What VISA if I want to stay long term in Vietnam

Not a lot of options at the moment. The visas have been put on hold and 1-2 visas are not being issued in Vietnam. They do this crap every few years, it will return to normal after a few months.

The only long term visa is VEC, and the only way to qualify for it is if you're an Overseas Vietnamese, or offspring of Vietnamese parents, or married to a Vietnamese.  Your spouse doesn't have to be a Vietnamese citizen who is living in Vietnam.  She can be an hyphenated Vietnamese. 

The VEC will allow you to live here for 5 years.  You can reapply after that.

We have always had VEC visas as my wife and her parents were born in Vn but they still write on the 3 month date, are we missing something?
Mike

michaellieptourists wrote:

We have always had VEC visas as my wife and her parents were born in Vn but they still write on the 3 month date, are we missing something?
Mike

Not everyone can get a VEC.

It depends when you got your VEC, the older ones have a 90 day stay, the newer ones have 180 day stay.

VEC = Visa Exemption certificate   

https://www.vietnam-evisa.org/news/view … bassy.html

I had no idea of what a VEC was

Hi,
Thanks for your reply,  what do you mean "1-2 visas are not issued "?,

An agency quoted $435 to extend  for one year my business visa or $30 for a 3 months extension.
I find $435 quite expensive,

bkksaigon wrote:

Hi,
Thanks for your reply,  what do you mean "1-2 visas are not issued "?,

An agency quoted $435 to extend  for one year my business visa or $30 for a 3 months extension.
I find $435 quite expensive,

They will do extensions, but immigration is not issuing new 1 year business visas. Make sure the agent you deal with is reputable and ask if the extension is a single or multi entry.

michaellieptourists wrote:

We have always had VEC visas as my wife and her parents were born in Vn but they still write on the 3 month date...

colinoscapee wrote:

It depends when you got your VEC, the older ones have a 90 day stay, the newer ones have 180 day stay.

As Colin said.  Each stay lasts 90 days or 180 days but the length of the VEC is 5 years.

thank you Colinoscapee)

Ciambella wrote:

The only long term visa is VEC, and the only way to qualify for it is if you're an Overseas Vietnamese, or offspring of Vietnamese parents, or married to a Vietnamese.

michaellieptourists wrote:

We have always had VEC visas as my wife and her parents were born in Vn but they still write on the 3 month date, are we missing something?
Mike

May I ask why people who are married in Vietnam apply for a VEC and not for a TRC (I know the OP is probably not married in Vietnam)?

Since I got married, I have a TRC (3 years) and I don't have to do border runs.

Andy Passenger wrote:

May I ask why people who are married in Vietnam apply for a VEC and not for a TRC (I know the OP is probably not married in Vietnam)?

Since I got married, I have a TRC (3 years) and I don't have to do border runs.

My statement wasn't aimed at people who are married to Vietnamese who are both citizens and residents of Vietnam. The subsequent sentence clarified that. 

I don't know about Michaellieptourists, but the wordings of his statement ("my wife and her parents were born in Vn")  made me think he meant the same thing as I did.

There are many different types of Vietnamese: 

1. Vietnamese citizens who are residents of Vietnam
2. Vietnamese citizens who are residents of another country
3. Vietnamese who were born in Vietnam, gave up their citizenship, became residents and citizens of another country
4. Vietnamese who were born in Vietnam, gave up their citizenship, resumed it later, but are still residents of another country
5. Vietnamese who were born in Vietnam, gave up their citizenship, resumed it later, moved back to Vietnam, became legal residents of Vietnam
6. Vietnamese who were born in Vietnam, gave up their citizenship, moved back to Vietnam, became legal residents of Vietnam but still maintain their foreign citizenship

Depending on the category in which your spouse belong, you can be married in Vietnam to a Vietnamese and still only qualified for VEC and not TRC.

Andy Passenger wrote:

Ciambella wrote:

The only long term visa is VEC, and the only way to qualify for it is if you're an Overseas Vietnamese, or offspring of Vietnamese parents, or married to a Vietnamese.

michaellieptourists wrote:

We have always had VEC visas as my wife and her parents were born in Vn but they still write on the 3 month date, are we missing something?
Mike

May I ask why people who are married in Vietnam apply for a VEC and not for a TRC (I know the OP is probably not married in Vietnam)?

Since I got married, I have a TRC (3 years) and I don't have to do border runs.

You dont have to do border runs on a VEC. You go to the local immigration every 6 months to get a stamp in your passport. In the past you had to have a VEC to get a TRC. Now things have changed and a TRC is the better option.

This is the law as per the US visa.

Important notes:
• Visa stamping fee at the airport applied for all tourist visa for United States citizens is 135.00 USD.
• 1 year multiple entries tourist visa just allows maximum 90 days of staying for one entry. It means the United States travelers will have to do visa run each 90 days with tourist visa.
• For the United States citizens who want to stay in Vietnam for 1 year without doing visa run are suggested to apply for 1 year business visa (Visa approval letter fee: Just only 200.00 USD)

I spoke to an agent in Saigon,who has been doing visas for 16 years, he said that 1 year and 2 year Business visa were not being issued as of 5 weeks ago.

But, if you want to pay, you can go to another provence and get it done, thats how things work here. Your agent says yes, but go into the immigration office and ask what the current rule is. You may be surprised how things actually work in VN.

Hi everyone,

Please note that some posts have been removed from this thread.

@ Colinoscapee > Can you please give the source of your information as copy paste information are not allowed on the forum if you do not mention the source.

Thank you,

Priscilla
Expat.com team

You dont have to do border runs on a VEC. You go to the local immigration every 6 months to get a stamp in your passport. In the past you had to have a VEC to get a TRC. Now things have changed and a TRC is the better option.

@Colinoscapee
Could you elaborate on the procedure to get a stamp at the local immigration every 6 months?
And what's the difference and cost between VEC and TRC.
Thanks.

MummyJane wrote:

You dont have to do border runs on a VEC. You go to the local immigration every 6 months to get a stamp in your passport. In the past you had to have a VEC to get a TRC. Now things have changed and a TRC is the better option.

@Colinoscapee
Could you elaborate on the procedure to get a stamp at the local immigration every 6 months?
And what's the difference and cost between VEC and TRC.
Thanks.

I see you are married to a VN, therefore, you can get the 5 year VEC or the two year TRC. It could all change again in 6 months time.

colinoscapee wrote:

... two year TRC.

Three year TRC.