'm hesitant to suggest to other same-sex couples that they can expect similar results in their own TRC applications. I'm also hesitant to discount the information found in the links I provided, above.

I think expat.com members, and casual readers of this forum alike, should for the time being accept this as anecdotal and not invest too heavily in his report to you.

Please ask your friend, on our behalf, the precise steps he took (eg. was the application made outside VN, costs, etc)  to secure his TRC.

Well, yes same sex marriage is not legal in Vietnam but if the marriage is done outside of Vietnam it is recognized. I have a friend married to a Vietnamese man, he got a TTRC, and he is always able to get a his TTRC renewed.
-@cougarcar20

Might he have used the services of a (ahem) well-connected agency to acquire the TRC? (and a VEC too?)

Article 8. Conditions for getting married
...
2. The State s̲h̲a̲l̲l̲ ̲n̲o̲t recognize marriage between persons of the same sex. (link)

also, here (in Vietnamese) (link)
here (link)
and
here (link)

I'm genuinely curious about this, as it is no doubt a concern of expat.com members (link)
-@Aidan in HCMC


    No, he did not use an agency he and his partner went into the immigration office together and did it themselves. -@cougarcar20


Cougar20, that really is some blockbuster news. This would certainly impact not only the lives of many expats currently in VN, but also of Viet Kieu and future expats to VN.

I do not doubt the veracity of your friends experience and his relating it to you. At the same time though, I'm hesitant to suggest to other same-sex couples that they can expect similar results in their own TRC applications. I'm also hesitant to discount the information found in the links I provided, above.

I think expat.com members, and casual readers of this forum alike, should for the time being accept this as anecdotal and not invest too heavily in his report to you.

Please ask your friend, on our behalf, the precise steps he took (eg. was the application made outside VN, costs, etc) to secure his TRC.


-@Aidan in HCMC

It might also have to do with the nationality of the petitioners.

The way that the US Embassy and Consulate are acting online (face.book) it wouldn't surprise me if there has been pressure to accept any marriage coming out of the United States, regardless of the genders involved.

Other countries might have also applied their own diplomatic pressure.

If memory serves me correctly, this is the third anecdotal report we've had in the forum of a same-sex married couple being granted TRCs based on the qualifications of only one member of the union.

If so, it's probably not a policy you're going to see officially announced by the government of Vietnam, but will rather become increasingly apparent as more people report such results.

We'll see... 🙈 🙉 🙊

@Aidan in HCMC

They were married outside of Vietnam. He first got a VEC through an agent, 5 years ago and they used all the same documents as a normal couple use. (No special documents needed). They both went into the immigration office in D1, both went to the counter and handed all the paperwork in, the officer looked at them the paperwork stamped it, and all done. Cost of the TTRC was around $145. Went back a week later and picked up is TTRC. Had no problems no one ask any questions. When he got his VEC it was the same price as a normal couple, no coffee money needed.

@OceanBeach92107

He is not American, he is Australian. They got married in Australia.

@OceanBeach92107
He is not American, he is Australian. They got married in Australia.
-@cougarcar20

As I said, other nations may also be applying diplomatic pressure.