CITIZENS OF THE FOLLOWING 24 COUNTRIES ARE NOT REQUIRED TO HOLD A
VISA FOR VIETNAM
Visitors
to Vietnam must obtain a visa from one of the Vietnamese Embassies/ Consulates
or via agencies on arrival unless they come from one of the visa-exempting
countries. All visitors must hold a passport valid for 6 months.
- Citizens of Brunei and Myanmar are granted bilateral visa-free entry no more than 14 days;
- Citizens of Philippines are granted bilateral visa-free entry no more than 21 days;
- Citizens of Thailand, Indonesia, Singapore, Cambodia, Laos, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan are granted bilateral visa-free entry no more than 30 days;
- Citizens of Japan, South Korea, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Russia, Finland, United Kingdom, France, Germany, Spain, Italy and Belarus are granted unilateral visa-free entry no more than 15 days
- Citizens with APEC business cards from member economies of Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) are granted visa-free entry with no more than 60 days of residence;
- For tourists to Phu Quoc, Vietnam: Foreigners and abroad residing Vietnamese citizens entering Vietnam through an international border and travelling to Phu Quoc island, then residing under 15 days are granted Vietnam visa free entry. Passport are required at least 45 days validity. After entering Phu Quoc, in case travelers want to have a visit to other destinations or reside in the island more than 15 days, they will be offered Vietnam visa by the Immigration department right in the island.
Kindly
note that the citizens of Japan, South Korea, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Russia,
Finland, United Kingdom, France, Germany, Spain, Italy and Belarus are granted
unilateral visa-free entry no more than 15 days, after 15 days visa exemption
they must leave Vietnam for their home or another country and it takes at least
30 days since the latest exit from Vietnam to enter again without Vietnam visa.
THREE WAYS OF OBTAINING A VISA FOR VIETNAM
Most
people need a visa in order to enter Vietnam, unless they are coming from one
of the visa-exempt countries. There are three ways of obtaining such a
visa:
- Apply in person or by post through your nearest Vietnamese Embassy or Consulate;
- Apply for a Visa on Arrival (VOA) or;
- Apply for an e-visa online
While
there are advantages and disadvantages associated with each of these, we
recommend the Visa on Arrival as the best option for the purposes of tourist,
business and work considering a trip to Vietnam.
Option
1: Via Vietnamese Embassy or Consulate
Key
Features:
- Traditional approach to getting a visa
- Can be done in person or by post
- Can be used to apply for any type of visa
- The fee is uncertain as it depends on the consulate/ embassy
- Can be used for any entrance point, whether by land, air, or sea
- Takes about 5 working days to process, but can be sped up to 1- 2 days for urgent service.
- Visa is stamped before departure.
You
can apply for a visa through the local Vietnamese Embassy or Consulate either
in person or by mail. To do this, you need to fill out and sign an application
form, sending it along with your passport and a passport photo.
The
advantage of applying this way is that you already have the visa stamped in
your passport before leaving for Vietnam, which means you do not need to queue
on arrival for your passport to get stamped.
The
application process is not the most convenient, however, especially for people
who do not live near a Vietnamese Embassy or Consulate. Moreover, the fees vary
depending on the Embassy or Consulate, and the processing time is longer.
Option
2: Visa on Arrival
Key
Features:
- Convenient, as it can be done by completing an online application form
- Can be used to apply for any type of visa (1- 3, or 6 months, or 1 year multiple-entry visa)
- You will need to pay two fees: 1. Service fee for approval letter, 2. Stamping fee.
- The service fee is paid online to the service provider. The amount depends on the visa type (number of months and number of entries) and service provider.
- The stamping fee is paid at the arrival airport when the visa is stamped. The fee starts at USD25 for 1 month and 3 month single entry, USD50 for 1 and 3 month multiple-entry visas. The stamping fee must be paid in cash (USD or VND).
- Can only be obtained at Vietnam’s international airports in Hanoi, Danang, Ho Chi Minh, Cam Ranh or Phu Quoc Airport. Hence it is only an option for air passengers.
- For tourist approval letter takes about 2 working days to process and can be sped up to 1 day or 4 hours for an extra charge. While the business approval letter takes 5 working days to process
Visa
on Arrival is a viable option with various advantages. With Visa on Arrival,
you can apply for longer-term and multiple-entry visas, and you do not need to
go in person to the Embassy, or apply by post. You just need to submit an
online application and get a pre-approval letter.
Option
3: E-Visa
Key
Features:
- Very recent, was only launched on 1 February 2017
- Convenient, as it can be done by completing an online application form
- Only costs USD 25, which is non-refundable if the visa is declined.
- May be used for any entrance point, whether by land, air, or sea. (There are 28 entrance points, including 8 international airports, 13 international border gates, and 7 seaports.)
- Only for 1 month single-entry.
- Takes about 3 working days to process, and you’ll know quickly whether the application was accepted or not.
- The visa does not need to be stamped on your passport; hence there is no stamping fee and no need to queue for your passport to be stamped on arrival.
- Only available to citizens of 46 countries (including the UK and the USA).
Applying
for an e-visa is our recommended option for tourists as it is most
convenient and cost-effective. However, please note that this visa is only for
visitors visiting for less than 30 days. Longer-term visitors will need to
consider the other two options.
Please
Note that the arrival port must be the same on the documents issued by
Immigration Department. If you are to change the arrival port after receiving
your E-visa, you should contact them to amend the information on the documents
to avoid any issue on the ground.
As
this kind of visa is very new, we suggest that visitors contact with
Vietnamese Immigration Department via electronic system if having any queries
or take a look at the E-visa Frequently Asked Questions.
HOW TO APPLY A BUSINESS, WORKING OR INVESTMENT APPROVAL LETTER TO
OBTAIN THE VISA AT OVERSEAS VIETNAMESE EMBASSIES/ CONSULATES OR VIETNAM’S
INTERNATIONAL AIRPORTS
For
business, working or investment purposes, the applicants are required a letter
of entry clearance or approval letter from the Ministry of Public Security
obtained by your business partner in Vietnam. The required documents need to
provide both the applicant and Vietnam’s sponsor company
- A notary certified copy of sponsor company’s business or investment or representative license, tax registration, company seal registration form;
- Scanning the applicant’s passport;
- Providing the proposed date of arrival (this is the date you want your visa to start from. The start date of the visa itself will be the day you arrive - you can enter Vietnam at a later date (up to your exit date) but not before that date, so be sure to take time zone differences into account);
- Providing the place of picking up the visa (the visa can be picked up at either the Vietnamese Embassies/ Consulates in your own or another country, or airports of Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, Da Nang or Nha Trang);
The
visa duration is from 1 to 12 months with single or multiple entries
Normal
processing time: 5-7 working days
For
further information, please visit us at: Vietnam Visa
For
further information, please contact:
Discovery
Indochina Travel Co., Ltd
5th
Floor, Avenis Building
145
Dien Bien Phu St | Dakao Ward | District 1 | Ho Chi Minh City | Vietnam
Tel:
+8428 39102359 | +8428 39102358
Hotline:
+84938228856 | +84906640505 | +84906315522
Email:
info@visa5s.com | visa@ditravel.vn
Website:
www.visa5s.com | www.ditravel.vn
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