Vietnam to Simplify Administrative Procedures for Foreign Affairs

Vietnam’s government has approved a new plan to streamline a range of administrative procedures managed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA), aiming to enhance efficiency and reduce compliance time for both individuals and organizations.

Under Decision No. 2109/QD-TTg, signed by Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Hoa Binh on September 21, 2025, the government officially endorsed MoFA’s proposals as part of the 2025 administrative reform program. The decision targets simplifications in several key areas, including:

• Press management;
• Preferential treatment and exemptions;

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• International conferences and seminars;
• Operations of bilateral research and cooperation organizations;
• Visa exemption;
• Entry and exit; and
• Notarization.

This initiative marks another step toward Vietnam’s broader goal of building a more transparent and efficient administrative system. Below are the major revisions likely to impact foreign organizations, investors, and professionals operating in Vietnam.

Issuance of temporary residence cards

The MoFA plans to eliminate the requirement for foreign diplomatic and consular representatives, as well as members of international organizations based in Vietnam, to submit documents verifying their diplomatic status when applying for temporary residence cards (TRCs).

Implementation:

• Amend Article 6 of Circular 04/2016/TT-BNG dated June 30, 2016, on the issuance, extension, and modification of temporary residence cards for foreigners under the MoFA’s authority; and
• Implementation timeline: 2025.

Management of international conferences and seminars

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To improve transparency and accessibility, the MoFA will simplify the approval process for international conferences and seminars not under the Prime Minister’s authority. The procedure will now enable online submissions via the National Public Service Portal, replacing the previous manual steps.

Importantly, the requirement for a written approval for hosting international conferences or seminars will be removed from the application dossier.

Implementation:

• Amend Articles 3 to 6 of Decision 06/2020/QĐ-TTg dated February 21, 2020, on the organization of international conferences and seminars in Vietnam; and
• Implementation timeline: 2025.

Licensing of representative offices for foreign organizations

Foreign organizations operating in Vietnam will benefit from procedural relief when establishing representative offices (ROs). The revisions under Decision 2109 introduce:

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• Reduced documentation requirements, replacing program or project approval documents (for projects lasting five years or more) with a proposed five-year activity plan in Vietnam;
• Postal submission of application dossiers;
• Partial delegation of licensing authority from the Prime Minister to the MoFA; and
• Shorter processing times, reduced from 30 days to 20 days.

The same simplifications will apply to license extensions, renewals, and amendments, which may also be submitted by post and processed within 20 days.

Implementation:

• Amend Decree 06/2005/ND-CP dated January 19, 2005, on the establishment and operation of foreign cooperation or research organizations in Vietnam;
• Amend related Circular 03/2025/TT-BNG and Circular 10/2005/TT-BNG to remove outdated provisions; and
• Implementation timeline: 2025.

Visa exemption

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The MoFA will also streamline procedures for visa exemption certificates for overseas Vietnamese and eligible foreign nationals.

For Vietnamese citizens residing abroad and their foreign spouses or children, the processing time for visa exemption certificates at Vietnamese diplomatic missions will be cut from two working days to one.

In addition, foreign nationals visiting relatives in Vietnam will be permitted to submit applications by postal services, removing the need for in-person submission.

Implementation:

• Amend Articles 6 and 7 of Decree 82/2015/ND-CP dated November 15, 2015, on visa exemptions for overseas Vietnamese and their family members;
• Amend Articles 2 and 4 of Circular 04/2015/TT-BCA dated January 5, 2015, on immigration procedures for foreigners entering or residing in Vietnam; and
• Implementation timeline: 2025.

Entry and exit management

Under the new plan, the MoFA will simplify procedures for issuing diplomatic and official passports without electronic chips. Applicants will be allowed to submit dossiers directly or by post, rather than appearing in person. These changes are expected to improve service accessibility and reduce administrative workload for government officials and diplomatic staff.

Implementation:

• Amend and supplement the 2019 Law on Exit and Entry of Vietnamese Citizens and the 2019 Law on Entry, Exit, Transit, and Residence of Foreigners in Vietnam;
• Update relevant guidance under Circular 08/2025/TT-BNG dated June 13, 2025, on the issuance and management of diplomatic and official passports; and
• Implementation timeline: in accordance with the National Assembly’s legislative schedule for the 2019 entry–exit laws.

Notarization

In the area of notarization, the MoFA has proposed faster processing times for authentication, contract, and transaction notarization services. Standard cases will be processed within 24 hours (down from two working days), while complex cases will be shortened from ten to six working days.

These revisions are designed to boost efficiency and align notarization services with Vietnam’s ongoing administrative modernization efforts.

Implementation

• Amend Clause 2, Article 45 of the 2024 Law on Notarization; and
• Implementation timeline: aligned with the National Assembly’s legislative schedule.

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