Through a foreign visa holder
A foreigner on an eligible long-term visa can bring their immediate family.
- Spouse
- Children under 18
- Sponsor holds an eligible visa or residence card
Family Visa · Vietnam
Spouse and Family (TT) Visa in Vietnam
The TT visa lets the family of a foreign visa holder, or of a Vietnamese citizen, live in Vietnam. It runs up to a year and leads to a residence card of up to three years. A qualifying family member or visa holder sponsors it.
Family and dependent visaUp to 12 monthsResidence card to 3 yearsSponsor required
Overview
What is the Vietnam TT spouse and family visa?
The TT visa, from Thân nhân (Vietnamese for relatives), is Vietnam’s family visa. It lets close family members of a foreign visa holder, or of a Vietnamese citizen, come and live in the country. It runs up to 12 months, tied to the sponsor’s status, and a qualifying family member sponsors the application.
It is a residence visa, not a working one. Who you can bring depends on whether the sponsor is a foreigner on an eligible visa or a Vietnamese citizen, set out below.
The TT visa leads to a three-year residence card. Rather than renewing a one-year visa, family members can convert to a residence card valid up to three years, tied to the sponsor’s status. It replaces the visa and removes the yearly renewal.
Eligibility
Who can sponsor a Vietnam TT visa, and for whom
Two kinds of sponsor can bring family to Vietnam on a TT visa, and they cover different relatives.
Through a Vietnamese citizen
A Vietnamese citizen can sponsor a wider circle of foreign family.
- Spouse
- Children
- Parents
The eligible sponsor visas are the work visa (LD1, LD2, and the LV public-sector visas), the investor visa (DT), the NN visa for foreign organizations (NN1, NN2), the study visa (DH), and the press visa (PV1), or the matching residence card. A foreign worker can bring a spouse and children under 18, but not parents; only a Vietnamese-citizen sponsor can bring parents.
What you can do
What the TT visa allows in Vietnam
It is a residence visa for living in Vietnam with your family.
Live in Vietnam with the family member who sponsors you
Multiple entry while the visa is valid
Extend in line with the sponsor’s status
Move to a residence card of up to three years
What it does not cover. The TT visa is for family residence, not work. It does not authorize employment, business activity, or a long-term study program, each of which needs its own visa. One exception is worth knowing: a foreigner married to a Vietnamese citizen is exempt from the work permit and can take up employment by moving to the work route.
Longer-term options
The family residence card, and a longer route
A TT visa runs up to a year, but family members can hold a residence card instead, valid up to three years and tied to the sponsor’s status. It replaces the visa, works as a multiple entry and exit permit, and removes the yearly renewal. The exact term follows the sponsor’s remaining status and your passport validity.
Where the sponsor is a Vietnamese citizen, there is a further option. The foreign spouse and children can take a five-year visa exemption certificate, which allows entry and exit over five years with up to 180 days per stay. See the visa exemption page for that route.
What to prepare
Documents required for the Vietnam TT visa
The set centers on proving the family relationship and the sponsor’s status.
- A passport valid for at least six months.
- A copy of the sponsor’s passport, visa, or residence card.
- Proof of the relationship, such as a marriage certificate or birth certificate.
- For a Vietnamese-citizen sponsor, the citizen’s identity document and household registration, with confirmation from the local police.
- For a foreign-worker sponsor, the sponsoring company’s business license.
- A visa application form and passport photos.
Documents not in Vietnamese or English need a certified translation. We confirm the exact set for your case and prepare it with you.
How Emerhub helps
How to apply for the Vietnam TT visa
The TT visa rests on the sponsor’s status, so it usually runs alongside the main visa, and we handle both together.
1
Confirm the sponsor
The family member’s visa, residence card, or Vietnamese citizenship must qualify them to sponsor you, with enough remaining validity to cover the stay.
2
Apply or convert
Family often enter on an e-visa, then the sponsor files to convert to TT status inside Vietnam. Where it suits, the visa is arranged before travel instead.
3
Apply for the residence card
For a longer stay, convert the TT visa to a residence card valid up to three years, so the family is settled without yearly renewals.
Bringing family to Vietnam?
If we are arranging your work, investor, or NN visa, we handle the TT visas and residence cards for your spouse and children at the same time, so the family is settled alongside you. Tell us about your situation.
Common questions
Vietnam TT family visa FAQs
The questions families ask most about the TT visa.
What is the TT visa?
It is Vietnam’s family, or dependent, visa. It lets the close family of a foreign visa holder, or of a Vietnamese citizen, live in the country. It runs up to 12 months and can lead to a residence card of up to three years.
Who can sponsor the TT visa, and for whom?
A foreigner on an eligible visa, such as a work, investor, NN, study, or press visa, can sponsor a spouse and children under 18. A Vietnamese citizen can sponsor a foreign spouse, children, and parents.
Can my parents come on a TT visa?
Only if the sponsor is a Vietnamese citizen. A foreign worker or investor can bring a spouse and children under 18, but not parents. Parents of a foreign visa holder would need a different arrangement.
How long is the TT family visa valid?
Up to 12 months, and never longer than the sponsor’s remaining status. With a residence card on top, valid up to three years, the family stays without renewing the visa each year.
Can a TT holder work in Vietnam?
The TT visa itself does not authorize work. To be employed you need a work permit, or an exemption, and the matching visa. One case stands apart: a foreigner married to a Vietnamese citizen is exempt from the work permit and can take up employment by moving to the work route.
Can family members get a residence card on the TT visa?
Yes, up to three years, tied to the sponsor’s status and your passport validity. It replaces the visa and the yearly renewal, and serves as a multiple entry and exit permit.
Is there a longer option for the spouse of a Vietnamese citizen?
Yes. Foreign spouses and children of Vietnamese citizens can take a five-year visa exemption certificate, allowing entry and exit over five years with up to 180 days per stay, as an alternative to the TT route.
Can Emerhub handle the family visas too?
Yes. Where we arrange your work or investor visa, we handle the TT visas and residence cards for your spouse and children at the same time, so the family is settled alongside you.
Bringing family to Vietnam?
Talk to our Ho Chi Minh City team
A free, no-obligation call: thirty minutes with our Vietnam team to confirm the right TT route for each family member, walk through the sponsor side, and plan the timeline through to the residence cards.