VISA TO VIETNAM

Now Vietnam government is offering free 15-day-Visa for 5 European countries (French, German, Italy, Spain, England). If staying longer, what steps should you do for applying Visa to Vietnam?

What documents you should prepare before applying for Visa to Vietnam

When entering Vietnam, the tourists are required to apply for a Visa to Vietnam. It is up to the applicant’s visit purpose; you will decide to apply a Tourist or Business visa for entry. For smooth visa application process, please prepare the following documents:

• Showing your passport which should be valid for at least six months beyond your last day in Vietnam
• Two (02) photos with passport size of 4x6cm or 2×2 inches
• Visa application forms which are issued by the Vietnamese government, and you can seek it at the embassy, Entry/exit form for Visa on arrival.

In the past, for Business Visa to Vietnam, you can apply for a maximum of 6 months; however, nowadays, the Vietnamese government has changed it. The period of 3 months is maximum for both Tourist or Business visa. If staying longer than three months, you need to extend it or fly out then fly in to renew your Visa. At this moment, 5 European nationalities (England, French, German, Spain, Italy) are exempted from Visa for 15 days.

Visa Application Procedures: If you apply for a tourist visa online and pick it up at Vietnam international airport (Hanoi, Danang, Vietnam), the following information is what you need to prepare:

• Fill your full name shown on passport: your full name with corrected character is the most important. You can put your first name or surname first without a problem.
• Your birthday date with the format of Day / Month / Year
• Your Nationality or passport.
• Your passport number
• Date of arrival: the arrival should be precisely correct. It is available to enter Vietnam later this date, not earlier than the mentioned arrival date.
• Photos: you need to bring with you two photos with passport size

Visa to Vietnam Types

1. A Tourist Visa

The most popular type of Visa to Vietnam is a Tourist Visa, which is usually valid for 15-30 days. The tourist visa can be extended once you are arriving in Vietnam.

Some European countries do not need a visa to enter Vietnam, which is applied for a tourist visa.

With this Visa option, we can pre-apply at Vietnam embassies/consulates in your country. Otherwise, you can apply online for Visa-On-Arrival. Visa-On-Arrival in Vietnam is different from other countries; you still need to use the Visa approval letter in advance. After that, you print this letter out and bring it with you to Vietnam airport, show it and pay cash to get Visa stamp stuck on your passport by the policeman.

2. A Transit Visa to Vietnam (Requirements)

Like most countries in the world, Vietnam does not require any transit visa if you stay inside the airport. However, the international airport in Hanoi and Danang city is not as large as for a light-sleeper and entertainment place for your spare time. If you go outside the airport, you need a standard single entry visa.

3. A Business

If you’re planning to do a business visit to Vietnam, you need to get a business visa. A business visa (Categorized under DN) is a short-stay visa, which allows its holder to enter and remain in Vietnam for a maximum period of 3 months to work with Vietnamese enterprises or conduct business activities such as meetings, signing business contracts, etc. For some exceptional cases, you can get the approval of staying longer than three months with some special paper from the qualified organization.

If you prefer to stay longer than three months for both tourist and business visas, you need to fly out then fly in Vietnam to renew your Visa. Exempted countries to enter Vietnam: APEC cardholders.

4. E-Visa

Vietnamese E-Visa is one of the visa types applied for foreigners by the Vietnamese Immigration Department via an electronic system. It is just available for a maximum of 30-day stay with a single entry, and you can apply it by yourself or through the guaranteeing agencies and organizations.

Hereunder is the useful list of countries who can apply E-visa and the ports where you can enter to get it.

List of Countries that allowed E-visa issuing.
List of Ports that allowed foreigners to enter and exit Vietnam by E-visa.

Visa Application Method

1. Applying for Visa to Vietnam at the local embassy

In general, the procedure of getting a business visa or a tourist visa is the same. If you want to get Vis stamp stuck on your passport before the travel date, you should contact a Vietnamese embassy or consulate office in your country.

The form and the fee can be changed slightly by Nationality, so please check the Vietnamese embassy or consulate directly in your country. Hereunder is the guidance for submitting for a tourist visa:

• Where to download the Application form: You can complete the form online                   (https://visa.mofa.gov.vn/_layouts/registration/ApplicationForm.aspx) or download the PDF file and fill it out.

• Bring your original passport to Vietnam
• Visa stamp fees: You need to prepare cash and pay for stamp fee. The price is upon the type of Visa you are applying.
• Mail Service: Prepaid a self-addressed return envelope is required if you want to have the passport returned by post (FedEx and USPS are recommended).

A business visa usually also requires an invitation letter from your sponsor agency or company in Vietnam. This agency or company will take responsibility for you during the project. In-person, the process usually takes 7-10 working days.

2. Apply for a visa on arrival

With the option of Visa-On-Arrival, you have to apply for an approval letter online in advance to pick up the visa stamp upon landing at international airports in Vietnam (Hanoi airport, Danang airport, and Ho Chi Minh City airport). Some necessary summary related information as follows:

• Fill in an online form for the in-advance visa approval letter
• After 3-5 working days, you can get a visa approval letter via email. Some exceptional cases, we can get it in just several hours.
• When arriving Vietnam international airports, all required documents you need to prepare is the Visa approval letter, flights, and cash for Visa stamp fee.

Notes:

***Visa on arrival applies to air travel only
***AA Vietnam travel is local tour operator in Vietnam who can support applying for Visa even offer free Visa, please check it out and some of their highlighted amazing journeys: https://aavietnamtravel.com/tours/

3. Apply through a local travel agency

The easiest option is to contact the local travel company which operates your tour programs in Vietnam for visa arrangements. If traveling by cruise ship, please contact your cruise operator for more necessary information. AA Vietnam Travel is one of the trusted 100% local tour operator who can escort you to build-up your memorable journey with a free Visa application service.

Some nationalities don’t need to apply Visa entering Vietnam. Please check it out the list of 24 nationalities that can enter Vietnam without a visa and the period they can stay in the country under the condition:

The above is provided for informational purposes only, please double check with the official authorities in your country before you go.

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