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Are you an overseas Vietnamese, or married to a Vietnamese citizen? You may qualify for the 5-Year Visa Exemption Certificate. Here is the complete guide to applying in 2026.
What is the 5-Year Visa Exemption Certificate?
The 5-Year Visa Exemption is a special certificate that functions similarly to a long-term, multiple-entry visa. It allows eligible individuals to enter Vietnam multiple times over a 5-year period without applying for a new visa each time.
**Duration of Stay:** With this certificate, you are permitted to stay in Vietnam for up to **180 days (6 months) per entry**.
Although it is called a '5-year' exemption, its validity is tied to your passport. The certificate will expire at least 6 months before your passport's expiration date.
Who is Eligible?
The certificate is strictly limited to two groups of people:
1. **Overseas Vietnamese (Viet Kieu):** Individuals of Vietnamese descent who reside abroad and do not currently hold a valid Vietnamese passport. 2. **Foreign Spouses and Children:** Foreigners who are legally married to, or are the children of, a Vietnamese citizen or an Overseas Vietnamese.
Required Documents for Application
To apply, you must prepare a dossier containing the following documents:
- Completed application form (available online or at the consulate).
- Original passport with at least 1 year of validity remaining.
- Two recent passport-sized photographs (4x6 cm, white background).
- **For Overseas Vietnamese:** Proof of Vietnamese origin (e.g., an old Vietnamese passport, Vietnamese birth certificate, or previous ID card).
- **For Spouses/Children:** Proof of relationship (e.g., marriage certificate, birth certificate) AND proof of the relative's Vietnamese status (e.g., their Vietnamese passport or ID).
How and Where to Apply
You cannot apply for this certificate at the airport upon arrival. Applications must be submitted to a Vietnamese Embassy or Consulate in your country of residence.
Many missions now offer an online portal where you can initiate the application, but you will still need to mail your original passport and physical documents to the embassy, along with a prepaid return envelope and the application fee (which varies by location, usually ranging from $20 to $100 depending on the consulate and processing speed).
Foreign documents (like a US marriage certificate) may need to be notarized and authenticated/legalized before the Vietnamese Consulate will accept them.
Extensions and Overstaying
If you wish to stay longer than 180 days on a single trip, you must either: - Do a 'visa run' (exit Vietnam to a neighboring country and re-enter, which resets your 180-day clock). - Apply for a temporary residence extension from within Vietnam (this requires a sponsor and a valid reason).
Do not overstay the 180-day limit, as fines accumulate daily and can lead to blacklisting.