A Vietnam visa is required for
all nationalities except those eligible for a visa exemption. With the visa
exemption program, visitors can enter Vietnam with just their passport and a
return ticket. If these visitors wish to stay longer than the stated period,
they can apply for a visa at a local Vietnamese embassy or consulate in advance
before traveling to Vietnam; or apply for a visa-on-arrival or apply an e-visa
online to pick up the visa at Vietnam's International Airports. 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 and the required documents must hold a
passport valid for 6 months, 2 passport photos and visa stamping fee.
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.
1. Citizens of Brunei and
Myanmar are granted bilateral visa-free entry no more than 14 days;
2. Citizens of Philippines
are granted bilateral visa-free entry no more than 21 days;
3. Citizens of Thailand,
Indonesia, Singapore, Cambodia, Laos, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan are granted
bilateral visa-free entry no more than 30 days;
4. 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
5. 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;
6. 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;
Note: 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:
1. Apply for a Visa on
Arrival (VOA) or;
2. Apply in person or by
post through your nearest Vietnamese Embassy or Consulate;
3. 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: 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 2: 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 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
1. A notary certified copy
of sponsor company’s business or investment or representative license, tax
registration, company seal registration form;
2. Scanning the applicant’s
passport;
3. 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);
4. 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 contact:
Discovery Indochina Travel Co., Ltd
5th Floor | Avenis Building | 145 Dien Bien Phu Street,
District 1 | Ho Chi Minh City | Vietnam
Tel: 028 39102358 | 028 39102359 Mobile: 0938228856 |
0906640505
Email: Info@visa5s.com or Visa@ditravel.vn
Website: www.visa5s.com | www.ditravel.vn
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