New Cancellation Process for Temporary Residence Card Holders in Hanoi City and Dong Nai

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At a Glance

• Effective immediately, foreign nationals with Temporary Residence Cards issued in Hanoi City and Dong Nai province are required to cancel their cards three to four weeks before they exit Vietnam permanently, instead of the previous process that allowed them to cancel the cards after exiting Vietnam.
• As a result, affected foreign nationals will need to apply for a separate exit visa, during which the Immigration Department will keep the foreign national’s passport for approximately seven business days to process the exit visa, which may prevent domestic and international travels.

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The situation

Effective immediately, the Immigration Department has implemented a new rule that requires foreign nationals with Temporary Residence Cards (TRC) issued in Hanoi City and Dong Nai province to cancel their card prior to permanently exiting Vietnam.

A closer look

• Who is not affected. Foreign nationals who obtained their TRCs from other locations or those holding long-term visas instead of TRCs are not affected.
• Previous policy. Prior to this change, foreign nationals were required to present their TRCs at the Vietnam airport immigration counters upon exiting Vietnam. The foreign national would then mail the TRC back to their employers in Vietnam, who would initiate the cancellation application at the local Immigration Department.

 

Impact

In order to provide ample time to prepare for departure and avoid travel restrictions, foreign nationals should initiate the cancellation application at least three to four weeks before their expected departure date.

Once the TRC is cancelled, the foreign national will need to apply for a separate exit visa at the Immigration Department. The Immigration Department will keep the foreign national’s passport for approximately seven business days while processing the exit visa, which prevents the foreign national from domestic and international travel.

Looking ahead

Local sponsoring companies located in Hanoi City and Dong Nai province are advised to immediately notify Fragomen regarding the departure plans of their foreign employees. Fragomen can assist to monitor the expiry date of the TRC to ensure a timely cancellation process.

We worked closely with Resident Vietnam in Vietnam to prepare this alert. It is for informational purposes only. If you have any questions, please contact the global immigration professional with whom you work at Fragomen or send an email to [email protected].