Changed Your Passport? Don’t Ignore Your TRC

You have a valid Temporary Residence Card (TRC).

Then your passport expires.

You renew it and receive a new passport number.

At this point, many foreigners ask:

“Can I continue using my existing TRC?”

This is an important question because the TRC and passport are closely connected.

Under Vietnam’s current immigration law, the validity of a TRC must be shorter than the remaining validity of the passport by at least 30 days. The passport is also one of the documents required when applying for a TRC.

So when your passport changes, you should not simply assume that the old TRC remains usable without further action.

1. What Happens to Your TRC When You Get a New Passport?

The first thing to understand is that your TRC is not an independent document completely separate from your passport.

The TRC application requires the foreigner’s passport, and the law limits the TRC’s validity based on the remaining validity of that passport. Therefore, when you receive a new passport, the information associated with your immigration status may need to be updated.

This is particularly important when your:

• passport number changes

• passport validity changes

• personal information changes

or the information recorded in your immigration documents no longer matches your new passport.

2. Do You Automatically Get a New TRC?

No.

Getting a new passport does not automatically generate a new TRC. If your passport has changed, the appropriate immigration procedure should be assessed based on your current TRC and the information recorded on it.

The general TRC issuance procedure requires:

• Passport

• TRC application

• Sponsorship documents

• Documents proving the foreigner’s eligibility for the relevant TRC category.

The exact procedure should be confirmed based on the reason for the passport change and the current TRC.

3. Why Does Passport Validity Matter?

This is one of the most important rules for foreigners holding a TRC. Vietnamese law provides that a Temporary Residence Card must have a validity period shorter than the remaining validity of the passport by at least 30 days.

For example: Your passport has only 18 months remaining. You might otherwise qualify for a TRC with a longer maximum validity.

But the passport validity can become the limiting factor. This is why foreigners should check their passport before applying for or renewing a long-term TRC.

4. What If My Old Passport Has Already Expired?

This is where you should be more careful. If your passport has expired and you have already received a new passport, do not simply continue presenting the old passport and TRC together whenever immigration documentation is required.

Your immigration records should be reviewed against the new passport. This is especially important if you are:

• extending temporary residence

• renewing a TRC

• changing employer

• changing sponsor

• applying for another immigration document

The new passport should be reflected correctly in the relevant immigration procedure.

5. What Documents May Be Needed?

The exact dossier depends on the procedure that applies to your case. In general, you should prepare:

Document	Purpose
New passport	Establishes current identity and travel document
Current TRC	Shows existing residence status
Application form	Requests the applicable immigration procedure
Sponsor’s documents	Establishes the sponsoring relationship
Supporting documents	Depends on your TRC category

For example, an investor may need corporate and investment documents, while an employee may need documents connected with the employer and employment status. Under the immigration law, the sponsoring organization or person is involved in the TRC procedure, and applications are submitted to the competent immigration authority.

6. How Long Does the TRC Procedure Take?

For a complete application for issuance of a Temporary Residence Card, the immigration authority generally considers the application within 5 working days. That is the statutory processing period.

It does not mean you should wait until the last minute. If you have a new passport and an upcoming:

• TRC expiry

• business trip

• visa application

• employment change

• or residence extension,

it is better to review the passport/TRC information beforehand.

7. What If Your Passport Was Lost Instead of Renewed?

A lost passport is a different situation. If your passport has been lost in Vietnam, you generally need to address the lost passport and replacement passport issues before dealing with the TRC.

This can involve:

• reporting the lost passport

• obtaining a replacement passport or travel document

• reviewing the immigration status

• addressing the TRC

• checking whether your visa or residence information needs to be updated

So: Passport renewal ≠ lost passport.

The procedures and supporting documents can be different. If your passport was lost together with your TRC, the situation becomes even more urgent.

Foreigner handling a lost passport and Temporary Residence Card in Vietnam

8. What If You Are an Investor?

For an investor, changing passports can affect more than the passport number. Your Investor TRC is connected to your underlying immigration category.

If you are holding a DT1, DT2 or DT3 TRC, the relevant investment status and corporate documents may continue to support your residence status, but the new passport should still be properly reflected in the immigration records.

This is particularly important when the investor is also:

• changing investment structure

• changing company information

• changing sponsor

• or applying for a new TRC.

9. What If You Are Working in Vietnam?

For foreign employees, the same principle applies. If you receive a new passport while holding an employment-based TRC, your immigration documents should be checked against the new passport.

This becomes even more important if you are simultaneously:

• changing employers

• renewing your Work Permit

• changing sponsor

• or renewing your TRC.

A mismatch between your passport and immigration documents can create unnecessary complications during later procedures.

10. The Simple Checklist

If you have just received a new passport, check these five things:

① Passport number

Has it changed?

② Passport expiry date

How much validity remains?

③ TRC information

Does the information still correspond to your current immigration status?

④ Sponsor

Is the same company, organization or individual still sponsoring you?

⑤ Upcoming immigration procedures

Do you have a TRC renewal, visa extension, Work Permit renewal or other procedure coming soon?

If anything has changed, have the situation reviewed before submitting the next immigration application.

How DHH LAW FIRM Can Help

A passport change may appear simple, but it can affect several immigration documents at the same time.

At DHH LAW FIRM, we can review your:

• new passport

• existing TRC

• visa

• sponsor

• Work Permit

• investment or employment documents

and determine what needs to be updated.

For investors, DHH LAW FIRM can coordinate the passport update with the relevant DT/TRC status. For foreign employees, we can review the passport together with the Work Permit, employment status and LĐ-related TRC.

If the passport was lost rather than renewed, DHH LAW FIRM can also help coordinate the immigration steps after the replacement passport is issued.

Bottom Line

Getting a new passport does not mean you should simply put the new passport next to your old TRC and continue as normal. Your passport is a fundamental document in your immigration records, and Vietnamese law specifically links the TRC validity to the remaining passport validity.

The safest approach is:

New Passport → Review TRC → Check Immigration Information → Update/Reissue if Required

Don’t wait until your next international trip or TRC renewal to discover that the information needs to be corrected.

If you have recently renewed or replaced your passport while holding a TRC in Vietnam, DHH LAW FIRM can review your documents and determine the appropriate next step.

Frequently Asked Questions

• Do I need to change my TRC when I get a new passport?

→ It depends on the circumstances and the information recorded on your existing TRC. Because the passport is part of the TRC application and the TRC’s validity is linked to passport validity, the documents should be reviewed after a passport change.

• Can I use my old TRC with my new passport?

→ Do not assume that the old TRC automatically remains fully usable after a passport change. Have the immigration records and document information checked before relying on it for future procedures.

• Does a new passport cancel my TRC?

→ A passport renewal does not itself mean that your underlying immigration status disappears. However, the new passport and existing TRC should be properly reconciled through the applicable immigration procedure.

• How long does a TRC application take?

→ For a complete application, the immigration authority generally considers issuance within 5 working days.

• What if my passport was lost in Vietnam?

→ A lost passport requires a different procedure from an ordinary passport renewal. You should first address the lost passport and obtain the appropriate replacement travel document before resolving the related TRC/immigration issues.

• Can DHH LAW FIRM handle the passport and TRC update together?

→ Yes. DHH LAW FIRM can review the new passport together with your existing TRC, visa, sponsor and Work Permit or investment status to determine which immigration procedure is appropriate.

 

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• Email: contact@dhhlawfirm.vn
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