Procedure for issuing APEC Business Travel Card (ABTC) for Vietnamese businesspersons in 2025

Conditions for agencies and organizations where businesspersons work[5]

The agency, enterprise or organization must have a demand to frequently send personnel on short-term trips to attend conferences, seminars, annual meetings and activities related to APEC economic cooperation and development.

Conditions for the enterprise where the businessperson works[6]

1. The enterprise has operated continuously for 12 months or more, has strictly abided by the provisions of law on trade, tax, customs, labor, social insurance and other relevant laws;
2. The enterprise has to engage in signing and direct business cooperation with partners of participating economies;
3. There is a need to assign personnel to travel frequently and for short-term travel to engage in business cooperation, trade, investment, service activities or other economic purposes in APEC member economies.

Conditions for businesspersons applying for a[7]

1. He/she is 18 years of age or older and has active legal capacity;
2. He/she has worked and held a specific position in the agency, organization, enterprise for at least 12 months up to the date of application for approval for ABTC eligibility;
3. He/she does not fall under cases of temporary suspension from exit as prescribed in Article 36 of the Law on exit and entry of Vietnamese citizens.

1

Receiving and processing authority

Stage 1: Request for approval to use the ABTC

Businesspersons working at state-owned enterprises, enterprises under political-social organizations or holding managerial positions in the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry

• Direct submission: specialized agencies of ministries/sectors, people’s committees of centrally governed provinces and cities, political-social organizations, Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry; or
• Online submission: National public service portal or Online public service portals of ministries/sectors, People’s committees of centrally governed provinces and cities.

Businesspersons working at legally established enterprises under Vietnamese law

• Direct submission: Specialized agencies of the People’s Committees of centrally governed provinces and cities; or
• Online submission: Online public service portals of the People’s Committees of centrally governed provinces and cities.

Note No. 4:

Depending on the locality, the specialized authority of the People’s Committee of the centrally governed province or city assigned to receive and process applications may vary. For instance, in Ho Chi Minh City, the authority is the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Planning and Investment.

Stage 2: Request for ABTC issuance

• Direct submission: Immigration Department – Ministry of Public Security; or
• Online submission: National public service portal or Public service portal of the Ministry of Public Security.

2

Application components for requesting approval to use the ABTC and for ABTC issuance

Stage 1: Request for approval to use the ABTC

Businesspersons working at state-owned enterprises, enterprises under political-social organizations or holding managerial positions in the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry, application dossier includes:[8]

1. The original of the application for approval for ABTC eligibility, signed by the leader of the agency, organization or the legal representative of the enterprise and in charge of personnel, according to form CV01 issued along with Decision No. 09/2023/QĐ-Ttg;
2. A certified copy or an authenticated electronic copy of the decision on sending officials on a business trip or documents proving their duties to attend conferences, seminars, meetings and activities on APEC’s economic cooperation and development. If the copy is not authenticated, the original must be presented for verification and comparison.

For businesspersons working at legally established enterprises under Vietnamese law, the application dossier includes:[9]

1. The original of the application for approval for ABTC eligibility, signed by the legal representative of the enterprise and in charge of personnel, according to form CV01 issued along with the Decision No. 09/2023/QĐ-TTg;
2. A general report detailing the taxes paid by the enterprise or business person to the State Budget in the 12 months up to the time of applying for an approval letter on ABTC eligibility;
3. A certified copy or an authenticated electronic copy of a commercial contract signed by an enterprise in person or via electronic transaction with a partner of a participating economy with a term of no more than 2 years up to the time of requesting to use the ABTC, accompanied by documents showing that the contract, signed cooperation documents have been performed. If the documents are in a foreign language, they must be notarized or certified to be translated into Vietnamese. In case there is no commercial contract, documents proving the need to cooperate with partners of participating economies are required;
4. A certified true copy or an authenticated electronic copy of a valid passport or a document showing the need for regular and short-term travel to carry out signing and business cooperation activities with the foreign partner. If the copy is not authenticated, the original must be presented for verification and comparison;
5. A certified copy or a certified electronic copy of the decision on appointment of the position that the business person has held. If the copy is not authenticated, the original must be presented for verification and comparison;
6. Report on the enterprise's observance of social insurance obligations in the last 12 months and the business person’s social insurance payment period up to the time of application for approval for ABTC eligibility, enclosed with supporting documents; the period of payment of social insurance premiums qualified for ABTC issuance is at least 12 months. If the business person reaches a certain age at which he/she is no longer required to participate in compulsory social insurance or has fulfilled the obligation to participate in compulsory social insurance, the reason shall be clearly stated in the report and enclosed with supporting documents. In case the business person is not subject to compulsory social insurance participation, the enterprise's written certification must be submitted;
7. The enterprise’s latest year's financial settlement report was approved by a competent authority.

Stage 2: Request for ABTC issuance

Application dossier includes:[10]

1. One (01) application form for issuance of ABTC using form No. TK06 issued along with Decision No. 09/2023/QĐ-Ttg, certified and stamped with a photo of the head of the enterprise or the personnel department of economic sectors, state administration on activities of enterprises;
2. 02 recent photos, size 3 cm x 4 cm, bare head, front view, no glasses, white background;
3. The original of the application for issuance of ABTC, signed by the leader of the agency, organization or the legal representative of the enterprise, according to form CV02 issued along with Decision No. 09/2023/QD-TTg;
4. The original of the approval letter on ABTC eligibility issued by the competent authority.

3

Fees

Request for approval to use the ABTC

Free of charge.

Request for ABTC issuance

VND 1,200,000 per card

4

Result

Request for approval to use the ABTC

Approval letter on ABTC eligibility

Request for ABTC issuance

ABTC (Hard copy/electronic copy/both formats, depending on the businessperson’s registration method as specified in Form TK06 issued along with Decision No. 09/2023/QĐ-TTg).