Marriage Visa

Okay budman1,i checked the website you gave me & had already seen that.It doesn't address my inquiry about where to go to pay just $10 for my 90-day extension each time.However,colinoscapee gave me an address where i can go in Saigon,but that is too far (6-7 hour bus ride) & costs too much.As far as why the VEC isn't in my passport,i have no idea.I have been here 5 times since 2005 & never heard of a VEC until now.They usually don't stamp my passport upon entry here at the airport in Saigon,just the back of my visa.In Oct. when i go for another 90-day extension,my visa will be full of stamps,so i am told by my wife that i/we will have to pay $200for a visa renewal.I am tired of paying so much for the extensions.Not sure what to do at this point.Thanks.

Okay colinoscapee,thanks for the address in Saigon.Is that a govt.office or a private business like a travel agency, etc.?Saigon is really far for me and would be a real pain & expense to go there every 3 months.Maybe i can find a place closer to where i live in Le Chanh,by Chau Doc,An Giang Province.My wife & i have been married since Sept. 2007,and our 6 year old daughter was born here a few months after we got our marriage certificate.I believe they consider her a VN resident, but she is a US citizen by birth rights to me.She has a US passport & social security number,and i have all the documents showing i am her legal,biological father.No problems with her at all,or with my marriage being legit & real,just with the $70-$80 i have to pay for each 90-day visa extension. At this point i don't know if i can change that.I don't even think the Embassy can/will do anything to help.Maybe if i can find a place my wife & i can go to get it done for $10,i will give it a shot at least.Thanks for the help & info.

Okay,I will do my best to explain all of this to my wife & see if she understands,as i still don't speak Vietnamese & she is very limited with English.Thanks again colinoscapee, and you too budman1.

I would hunt out the other expats living in Chau Doc or go to a hotel that has English speaking staff and ask where the local office that deals with that type of visa. Being near Chau Doc, why dont you just do a run to Cambodia every three months, its so close to you. Just walk through get a Cambodian visa then walk back to Viet Nam, and the three months starts again.

Okay,thanks again for all the help.We will work something out and do what we can to take care of this.I appreciate all of your time,energy,and help.Best to all expats here in Vietnam & the world over.

I found this for you


Unless the rules have changed in the past few months, as best as I recall, you can do the 90 day renewal this way.
- Establish a file with your nearest police station
- Make a photocopy of your passport and the visa (or VEC) in it, for use the week the passport is with Immigration.
- Just before the 90 day period, complete the required renewal form, take it to the police station for their signature.
- Take your passport,  the form, and the police file, to Immigration.and leave the documents there.
- Immigration will give a paper designating a date to pickup the documents. (7 days)
- Pick up your passport with a new stamp, and the file, and take them back to the local police to update the file.
With your letter a surrogate can submit & collect your documents at Immigration and the Police.

- Repeat every 90 days.

dHoung,
Out of all the things I've had to do in VN the VEC was the easiest straight forward. You must first go to HCM office to get the stamp. Once you have it you simple take a form down to your local ward police and have them sign it that you live where you live. Then take your $10.00 visa stamp fee to your local immigration office. They will stamp your passport. Take the new stamp back down to the ward police and they will put your new info into your house registration . You will be good to go for another 90 days. Keep in mind the VEC is good for 5 years if you have at least 5 years 6 months left on your passport. Any less and you must subtract 6 months. You certainly don't need to pay anyone to do this for you. Just have your wife go with you. You will need to take with you a letter from your ward police showing where you live, your marriage certificate and your passport.
Keep in mind if you don't live in a place that is approved for foreigners ( business license, fire dept approval and approved by ward police) the entire process becomes more problematic. But you can ask what kind of coffee they prefer. However, I know of a man that had to pay $500 and was immediately deported never to be allowed back into VN. Bottom line it is always best to make sure your house is approved for foreigners. Many landlords do not want to do this. And the reason they don't is crazy. But it is what it is.

Yep, got it, and that is what we always do.I guess someone is just making some extra $$ somewhere along the line. Oh well, such is life in Vietnam with a non-democratic government.Sometimes you/i just have to 'bite-the-bullet' & 'go with the flow',know what i mean Bro'?Take care.

In the larger cities you most likely will have to drop off and return to get you 00 day VEC stamp. I live in a smaller city and they do it right there for me.
Now when you get your initial VEC in HCM you must come back after the date they tell you.
As for going to Cambodia it is far more costly and consumes far more time than the VEC in my opinion.

DHuong,
  Not sure what your latest comments were referring to ".. That is what we always do..."!

Thanks for the input bta87.I believe i have pretty much have my answers,yours included, and will go from here with what i hope is the best way to go.

The problem is bta87 he is not in Saigon, the rules change from area to area.

The problem was bta87 was in Saigon. Indeed, the local rules may vary in getting your VEC stamped. However, getting the VEC initially done is either a Saigon or Hanoi issue.
If you want to do further research on how things are suppose to be done in reference to housing being approved for foreigners if that is what your speaking of you can research the following: Article 103 of the Vietnamese a Housing Law. These rules were promulgated by the government.
You will have many a landlord that believes they can do what they wish with a tenant. But this law fairly protects tenants and should be read by all expats. Myself I only use the lease contract that is promulgated on this law.
You would be amazed at the pitfalls you subject yourself to if you use the landlords lease that all their buddies have used for years.
But thus subject would be better suited for another  post.

Uhm, how did it turn into housing, Im talking about the VEC, the guy is in An Giang so its a bit hard to do the extensions in Saigon.In relation to housing leases,I have always had a lease done in both English and Vietnamese and put my conditions on it to protect myself. Works fine for me after 7 years, just have to make sure its been stamped and the owners are registered.

Perhaps even after 7 years you still don't know much about living in VN as a foreigner.
The fact remains that the VN government requires that all foreigners live in approved housing. The Art 103 that I referenced makes mention of the fact the landlord must abide by these border control rules.
My only point being that if you do not live in such a place you will forever have to pay coffee money in order to get the required letter signed by the police so that you can get any type of immigration stamp. Be it VEC or extensions. In my case before I learned these things I was paying $40 in coffee money each time I had to renew.
To the OP there is no charge to apply for a VEC only the 200k VND quarterly stamping fee.
So make what you want out of the housing laws. Often times it is difficult to educate some. Even though they have been here 7 years. I suspect after 10 years they will not be any wiser.

The fact remains I have never paid coffeee money and you have, so who is the one who doesnt know how things work. Seems you are a bit full of yourself bta87.

Likewise there big "C". The facts remain the same no matter what your situation or mine. In order not to be put in the position to have to pay coffee money your residence must be approved for foreigners. That is simply the law. If your able to skirt the law and not have to pay coffee money fine. I find it amazing that after 7 years you have not once had to pay coffee money. Now that would be nice if you could share that with the others. Never paid anything to the traffic police or no one. Now that is saying something.
But the point I was trying to make before you jumped in with your silly nonsense was to point out what it takes to do your visa extentions legitimately. I know many who have just arrived that do not know this. Even being married or about to be married does not seem to help as they have no experience getting visa extensions. It is all new to the spouses of expats as well

When I first came and we were negotiating a lease my wife specified that the landlord would make sure there were no problems with me living there. Of course, the landlord gave the we worn comment " don't worry, no problem". Which translated into English means no problem for them, coffee money for you.
How true it was when I went to renew my visa for the first time. As I had to have a letter from the police. I was not registered with the police hence the $40 coffee money.
And even you who have never had to pay any coffee money to renew your visa, if your not living integral residence run the risk of being deported.

Do you have a problem reading, Im not sure what you are on about. We were talking about VEC, then you started on about housing. Whats this about silly nonsense, are you bored at home and have nothing to do and want to start arguments online.Yes, I have never paid coffee money, believe it or not, been pulled over by police about 8 times and not paid them a cent. Maybe you are one of those that wilt when stopped by police, stand up and be a man,not a mouse.

Here's the address:

Immigration Department in An Giang province
Address: 6 Ton Duc Thang street, My Binh ward, Long Xuyen city.

A link to the website:

http://thetamtru.com.vn/en/an-giang-pro … on-office/

It's not their official website but it does have a link to the PDF form you need and some info about the TRC.