Thu Huong, a resident of Hanoi, asks whether the permanent residence card issued to foreigners in Vietnam serves as a substitute for a visa, and inquires about the agency responsible for granting the card.

For the first question, lawyer Hoang Van Chien from the Hanoi Bar Association explained that foreigners holding permanent residence cards are exempt from visas, as stipulated in Article 12 of the Law on Entry, Exit, Transit, and Residence of Foreigners in Vietnam, enacted in 2014. 

In essence, permanent residence cards issued to foreigners in Vietnam serve as substitutes for visas.

For the latter query, Chien clarified that foreigners seeking to obtain a permanent residence card in Vietnam must submit an application to the public security department of the central-level province or city where they reside, pursuant to Article 43 of the same law.

In accordance with Clause 1, Article 41 of the amendments to the law in 2019, the dossier required for granting permanent residence cards to foreigners in Vietnam comprises:

- A letter of application for a permanent residence card;

- A criminal record issued by the competent authority of the applicant’s home country;

- A diplomatic note from the diplomatic mission of the applicant’s home country, requesting the granting of permanent residence status to the applicant;

- A certified copy of the passport;

- Documents proving eligibility for consideration for a permanent residence card;

- A note of sponsorship for the applicant.

The entire process, from submitting the application to receiving the permanent residence card, may take up to nine months.

Every 10 years, every foreigner with a permanent residence status must visit the public security department of the central-level province or city where they reside to renew their card. 

In the event of loss, damage, or necessary updates to the card’s content, permanent foreign residents must undergo re-issuance procedures at the same public security department.

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