Reissuance of 5-year Visa Exemption Certificate

Five-year visa exemption certificate (also referred to as 5-year Visa) is a valid document for entry and exit from Vietnam issued to Vietnamese people residing abroad, or foreigners who are spouses or children of Vietnamese citizens. The 5-year visa exemption certificate is a convenient travel document because it provides a maximum validity of up to 05 years and a maximum stay of up to 180 days for each entry. In this article, we will show you the procedures for re-issuing a 5-year visa exemption certificate.

1. Who is eligible for 5-year visa exemption reissuance?

Vietnamese people residing abroad, or foreigners who are spouses or children of Vietnamese citizens are eligible to apply for a 5-year visa exemption certificate. Those who already hold a 05-year visa exemption certificate can apply for re-issuing a 05-year visa exemption certificate under either of the following cases:

• The visa exemption certificate is lost
• The visa exemption certificate is damaged
• The visa exemption certificate has expired
• The contents of the visa exemption certificate need to be adjusted

2. Procedures for reissuance of 5-year visa exemption certificate

2.1. Required documents

People who wish to have their 5-year visa exemption certificate re-issued are required to prepare the following documents:

• Passport or international travel documents or permanent residence permit issued by a foreign competent authority to an overseas Vietnamese. The passport or international travel document must have at least 1 year of validity.
• 01 Application form for visa exemption.
• 02 recent photos, size 4cm x 6cm, white background, straight face, bare head, no colored glasses (01 photo glued to the application form, 01 left separately).
• A visa exemption certificate has been issued before. In case of loss, a report must be submitted.
• In case the applicant requests to adjust the contents of the visa exemption certificate, a certified copy of the original or the original document must be presented to compare with the contents that need to be adjusted.

2.2. Authority in charge

The competent authority to reissue a 5-year visa exemption certificate is the Immigration Department of the Ministry of Public Security.

2.3. Procedures

Currently, the 5-year visa exemption application can be submitted in person or online.

2.3.1. In person

a, Procedure

People who request to re-issue a visa exemption certificate can apply in person at the Immigration Department in 3 simple steps:

Step 1: Prepare the documents as required

Step 2: Submit your application during office hours on weekdays at the headquarters of the Immigration Department of the Ministry of Public Security (Ha Noi or Ho Chi Minh City).

Step 3: Get results

b, Pros and cons

Submitting your application in person can be advantageous as the officer immediately reviews the application to check the legality and content of the dossiers. If the application fails to meet the requirements, you will be instructed to resubmit. However, in-person submission also comes with some drawbacks. The applicant must apply during office hours of the Immigration Department, so they will not be able to schedule the time as they wish.

2.3.2. Online

Currently, the visa exemption reissuance can be done online through the Public Service Portal.

a, Procedure

Step 1: Prepare the documents as required

Step 2: Log in to the Online Portal of the Ministry of Public Security and complete the steps as instructed.

Step 3: Check your information again. Submit your application if the information is correct.

Once your application is submitted successfully, the officer in charge will check the legality and content of the application. If the application is valid, there will be a notice requesting the entire application to be sent to the Immigration Department by post. Otherwise, there will be a notice requesting additional documents or resubmission of the application.

b, Pros and cons

Online submission allows applicants to be flexible in their time as the application can be done anywhere at any time. Applicants can also choose to collect results by post, thereby not having to waste time going to the Immigration Department headquarters. However, those who apply online must still submit all documents by post to the Immigration Department.

3. Processing time

The processing time for re-issuing a visa exemption certificate is 5 working days from the date of receiving a valid application. However, the actual processing time may be faster or slower depending on the number of documents being processed at the time.

4. Fees

The fee for issuing a 5-year visa exemption certificate is 10 USD/paper, as regulated in Circular No. 25/2021/TT-BTC about fees for issuing visas and other documents valid for exit, entry, and residence for foreigners. In case of loss or damage, the fee for re-issuance is the same as that of issuing a new certificate.

5. Summary

The reissuance of a 5-year visa exemption certificate is needed in cases where the visa exemption certificate expires, is lost, damaged, or the content needs to be adjusted. Procedures for visa exemption reissuance can be carried out in person or online, with the results collected either at the Immigration Department or by post.

Hope you find it helpful.