草榴社区

@mmain

Finish your TRC first.聽 聽A VEC or another Visa Excemption is not a Visa and cannot be accepted

Then you only need your original driver license you use in UK and your passport.聽 Here in Vietnam you must go to a Notary and take 1 certified copy of your driver license, your TRC and your entire passport book.聽 that is about $3 and 1 hour at the Notary.

No need translations. Then go to the National Department of Transport (Hanoi, Da Nang, Saigon only) Take a ticket, $30 and thats all.

Keep in mind:聽 your new homologated License expirity date will be never longer than your Country Licence, Passport, TRC or Visa expiration.聽 Thus, better renew your License before go to the Department of Transaport

I am living in Vietnam on a visa exemption, this is currently under conversion to a TRC, which would allow me to apply for a driving licence. - @mmain

What does that even mean?

From the date you submit your TRC application, you'll receive your TRC within 2 weeks (technically less than that... pretty sure the law is 7 or 8 "working days", as I recall)

So have you actually submitted your application or are you just thinking about it?

@mmain
Finish your TRC first. A VEC or another Visa Excemption is not a Visa and cannot be accepted
- @ajairon

I got my license on a VEC.

@mmain
Finish your TRC first. A VEC or another Visa Excemption is not a Visa and cannot be accepted
- @ajairon
I got my license on a VEC.
- @SteinNebraska

No longer being accepted, at least not here in 膼脿 N岷祅g.

@OceanBeach92107

Received my 3 year TRC yesterday

@ajairon

Thanks seems more straightforward than I have read elsewhere, my TRC will be the earliest expiry date.

@ajairon

you mention entire passport book, do you mean every page of stamps and visas?

@mmain

Regarding聽 passport copies my advise is always to notarize the entire book for the big fortune of $0.60 more. Well, normally it should/might/must be only the cover+datapage+entrystamp+lastpage...but believe me, I had the same issues before and learnt to submit a cheap full book instead,聽 vn public workers are sometimes so complicated and eachone uses to have different instructions; even if you think about they use to attend foreigners everyday and should know.聽

With your previos VEC I think you were聽 limited to do any paperwork in Vietnam.....now with your new shiny TRC you will see a new gamma of colors 馃榾

@mmain
Finish your TRC first. A VEC or another Visa Excemption is not a Visa and cannot be accepted
- @ajairon
I got my license on a VEC.
- @SteinNebraska
No longer being accepted, at least not here in 膼脿 N岷祅g. - @OceanBeach92107

Didn't know it had changed.聽 I may have to reconsider a TRC if we move back some day.

@SteinNebraska

hello, can a VEC be switched into TRC without being revoked?聽 That's is one of my big doubts about the procedures in this country (my other one is what could happen with the residence of an expat vn-married and vn-babies if becomes widow? but that will be topic in another dedicated thread)聽 聽I will appreciate your feedback if you know .

can a VEC be switched into TRC... - @ajairon

You don't (cannot) "switch" a 5-year Visa exemption certificate (VEC) to a TRC.

You must be in the country on an actual visa and not on a Visa exemption in order to apply for your TRC.

In Hanoi I was able to accomplish that in September of 2022 while in country on a 30-day EVisa.

However, since then there have been reports that immigration in HCMC requires you to first have a TT visa.

...(my other one is what could happen with the residence of an expat vn-married and vn-babies if becomes widow? but that will be topic in another dedicated thread)... - @ajairon

/forum/viewtopic.php?id=1033257

@OceanBeach92107

I used an agent but moved straight from an E-visa to a 3 year TRC in HCMC late 2024. (Post marriage)聽 The agent claimed it was a common task for them. Cost us about US$500 including government fees.聽