Spouse Visa in Ho Chi Minh City: TT Visa to Residence Card
A foreigner married to a Vietnamese citizen is eligible for a TT visa. It lasts up to 1 year. The Vietnamese spouse sponsors and shows papers proving the marriage. A TT holder is on the list for a temporary residence card, valid up to 3 years. In Ho Chi Minh City the spouse files at the provincial immigration authority.
On this page
- Which route fits you?
- What the TT visa is
- Who sponsors you
- File the visa request in Ho Chi Minh City
- The residence card for a TT holder
- How long the card lasts and what it costs
- Filing the card in Ho Chi Minh City
- Work, extension and stay limits
- The exemption certificate as the other route
- Step by step: from marriage to card
- Step by step
- Common questions
A foreigner married to a Vietnamese citizen is eligible for a TT visa. Your Vietnamese spouse is the sponsor and shows papers proving the relationship. After the visa, a residence card of up to 3 years is the next step.
Which route fits you?
The first route is a TT visa and then a card. The second is the 5-year visa exemption certificate.
| TT visa | TT card | Exemption certificate | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Validity | Up to 1 year | Up to 3 years | Up to 5 years |
| Fee | US$25 single entry; US$95 multiple entry over 90 to 180 days; US$135 multiple entry over 180 days to 1 year | US$155 for the over 2 to 5 years band | US$10 |
| Stay | Set by the visa | Valid in place of a visa | 6 months per entry |
For one long stay, the card is the cleaner document, because it replaces the visa. The certificate costs less, but you re-enter every 6 months.
If you are already in Vietnam on a tourist stay
A visa purpose cannot be converted, except in listed cases. One listed case is papers proving you are the spouse of the person who invited or sponsored you. You are then issued a new visa with the symbol and validity of the new purpose.
Citizens of a country with a unilateral visa exemption get 45 days of stay and may be considered for a visa or an extension. An e-visa does not apply to a foreigner who lives in Vietnam.
If you are still abroad
The visa request goes through the inviting or sponsoring individual, who files it at the immigration authority. Filing by public post or electronically applies to a sponsor who meets the conditions in Article 16b.
If you want a long stay without a card
The exemption certificate lasts up to 5 years. Each entry gives a 6-month stay. See the full guide to the 5-year visa exemption certificate.
What the TT visa is
The TT visa goes to a foreigner who is the parent, spouse or child of a Vietnamese citizen.
… hoặc người nước ngoài là cha, mẹ, vợ, chồng, con của công dân Việt Nam.
… or a foreigner who is the parent, spouse or child of a Vietnamese citizen.
Law 47/2014/QH13, Điều 8 khoản 18, as amended by Law 51/2019/QH14 Điều 1 khoản 3 điểm h
A TT visa is valid for a maximum of 1 year.
The fee follows the entry type and validity of the visa.
A single-entry visa costs US$25. A multiple-entry visa costs US$95 over 90 to 180 days and US$135 over 180 days to 1 year. A visa for a child under 14 costs US$25.
For a full year of TT validity, the multiple-entry US$135 is the figure to budget. See Vietnam immigration fees for the full table and Vietnam visa types for the other symbols.
Who sponsors you
A Vietnamese citizen living permanently in Vietnam may invite and sponsor a spouse who is a foreigner.
Công dân Việt Nam thường trú ở trong nước được mời, bảo lãnh ông, bà, cha, mẹ của vợ hoặc chồng; vợ, chồng, con, anh, chị, em ruột là người nước ngoài vào Việt Nam thăm
A Vietnamese citizen living permanently in Vietnam may invite and sponsor the grandparents and parents of a spouse, and a spouse, child or sibling who is a foreigner, to visit Vietnam.
Law 118/2025/QH15, Điều 2 khoản 12
The sponsor must show papers proving the relationship.
File the visa request in Ho Chi Minh City
Use this route when you are already living in Vietnam. You need a valid passport, a visa unless you are visa-exempt, and a temporary stay certification from a Vietnamese authority.
- Your spouse downloads form NA5 from the portal page, and prepares your passport and papers proving the marriage.
- Your spouse files at the provincial police immigration authority in person, or through the National Public Service Portal or the Ministry of Public Security portal.
- Dossiers are received Monday to Saturday morning, except Tet and public holidays.
- The authority decides within no more than 5 working days of a complete dossier.
- Results are handed out Monday to Friday, except Tet and public holidays.
A loose-leaf visa needs 1 recent photo of 4 by 6 cm on a white background. The temporary residence declaration is made as soon as the foreigner arrives, as set out in registering temporary residence in Ho Chi Minh City.
The residence card for a TT holder
A foreigner staying in Vietnam who is eligible for a TT visa is on the card list in Article 36.
b) Người nước ngoài đang tạm trú tại Việt Nam thuộc diện được cấp thị thực có ký hiệu LV1, LV2, LS, ĐT1, ĐT2, ĐT3, NN1, NN2, DH, PV1, LĐ1, LĐ2, TT, UĐ1, UĐ2.
A foreigner temporarily residing in Vietnam who is eligible for a visa marked LV1, LV2, LS, DT1, DT2, DT3, NN1, NN2, DH, PV1, LD1, LD2, TT, UD1 or UD2.
Law 47/2014/QH13, Điều 36 khoản 1 điểm b, as amended by Law 118/2025/QH15
A card is valid in place of a visa.
How long the card lasts and what it costs
A card marked TT is valid for a maximum of 3 years. The card must end at least 30 days before your passport does.
| Card validity | Fee |
|---|---|
| Up to 2 years | US$145 |
| Over 2 to 5 years | US$155 |
A 3-year card falls in the over 2 to 5 years band.
Fees for foreigners are collected in dong or US dollars. If you are not eligible, or you refuse the result, the fee already paid is not refunded. A full table is in Vietnam immigration fees.
Filing the card in Ho Chi Minh City
Your sponsor files the card dossier, not you. The spouse files at the immigration office where the individual sponsor lives. See also the temporary residence card guide.
The visa and the card go to the same counter: the city police Immigration Management Division, 196 Nguyen Thi Minh Khai Street. The ward is now Xuan Hoa Ward (former Vo Thi Sau Ward, District 3).
The office lists Monday to Saturday hours: morning 7h to 11h30, afternoon 1h30 to 5h, and Saturday morning only. Dossiers are received Monday to Saturday morning. Results are handed out Monday to Friday.
196 Nguyen Thi Minh Khai, Xuan Hoa, Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam · Open in Google Maps (opens in a new tab)
The dossier has four items:
- The sponsor’s written request: form NA7 for an individual.
- The card declaration, form NA8, with a photo attached, downloadable from the card procedure page.
- Your passport.
- Papers proving you fall under a listed case.
The new NA8 form asks for 2 recent photos of 2 cm by 3 cm on a white background, facing straight, with no hat or glasses. One is stuck on the form and one is loose.
The sponsor can file online through the National Public Service Portal or the Ministry of Public Security portal. The passport is then sent through the public postal service. Processing takes 5 working days from a complete dossier. To collect the card, bring the appointment slip, ID and the fee receipt.
Work, extension and stay limits
A foreigner married to a Vietnamese citizen and living in Vietnam is not subject to a work permit. The employer notifies the agency at least 3 working days before the start. See work permits in Ho Chi Minh City.
A visa extension is filed by the sponsor, not by you. Each extension costs US$10. The steps are in extending your visa in Ho Chi Minh City.
The exemption certificate as the other route
Decree 82/2015/NĐ-CP covers foreigners who are the spouse or child of a Vietnamese citizen. A certificate lasts up to 5 years and ends at least 6 months before the passport. It gives a 6-month stay per entry. The fee is US$10.
Step by step: from marriage to card
- Choose the TT visa and card route or the exemption certificate.
- Your spouse sponsors you and shows papers proving the relationship.
- File the visa request, or convert the visa purpose, at the provincial immigration authority.
- Receive the TT visa, valid up to 1 year.
- Your spouse files the card dossier where the spouse lives.
- Collect the card after 5 working days from a complete dossier.
Photos and clips uploaded to Google Maps (Immigration Office HCMC on Google Maps (opens in a new tab)) by Nghia Nguyen Huu, Tri Nh.
Step by step
- Choose your routePick the card if you live here full-time, or the 5-year certificate if you travel in and out often.
- Prepare the visa dossierYour spouse prepares form NA5, your passport and papers proving the marriage.
- File the visa requestYour spouse files at the provincial police immigration authority, in person or online. The decision takes no more than 5 working days.
- File the card requestYour spouse files the card dossier at the immigration office where the spouse lives.
- Collect the cardBring the appointment slip, ID and the fee receipt. Processing takes 5 working days from a complete dossier.
Not confirmed: A marriage certificate issued abroad: bring it with consular legalisation and a Vietnamese translation, and ask the counter at 196 Nguyen Thi Minh Khai to confirm before the card filing.
Common questions
Who sponsors a foreign spouse?
Your Vietnamese spouse. A Vietnamese citizen living permanently in Vietnam may sponsor a spouse who is a foreigner, and shows papers proving the relationship.
How long does a TT visa last?
Up to 1 year.
How long is a TT card valid?
Up to 3 years. The card must end at least 30 days before your passport does.
What does the card cost?
A card valid over 2 to 5 years costs US$155. A card valid up to 2 years costs US$145.
How long does the visa request take?
The provincial immigration authority decides within no more than 5 working days of a complete dossier. The card also takes 5 working days.
Is it possible to switch from a tourist visa to a TT visa without leaving?
A visa purpose cannot be converted except in listed cases, and one is papers proving a spouse relationship with the sponsor. An e-visa does not apply to a foreigner who lives in Vietnam.
Do I need a work permit as a foreign spouse?
A foreigner married to a Vietnamese citizen and living in Vietnam is not subject to a work permit. The employer notifies the agency at least 3 working days before the start.
Is the 5-year exemption certificate a better option?
The certificate lasts up to 5 years for US$10. Each entry gives a 6-month stay, while a card is valid in place of a visa.
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General information checked against the sources listed above, not legal advice for your situation. Rules and office practice change; confirm with the immigration office or a licensed adviser before you act. See how guides are checked.
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