Vietnam: New Online Step for Visa Applicants in Ho Chi Minh City, Dong Nai and Binh Duong Provinces Prolongs Visa Processing Times

• Online filing procedure. TRC and LTV applications filed in Ho Chi Minh City, Dong Nai and Binh Duong provinces must now first submit their applications via the MPS online portal. After filing online, the applicant must submit hard copies of the application documents to the immigration department. Once the online documents are submitted, a payment link is sent to the registered email of the company's MPS account. After the payment is made, the authorities process the visa application and generally issue a decision in approximately eight to 10 business days.
• Exceptions. During the transition period, the Ho Chi Minh, Dong Nai and Binh Duong immigration departments may allow some applicants in special or urgent circumstances to skip the online process to avoid the longer processing time, subject to the discretion of the authorities.

Although usually online processes reduce the processing time or streamline other parts of the visa application process, this additional step is expected to extend the already lengthy immigration process in Vietnam by one to two weeks as the requirement to submit hard copies of documents was not eliminated. This will impact costs associated with relocating, housing and other non-immigration matters that depend on the validity of a TRC or LTV, such as opening a bank account.

In April 2024, the Vietnamese authorities introduced this new online submission requirement for LTV applications in Ho Chi Minh City for Chinese nationals.

The additional online filing requirement aligns with Vietnam’s goal to shift more government processes online and may eventually be extended to applications filed outside of Ho Chi Minh City, Dong Nai and Binh Duong Provinces.