Your Vietnam TRC Still Valid but Work Permit Expired or Passport Changed

Two situations commonly cause a Temporary Residence Card that looks valid to lose its legal standing: an expired work permit, or a change of passport. Each one breaks the link between the TRC and the document it depends on, and each requires a different recovery path. Getting a new passport while still inside Vietnam is far simpler to fix than discovering the problem at the border.

This guide covers both scenarios. The first is a foreign worker whose work permit has expired while the TRC still shows months of validity. The second is a foreign worker who got a new passport, whether because the old one expired, ran out of pages, or was damaged, but still holds a TRC linked to the old passport number. The two problems look similar from the outside but have different causes, different risks, and different fixes.

For the broader picture of long-term visa and residency options in Vietnam, including how work permits and TRCs fit together in the first place, see the long-stay visa overview.

Scenario 1: Getting Back to Full Compliance After a Work Permit Expiry

1. Notify your employer immediately in writing
2. Employer arranges revocation of the expired work permit and returns it to the provincial labour authority within 15 days, as required under Decree 219/2025
3. Employer files a new work permit application with the Provincial People's Committee (or its delegated labour authority)
4. Obtain updated criminal record certificate and health certificate if either falls outside validity windows
5. Employer sponsors a new TRC application at the Immigration Department once the new work permit is confirmed
6. Attend the immigration office in person to collect the new TRC card

Scenario 2: Transferring Your TRC After a Passport Change (While Still in Vietnam)

1. Collect your new passport from your embassy or consulate in Vietnam
2. Bring both passports and your valid TRC to the provincial Immigration Management Office
3. Apply to transfer the TRC record from the old passport to the new passport and pay the official transfer fee
4. Wait for processing (up to 5 working days officially)
5. Ask your employer to file for work permit re-grant reflecting the new passport number

> This guide reflects work permit and immigration procedures as understood in April 2026. Requirements can change without advance notice. Verify current requirements directly with the Vietnam Immigration Department (Cục Quản lý xuất nhập cảnh) and the relevant Provincial People's Committee before proceeding.

Two Documents, Two Different Permissions, and a Passport Linking Them Both

This is the core of both problems, and it is worth being precise about it.

A Temporary Residence Card (TRC) is issued by the Vietnam Immigration Department, which sits under the Ministry of Public Security. Its purpose is to authorise your residence in Vietnam for a set period. It acts as a substitute for a visa and, under normal circumstances, allows you to enter and exit the country during its validity. A labour-linked TRC (symbol LD2) is issued specifically to foreign workers holding valid work permits, and its maximum validity is two years.

A Work Permit is issued by a different authority entirely: under Decree 219/2025, work permits are issued by the Provincial People's Committee (PPC), which typically delegates this function to a specialised labour authority at the provincial level. Its purpose is to authorise your employment for a specific employer, in a specific role.

The two documents are linked at the point of application. You cannot get a labour TRC without a work permit. But they are not the same thing, and they are not governed by the same law.

Here is what ties them together: both are linked to a specific passport. The TRC records your passport number. The work permit records your passport number. When either the work permit or the passport changes, the chain breaks, even if the TRC card still looks perfectly valid.

Official requirement: To live and work legally in Vietnam, a foreign national generally needs three things in alignment: a valid passport, a valid work permit, and a valid TRC (or visa). One does not substitute for another. When any one of these changes or expires, the others are affected.

Why These Mismatches Happen

Why a work permit expires before the TRC

The TRC's validity is set at the time it is issued, based on the work permit that was valid at that point. But work permits and TRCs are issued by different authorities on different timelines. Their expiry dates are not synchronised automatically.

The most common cause: the work permit was extended or reissued at some point, but the TRC was not updated at the same time. Or the employer renewed the work permit for a shorter period than expected, while the TRC had been issued for a longer one. In some cases, the TRC was deliberately issued for a shorter duration than the work permit because of passport validity constraints. TRCs must expire at least 30 days before the passport, so if the passport was close to expiry when the TRC was issued, the TRC may have been shortened while the work permit ran longer.

The result: two documents with different end dates, managed by two different government bodies, tracked by nobody unless the worker or the employer is paying close attention. More foreign workers encounter this than you might expect.

Why a passport changes while the TRC is still valid

Labour TRCs can be valid for up to two years. Passports are typically valid for five to ten years. But passports get replaced for reasons that have nothing to do with expiry: the book runs out of blank pages, it gets damaged, or the holder needs to renew early because another country requires six months of remaining validity for entry.

When a foreigner gets a new passport from their embassy or consulate in Vietnam, the old passport is cancelled (often with holes punched through it). The TRC, still physically intact and within its printed validity, now references a passport number that no longer exists in any active immigration database. Vietnam's immigration system checks the passport number on the TRC against the passport presented at the border. A mismatch creates problems, even if every underlying document (work permit, employment contract, TRC) is technically still current.

Scenario 1: Your Work Permit Has Expired but Your TRC Is Still in Date

What the law says

Vietnamese labour law is unambiguous: working without a valid work permit is treated the same as working without one at all. An expired work permit equals no work permit.

Under Clause 3, Article 32 of Decree 12/2022/ND-CP, foreign workers found to be working without a valid work permit face:

• Fines of VND 15–25 million (about USD 590–980), and
• Mandatory deportation as a supplementary penalty

There is no grace period. The day after a work permit expires, the worker is not authorised to work. A TRC that shows a future expiry date provides no legal protection against these penalties.

The employing company faces separate exposure. Under the same decree, employers that keep foreign workers on without valid permits face fines of VND 30–75 million (about USD 1,200–3,000), scaled to the number of unlicensed workers.

What you can and cannot do

While a work permit is expired but the TRC remains in date, the foreign worker is in a grey area. In practical terms:

You can generally:

• Stay in Vietnam — the TRC may still be accepted for residence purposes day to day, though its legal foundation is compromised
• Exit Vietnam — the TRC is typically accepted for departure, though re-entry carries real risk if the underlying permit has been formally cancelled or revoked
• Handle personal and administrative matters that do not involve employment

You cannot:

• Continue working for your employer in any paid capacity
• Enter into a new employment arrangement without first obtaining a valid work permit
• Represent the employer in any capacity that counts as active employment

Bank account access is a real and underappreciated risk. Under Circulars 23/2014/TT-NHNN and 32/2016/TT-NHNN, Vietnamese banks are required to monitor the residency document status of foreign account holders. Foreigners in expat communities widely report that once an underlying work permit expires, some banks flag the account, restrict outgoing transfers, and in some cases limit ATM withdrawals, even if the TRC has not yet reached its printed expiry date. Incoming deposits are typically still accepted, but the ability to send money or withdraw freely may be suspended until updated documents are provided. This is not universal across all banks, but it is a commonly reported pattern. Contacting your bank proactively and showing evidence that a new work permit application is underway can help prevent an account restriction from making the disruption worse.

If you hold a management position, the line between employment and permitted activity can be blurry. Confirming with a local employment lawyer which activities fall within your work permit scope and which remain allowed in the interim is worth the cost.

Scenario 2: You Got a New Passport but Your TRC Is Linked to the Old One

If you are still in Vietnam

This is the simpler path. If your new passport was issued by your embassy or consulate in Vietnam, and you have not left the country since receiving it, you can apply to transfer the TRC record from the old passport to the new one.

Take both passports (old and new) and your valid TRC to the provincial Immigration Management Office (phòng quản lý xuất nhập cảnh) where the TRC was originally issued. The official immigration fee schedule includes a small transfer fee for moving a visa, TRC, or remaining residence validity from one passport to another. Note that the fee circular was updated in April 2026 (Circular 28/2026/TT-BTC replaced Circular 25/2021/TT-BTC), so confirm the current fee directly with the immigration office before visiting. Official processing time for TRC-related procedures is up to 5 working days.

Community sources consistently report three conditions for this transfer to be accepted:

• Your TRC must still be within its validity period
• The new passport must have been issued in Vietnam (not abroad)
• You must not have exited Vietnam between receiving the new passport and requesting the transfer

These conditions are not explicitly listed in a single official source, but they are reported consistently across expat forums, practitioner guides, and first-hand accounts. If all three are met, foreigners report that this is treated as a routine administrative transfer, not a new TRC application. Some employers or agents quote much higher fees, sometimes VND 4 million or more. That higher figure applies when a full new TRC application is needed, which is a different situation entirely.

If you have already left Vietnam or renewed your passport abroad

Community sources consistently report that once you have exited Vietnam, the transfer option is no longer available. If you return holding a new passport, the TRC in your old passport cannot reliably be used for entry.

Some foreigners report that immigration officers at the airport will accept both passports together, clip the corner of the old TRC, and stamp a short entry (typically 30–45 days) into the new passport. This practice has been reported at various airports over the years. However, it is inconsistent. Other foreigners report being turned away or running into serious problems downstream when trying to convert that short stamp into a proper visa or TRC.

One recent account from Nha Trang shows the risk clearly: the foreigner entered on a new passport with the old TRC, received a clipped TRC and a one-month stamp, but then could not get a new TRC processed through the local immigration office despite three visits. At exit, the immigration officer questioned the arrangement and only allowed departure after discussion. The foreigner is now re-entering on an e-visa to start the TRC process from scratch.

The reliable path: enter Vietnam on a new visa. Your employer can sponsor a DN (business) visa, or you can apply for an e-visa before travelling. Once inside Vietnam with a valid visa in the new passport, your employer files for a new TRC. This is a full application, not a transfer, so the standard TRC fee (about USD 145 for a one-year card) and full document set apply.

What happens to your work permit

A passport change also affects the work permit, because the permit records the old passport number. Under Decree 219/2025, this falls under the re-grant provisions: the permit is still valid, but identifying details have changed. Your employer needs to file for a replacement work permit reflecting the new passport number.

This is simpler than applying for an entirely new work permit, since the underlying labour relationship and qualifications have not changed. But it still requires employer action. If the employer does not update the work permit, you end up holding a valid permit that references a passport you no longer use, which creates the same kind of database mismatch that caused the TRC problem in the first place.

Handle the work permit update and the TRC transfer (or new TRC application) as a single coordinated process. Doing them one after the other wastes time and creates a window where one document references the new passport while the other still references the old one.

The Step-by-Step Path Back to Full Compliance (Expired Work Permit)

This section applies to Scenario 1 only, where the work permit has already expired. If your situation is a passport change with a still-valid work permit, follow the steps in Scenario 2 above.

Step 1: Notify Your Employer Immediately

The work permit process is employer-led. A foreign employee cannot apply for their own work permit. As soon as the expiry issue is identified, the employer's HR or legal team needs to act.

Under Decree 219/2025, a work permit extension can only be filed while the permit is still valid, specifically between 10 days and 45 days before it expires. If the permit has already expired, the extension window has closed. Similarly, re-grant (re-issuance) under Decree 219 applies to situations where the permit is still valid but has been lost, damaged, or where certain details have changed. Once a work permit has expired, the correct route is a new work permit application, not a renewal or re-issuance.

Decree 219 also requires that an expired work permit be formally revoked. The employer must return the expired permit to the provincial labour authority within 15 days of expiry. This is a compliance requirement, not optional. The employer should handle the revocation and the new application as parallel processes.

Raising the matter in writing, with the expiry date named, matters both legally and practically. It creates a paper trail that documents when the gap was identified and who was responsible for acting.

If your employment is ending rather than continuing, the obligations are different. When a labour contract is terminated, the employing company must notify the provincial Immigration Management Office and collect the TRC for return to the authorities. The foreign employee must also return the work permit to the employer within 15 days of termination. If your employer does not start this process, you remain exposed to the consequences of holding documents that should have been formally cancelled.

Step 2: Apply for a New Work Permit

Because the previous permit has already expired, this is a new work permit application, not a renewal. The document requirements are similar to an initial application, but the employer is filing for a fresh permit under the Decree 219 integrated process.

Under Decree 219:

• The employer submits a single dossier combining the demand justification (explaining the need for a foreign employee) with the work permit application itself. This replaced the separate two-step process under Decree 152.
• Standard processing time is 10 working days from receipt of a complete dossier.
• Applications go to the Provincial People's Committee (or its delegated labour authority) in the province where the employee works.
• Decree 219 introduced an online joint application option for criminal record certificates, allowing the work permit and criminal record certificate to be processed at the same time through the National Public Service Portal where applicable.

Two documents carry strict validity windows that catch people out when filing after a gap:

• Criminal record certificate — must have been issued within 6 months of the application date. A certificate obtained during the original work permit process is almost certainly expired by now.
• Medical / health fitness certificate — must have been issued within 12 months of the application date, from an authorised Vietnamese or foreign health facility.

If either falls outside these windows, it must be re-obtained. For foreign-issued criminal record certificates, allow time for consular legalisation and Vietnamese translation. This is the step that most commonly causes delays.

Work permits are not transferable between employers. If the employment situation or role has changed since the original permit was issued, this must be reflected in the new application.

Work permit fees are paid by the employer. The fee varies by province: VND 400,000 in Hanoi, VND 600,000 in Ho Chi Minh City, with the highest provincial fee currently at VND 1,000,000. Confirm the current rate with the relevant provincial labour authority before filing.

Step 3: Apply for a New TRC Based on the New Work Permit

Once the new work permit is in hand, the employer must apply for a new TRC on the worker's behalf. An expired TRC cannot be renewed. A fresh application must be submitted each time.

Even if the existing TRC has not yet physically expired, the practical approach is to apply for the new TRC as soon as the new work permit is confirmed. Do not wait for the old card to reach its printed expiry date.

In Ho Chi Minh City, TRC applications are submitted online through the National Public Service Portal (dichvucong.gov.vn). The employer creates an account, uses a company digital signature token, and submits documents electronically before providing hard copies. In Hanoi, the process runs through the Immigration Management Department with similar requirements. Other provinces may have slightly different local procedures.

Required documents:

• Sponsorship letter from the employing company
• TRC application form with photo attached (2×3cm, white background, taken within 6 months)
• New work permit (original)
• Original passport with minimum 13 months of validity remaining
• Current or expired TRC (for reference at submission)

Supporting documents:

• Certified copy of the company's business registration certificate
• Certificate of seal registration or equivalent company verification

Translation / legalisation: Any foreign-language documents must be consularly legalised and translated into Vietnamese unless an exemption applies under an international treaty.

Processing time and fees: Standard processing is up to 5 working days from receipt of a complete dossier. The state fee for issuing a labour TRC is about USD 145. The new TRC will be valid for a maximum of two years, but its duration cannot exceed the validity of the new work permit, and it must expire at least 30 days before the passport's expiry date.

Applicants must attend the immigration office in person to collect the card. The employer's representative handles submission, but the foreign employee appears in person for collection.

Practical Notes From the Ground

Once a work permit has expired, the route is a new application, not a renewal. This is worth stressing because HR teams and even some practitioners casually say "we'll renew it," which does not match the legal position. Under Decree 219, extension is only possible before the permit expires, and re-grant covers valid permits with changed details. An already-expired permit means a fresh application. The practical difference is subtle, but the legal framing matters for the employer's compliance record.

Decree 219 changes the playing field for applications filed from August 2025 onwards. The updated system introduced an integrated single-dossier application process, an online joint application option for criminal record certificates, revised worker classification definitions, and updated document requirements. If the original work permit was processed under Decree 152, reviewing the current Decree 219 checklist before filing is worth the effort rather than assuming nothing has changed. Work permits issued under Decree 152 remain valid until their stated expiry date under transitional provisions.

The immigration database is linked, and re-entry is not guaranteed. Vietnam's immigration systems are increasingly integrated. An expired or cancelled work permit, or a passport number mismatch, is visible when immigration officers check TRC details at border control. Expats in online communities widely report being stopped at airport immigration on re-entry using a TRC whose work permit had been formally cancelled or whose passport number no longer matched. If your work permit has lapsed, or your passport has changed, travelling outside Vietnam and attempting to return on the same TRC is a real risk.

The in-country TRC transfer for passport changes is widely reported as simple and inexpensive, but conditions are strict. Foreigners who renewed their passport inside Vietnam and transferred the TRC before leaving the country report a straightforward process with a small official fee. But community sources consistently say the moment you exit Vietnam or the TRC expires, the transfer option is no longer available. The number of foreigners who learn about this option only after they have already left the country and returned on a new passport is a consistent pattern in expat communities.

If your former employer holds your physical TRC after you have left the company, act immediately. This is a documented pattern: the employment relationship ends, but the former employer retains the TRC card. In this situation, the foreign worker cannot present the card at border control. If you cannot retrieve the TRC from a former employer, contact the Vietnam Immigration Department to report the situation and explore whether an exit visa (Form NA5) is available while the matter is resolved. Do not attempt international travel without either the TRC in hand or an exit visa authorising departure.

If you need a legal window to depart while your status is unresolved, foreigners who find themselves in-country with no valid permit and no clear route forward can apply for an exit visa (Form NA5) through the Vietnam Immigration Department. This provides a defined departure window, typically 15 days, and does not authorise re-entry. Processing normally takes 5–7 business days and is typically handled with employer assistance.

Some workers report delays caused by the employer, not the process. This is consistent across expat communities. The employer is the applicant, and HR processes at Vietnamese companies are not always calibrated to the document timelines of foreign employees. Raising the issue in writing, with the expiry date named specifically, creates a paper trail and makes the urgency concrete.

> Applicants should confirm current fees, document requirements, and processing timelines directly with the relevant Provincial People's Committee (or its delegated labour authority) and the Vietnam Immigration Department before submitting any application, as these details are updated periodically. Under Decree 219/2025, the authority responsible for work permit matters sits with the Provincial People's Committee, which typically delegates to a specialised labour authority at the provincial level. The former Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs (MOLISA) is now the Ministry of Home Affairs (MOHA) following government restructuring.

Key Sources

• Vietnam Immigration Department — xuatnhapcanh.gov.vn
• National Public Service Portal — dichvucong.gov.vn
• Decree 219/2025/ND-CP — Government of Vietnam (replaced Decree 152/2020 and Decree 70/2023)
• Decree 12/2022/ND-CP — penalties for labour and immigration non-compliance
• Circular 28/2026/TT-BTC — immigration fee schedule (effective April 1, 2026, replacing Circular 25/2021/TT-BTC)
• Ministry of Home Affairs (formerly Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs)
• Provincial People's Committees — work permit issuing authority under Decree 219