UPDATE: Due to recent developments in the COVID-19 pandemic, from March 22, 2020 until further notice, Vietnam has suspended entry for all foreign nationals. Below is the information applied before March 22, 2020. We will keep you updated about the visa entry policy when possible.
PASSPORT
When traveling to Vietnam, travelers must have their original passport (not a copied one or any other kind of paper such as Travel document, Refugee Travel Document, Resident permit, Laissez-passer, APEC Business Travel Card, etc … ) The passport must be valid more than 6 months prior to their arrival date in Vietnam. For those who will have a Cambodia trip, the validity of the passport should be counted from the arrival date back to Vietnam (their second entry into Vietnam). The Immigration officers or the airlines’ staffs have the right to refuse those, whose passport is valid less than 6 months, to enter Vietnam or to check-in onboard.
TYPES OF VISA
• Tourist Visa: For people who travel to Vietnam within 30 days. Therefore, all of the participants who attend any congress or conference for 5-7 days, they just need a tourist visa.
• Business Visa: For people who would like to work in Vietnam for 3-6 months or more, they will need a business visa and a working permit.
• Transit Visa: For transit purposes, a transit visa is granted to enter and depart Vietnam at the same checkpoint (at international airports and seaports only). Changes of purpose are not allowed. The transit visa is valid for direct transit only for a maximum period of 5 days. A confirmed airline ticket for the onward journey is required. For a stay of more than 5 days, an appropriate visa should be obtained.
• Landing visa or visa upon-arrival: For those who decide to go to Vietnam in the last minutes, they can get a visa at Vietnam’s international airports (Noi Bai in Hanoi, Tan Son Nhat in HCMC, Da Nang in Da Nang). This visa is called a visa-upon-arrival. What they need is a Visa Authorized letter (attached is the sample). Contact us if any participant needs our assistance for this service (with some fees)
HOW TO APPLY VISA
The travelers must have a valid visa to enter Vietnam (except for some visa-exemption nationals). For those who will have trip out of Vietnam must have a multi-entry visa
• Tourist visas can be applied at Vietnam Embassy/Consulate in their country or through Vietnamese Travel Agencies in Vietnam (Saigontourist Travel Services Co.). Documents required for visa application are hotel confirmation, air ticket booking and invitation letter (if any).
• Request for visa authorized letter should be given by writing no later than 15 working days upon arrival date. After 7 working days, the applicant will receive a faxed letter of visa confirmation from Saigontourist. Each applicant must fill out 2 application forms and present his/her valid passport, 2 passport photos (4×6) and the letter of visa confirmation upon collecting his/her visa at the Vietnamese diplomatic mission concerned.
• The fee for the approval letter is 20 USD nett/ person. For document applied later than 15-working days upon arrival date upon arrival date and not less than 2 working days, 40USD nett/person is charged as an urgent case. Besides, the guests have to pay visa fees themselves (25USD/single visa/person or 65USD/multi – visa/person upon arrival at the airport or more (or even less) at the Embassy in their country.
• In emergency cases, Saigontourist can arrange collection of visas on arrival at international airports, seaports and border crossings. Apart from the information above, please provide us with your arrival/ departure date and flight details.
VIETNAM VISA EXEMPTION
Vietnam offers visa exemptions ranging from 14 to 90 days to citizens of 24 countries holding valid ordinary passports.
In brief:
• Citizens of the following countries may enter Vietnam without a visa for not more than 30 days: Indonesia, Thailand, Laos, Malaysia, Singapore; diplomatic and official passport holders from Myanmar and China; diplomatic passport holder from Iran; officials of the ASEAN secretariat.
• Citizens of the following countries may enter Vietnam without a visa for not more than 21 days: Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore, Myanmar, Philippines
• Citizens of the following countries may enter Vietnam without a visa for not more than 14 days: Brunei, Japan, South Korea, Denmark, Finland, Norway, Sweden, Russia, Belarus, Italy, Germany, Spain, England, French. For the full list of countries with visa exemptions, please visit this link.
DOCUMENTS REQUIRED FOR VISA ARRANGEMENT
1. Copy of passport
2. Arrival/ departure date with flight details (planned)
3. The first and the last entry city of Vietnam (Ho Chi Minh City or Hanoi)
4. The number of your entry into Vietnam (to get a single-entry or multi-entry visa)
5. The place you will get the visa (upon-arrival at Vietnam’s airports or at the Vietnam Embassy)
Above all, you’d better contact our Secretariat for smooth arrangements.