Lucky

Tim,

a 5 year residency visa

Or is it that 5-year Visa Exemption Ceritificate?

hi from what I read it's definitely a residency visa
read it somewhere in one of these forums a 1 year 3 year and 5 year
not sure if it was PHATMAN VISA .......
Will look into it deeper .

time flies like an arrow
fruit flies like a banana !

Tim

Tim,

Yeah, look that up.  I have heard of visitor and business visas, but not residency.

The 5-year Visa Exemption Certificate that I mentioned above is another one.  But, it is only given to borned Vietnamese, and I think their next of kin as well. 

But no, nobody has to go to Cambodia every 3 or 6 months, unless he/she really wants to.  As foreigners, we do have to visit the local district police and immigration offices every 3 months, though.

Howie

Hi Wild 1 my wife has a vietnamese passport and me and daughters have British ones we also have the 5 year visa exemption
I went to the immigration dept and asked how much it would be
but being slightly deaf could quite make out how much it would be every 3 months ........... we are back in the u.k. now Trangs parents are willing to sponsor us ....
Trangs father spoke to someone and they told him he had to leave every 3 months and that it cost $1000 dollars .......
I really want to live in V.N. but Trang is not so keen after hearing what her father was told by this expat .....
It created a lot of problems as my wife did not believe me.
where in V.N. do you live ? wifes family are from Dalat
many thanks anything that can reasure my wife is very helpful.

kind regards

Tim

Hello FIREFLY100,
What I can see, you are mixing up the visa "exemption" with the residency card.

You need to see immigration/police with the exemption every 3 month. It will be officially only given out in your home country via the Vietnamese embassy. There might be also some unusual ways to get it in VN.

The other thing is the residency- yes, it looks much like a visa (id card) and is bostiched in your passport, but initially, not longer than 3/2/1 year(s).
That requires you, only to see immigration, upon expiring for renewal.
After the initial, you have the chance to get a longer term - which currently does not exceeds 5 years.

Tim don't sweat the small stuff. I've had a VEC going on 4 years right now and haven't left Vietnam. The stamp costs around $10.00 and you need to have the form signed by your sponser and the local police. Said and done. $1000.00!!! somebodys blowing smoke dude.

Tim,

Check your other post in regard to the Visa Exemption Certificates for you and your kids and the things that you guys will need to do and could do.

Trangs father spoke to someone and they told him he had to leave every 3 months and that it cost $1000 dollars .......

That is totally false, as anyone on here can tell you.  With your father-in-law sponsorship, you and your kids are good to go for at least 1 year, as far as I know.  You won't have much to worry within that time period.

I live in Can Tho, which is about 170 kms south of Saigon.  But, in Da Lat, you guys are not going to have any problem, for it is a big city with lots of tourists.

Good luck,
Howie

Budman1,

Yeah, I was wondering where you were at. 

But, did you ever have to leave the country within those 4 years?  I ask because I only did my extensions up to that point, then I moved on to the Vietnamese citizenship thing.

Nope, hell I haven't even been to Saigon in over 3 years. Ah, the good old peaceful country life.

There you have it Tim; and Budman1's father-in-law doesn't even like him. 

FIREFLY100 wrote:

hi .............. PHATMAN VISA .......
Will look into it deeper .

time flies like an arrow
fruit flies like a banana !

Tim

If it was via there http://www.phatmanvisa.page.tl/ chances are, you have a visa, depending  good for maybe 3 month with multiple entry.

There is really no mentioning about Visa-Exemption or Residency-Card.
The website...., I would advise being very cautious on that, what you might have received

Budman1 wrote:

Nope, hell I haven't even been to Saigon in over 3 years. Ah, the good old peaceful country life.

Ha ha. In case you guys need translation from the party line's speak: "My wife does not allow me to go anywhere" .

Tim,

How old are your kids?  I ask because my friends brought their teenage son out here.  But after about 6 months, the little guy could not handle Vietnam anymore and asked to go back to rejoin his older brothers.  You might want to get that end sorted out, while you are still there.

Anatta sleep with one eye open tonight, the toll booth gods might make a visit. Howie, thank goodness I've never had to mess with a father-in-law, but if I did.....

Sorry Mods, couldn't contain myself.

Budman1 wrote:

Anatta sleep with one eye open tonight, the toll booth gods might make a visit.

Budman.
You, of all the people, should know. Yesterday was the full moon and the toll booth gods got really drunk after their secret meeting in Vung Tau, so they will not be able to do anything tonight.

That was only first platoon, 2nd and 3rd platoon were are guard last night. TONIGHT is their nite.

Budman1 wrote:

That was only first platoon, 2nd and 3rd platoon were are guard last night. TONIGHT is their nite.

This is me. Happy now?

Again. Sorry mods (and Tim) for hi-jacking the thread.

I wonder where that 3rd amigo is...? 

Phatman is well known as an honest and straightforward businessman.  I was fortunate enough to meet him just after I arrived here in 2009 and have used his services on more than one occasion.