For those travelers who are going to travel to Vietnam for tourist, business or any other purpose, I believe that this article will help you to ease your process. Getting Vietnam Visa is not so complicated when it comes to their visa policies but confusion can arise, so I hope you find the necessary information to have a hassle-free entrance to the country.
The Article covers:
- Visa exemption
- Tourist visa
- Business visa
- Visa on arrival (Pre-arrange visa)
- Work visa
- Transit visa
- Visa Renewal/Extension
- Overstaying Visa
- Apply for Vietnam visa on arrival
- Apply through Vietnamese Embassy
- Apply online via visa agency
- Obtain visa on arrival at airport.
- At your airport
- At Vietnam airports
- Fast track service at Vietnam airport.
- Vietnam immigration Department.
1. Visa Exemption
- Please check visa exemption table to see if you get visa exemption to Vietnam.
- Certain nationalities are eligible for a visa exemption due to unilateral and bilateral visa agreements between the Vietnamese government and their respective countries. The only document you need to provide to the immigration officer at Vietnam airports, in this case, is your passport and return ticket, and once approved and stamped, you are good to go!
- If you intend to stay longer than maximum stay of your visa exemption (15 days for UK passport holder for example), you can easily apply for a visa renewal at Immigration Department located in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh or Da Nang City. However, this will costs more money than normal 1 month visa and your time of course. If you want to avoid this process and save time and money, you should apply for the tourist visa (1-month/3-month, single/multiple entry) in advance at Vietnamese embassy in your country, OR you also have the option to arrange a visa approval letter online and get your visa on arrival at Vietnam International Airports.
- The visa exemption period is up to 5 years that applied to Vietnamese overseas, Foreigners are spouses/children of Vietnamese citizens and maximum of stay is not over 180 days for each time entry.
- If your nationality is not listed in visa exemption table then your options are to either obtain your visa at a Vietnamese embassy or consulate in your country, a travel agency granted the authority to do it for you, or apply online for a visa on arrival.
2. Tourist Visa (DL)
- Vietnam tourist visa is used by traveler all over the world with purpose of traveling, family visit…
- You will get a free tourist visa if your passport nationality listed on visa exemption table.
- You can apply for tourist visa through Vietnamese Embassy near your location or just spend few minute to apply via visa agents. Depends on your travel plan, you can apply for 01 or 03 month single/multiple entry option.
- There are 2 type of fee: processing fee (pay to Embassy or visa agents) and stamp fee (pay at airport to immigration official) that you can learn more at https://www.VietnamVisaGuide.com/visa-fees/
- Service fee: From $10-$42 for 01 and 03 months visa.
3.Business Visa(DN,LV &DT)
- Holders of an APEC Business Travel Card with the code “VNM” are also allowed to enter visa-free to the country to conduct business for up to 60 days. ABTCs are issued to nationals of:
| •Australia | •Brunei |
| •Chile | •China |
| •Hong Kong | •Indonesia |
| •Japan | •South Korea |
| •Malaysia | •Mexico |
| •New Zealand | •Papua New Guinea |
| •Peru | •Philippines |
| •Russia | •Singapore |
| •Taiwan | •Thailand |
- There are two options to obtain Business Visa for those that require it. You can either visit the Vietnam embassy or consulate in your country or you can apply online through a Vietnam visa agent, receive a letter of approval and get your visa on arrival.
- Applying online is now generally preferred as it is easier and faster, cheaper…
- Depending on your plan then you can apply for 1 month, 3 months, 6 months or 1 year business visa, all with single/multiple entry options.
- Processing fee for business visa from $93 (for 01 month) to $476(for 01 year visa).
4. Vietnam Visa On Arrival
- Visa on arrival (pre-arrange visa) is not a full visa. It’s a legitimate documents issued by Vietnam Immigration office in advance that contains full information of applicant’s passport (Name, DOB, nationality, PP No, date of arrival…) and allow you to get visa sticker at Vietnam airports.
- Present at the customs counter when you land. Upon payment of a visa processing fee at the airport (US $25 for one-month and three-month single entry visas, US $50 for one-month and three-month multiple entry visas) you will receive your passport back with new visa stiker.
- The processing fees charged by visa agents range from $9 to $20, depending on the type of visa (30 days for 1 month visa, 90 days for 3 months visa…but not exactly because there are 29 or 31 days per month some time 😉 )
- VOA only works for those flying into the country via Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh,Da Nang and Nha Trang International Airports. For those crossing the border by land or arriving on cruise, unfortunately this option is not for you.
- Faster, cheaper, save time, no passport send off, 100% success… are the advantages of visa on arrival that compare to apply for visa at Embassy.
- All traveler over the world can apply for Vietnam visa on arrival but processing fee and more involvements of administrative works if you are not listed when apply online.
- A work permit is usually required if an expat plans to work longer than 3 months in Vietnam(do not need word visa if working les than 3 months under business visa). For companies seeking to employ foreign nationals, a recruitment plan by the company must be submitted at least thirty days in advance of the workers arrival to the provincial Department of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs.
- You should ask your company or visa agents to apply to avoid complicated paperwork and administrative processing.
5a.Eligibility
• At least 18 years of age;
• In good enough health to satisfy job requirements;
• A manager, executive director or expert with technical skills and knowledge necessary for the job;
• Not currently subject to criminal prosecution or any criminal sentence in Vietnam or overseas; or have a criminal record.5b.Requirements
• 03 (three) consularized and notarized copies of Degree/Master certificates of expatriate employee. In case that foreign employees do not have Certificate of University, you must have Certificates of at least fives years experience for same kind of works.
• 01 (one) consularized and notarized original copy of certificate for health of expatriate employee issued by competent hospital of country where such expatriate employee resides/or by Vietnamese provincial hospital (ie. E hopista, SOS clinic, Vietnamese – French hospital, Bach Mai hospital)
• 01 (one) consularized and notarized original copy of judicial record of expatriate employee issued by competent authority of country where such expatriate employee resides.
• In addition, for expatriate employee living in Vietnam more than 06 (six) months is required to have judicial record issued by Justice Department of province/city of Vietnam where such employee resides.
• 04 (four) latest color photos of expatriate employee (size 3cm x 4cm, being bareheaded, photographing front, clear face and ear, not wearing glasses, white background) are photographed in the latest 6 months.
• Valid original passport and visa of employee.
• Sponsor Company’s Business License (certified true copy)
• Tax Registration Form
• Company Seal Registration Form
• Employment letter5c.Temporary Residence Cards
• A Temporary Residence Card is issued by the immigration agency using the Ministry of Public Security based on the length your current work permit, which makes it valid for 1 to 5 years. Anyone who is granted a Temporary Residence Card can enter and exit Vietnam without a visa.
• In addition, members of management boards, members of councils and boards of directors, heads of company branches and Chief Representatives of representative offices of foreign enterprises in Vietnam are eligible for a Temporary Residence Card.
- Transit visa is not required in Vietnam if you can present a proof of onward travel and stay inside the airport.
- The procedure for acquiring a transit visa at the airport should be simple. You will be granted transit if you present your passport, a ticket that matches the route to the third country, and a visa that is issued by the third country (unless visa-free entry is allowed). Those granted transit must stay within the transit passenger area.
- However, if you have quite a lengthy transit and think exiting and getting yourself a hotel is more comfortable or just go around to visit central city then it is wise to apply for a transit visa. It’s not that expensive($5-10 per person) , but almost visas agency will do it for group of more than 5 person only.
7. Visa Extension / Renewal
- If you wish to extend your stay without having to leave the country, you can do so by applying for a visa extension or renewal via the Vietnam Immigration Department or via online agents. It is recommended that you do it through the visa agents to avoid confusion, waste time and worry-free. Immigration official will ask for your original passport, police clearance, current address for checking…if you want to do it yourself.
- Please note that only a limited number of nationalities are eligible to apply for a visa extension/renewal, and the requirements change accordingly as well. Depending on period of time then you can extend/renew your visa for 2nd or 3rd time.
- If visa extension/renewal is not available for your passport nationality but you still wish to stay longer then you have to exit and re-enter by border crossing via Laos, Cambodia and re-apply for border visa or visa on arrival.
7a.Visa Extension(updated 2018)
• Depending on the current visa you have then you can extend for 1 month, 2 months or 3 months. You will get a visa stamp with new length of stay on your passport.
• If your current visa is 01 month touris visa (DL as visa category) then you can extend for 1 or 2 months more. The fee various from agents but it will approximately $105USD – $150USD, depending on port of arrival.
• If you wish to extend your visa for a period of 3 months then your current visa must be a 3-month single or multiple and applied for both tourist and business visa (DN or DL). The fee will be approximately $180USD – $310USD, depending on port of arrival.
• It takes 7-10 business days for processing and you can make it sooner by rush service in 3-4 days only that costs 20-30 USD more .7b.Visa Renewal
• With visa renewal, you are granted a new visa sticker and stamp on your passport with the new duration. Visa type can be change to single/multiple visa for your needs.
• If your current visa is exemption then you can renew to get 1 month single/multiple entry visa The cost for renewal is $110USD (1 month, single), $180USD (1 months, multiple) and $350USD (3 months, multiple).
• You can renew for 3 months more if your current visa is 03 month business visa(DN as visa category) and stayed in Vietnam not exceed 03 months.
• If you arrive at Ho Chi Minh airport then you can renew your visa up to 06 months or even 1 year with current visa is 03 months business and stayed in Vietnam less than 3 months.
• As same as visa extension, visa renewal takes 7-10 working days for processing and rush service is also available.
8.Overstaying Your Vietnam Visa
- Overstaying your visa means to stay longer in the country than the visa legally allows you to.
- There are two option: Get your visa extension or pay the fine fee and exit country. The penalty fee for a longer overstay will be about 500,000VND ($25USD) per day.
- It’s difficult to extend your visa if you stay over 3 days. Some time EXIT VISA will be applied in this case (same as visa extension but you will get 7-10 days extension only for same fee as 1 month extension)
- If over stay due to lost a passport then you must contact nearest police station, Immigration Department and your Embassy as well to report and apply for new passport/travel permit…
- Overstaying is a serious offense and to avoid all this, pay attention to your visa validity and that it coincides with your date of departure.
9. Apply for Vietnam Visa On Arrival.
- Applying for a VOA is easy. There are two options when applying for Vietnam Visa On Arrival for your most convenience: Apply through Vietnamese Embassy or Apply online via Visa Agency.
9a. Apply through Vietnamese Embassy
• A valid passport – Your passport should be valid for at least of 06 months with 02 blank pages for visa sticker and stamp
• Application form – This is available for download at the official website of Vietnamese embassy/consulate in your country or Immigration website. You can also pick it up directly at the embassy when you go to apply, but since the line may be long, print it and fill it in beforehand
• 1 passport-sized photo
• Letter of Entry Clearance (if you apply for Business Visa) from the Ministry of Public Security of Vietnam – your business partner in Vietnam will help you obtain this letter. Provide your passport details, type of visa, proposed date of entry, and country, city name where located Vietnamese Embassy that you wish to collect visa from.
• Visa fee – Depends on your passport nationality, length of stay and also single or multiple entry in you desired (£90 for 01 month visa).
• The requirements may vary from embassy to embassy. Please contact the Vietnam embassy near you in advance so you don’t have to visit again. The visa generally takes 5 – 7 business days to process.9b.Apply online via visa agency
• You can apply online at any reliable and trusworthy visa agency and the processing is quite the same.
• Letter of Entry Clearance from the Ministry of Public Security of Vietnam is not required in this case because visa agency will stand out to guarantee for you.
• 100% refund for declined application.
• If you wish to get visa approval letter in 4 hours, 2 hours, 1 hour or even 15 minutes then you can chose rush & urgent visa service.
• Go to visa online application and fill up the online form in around 5 minutes, make a payment and get your visa approval letter in 2 working days via email (with attached arrival/exit form for filling up in advance)
• If you can not find your country on listing of application form then you should contact visa team for further assistance. Normally the service fee will be a litter bit higher due to more involvement to administrative work .
• Completed entry-exit form (only for those getting stamped at airport)
• Service fee: From $10 to $20 for 01 month single entry visa (more detail here)
10.Obtainning Vietnam Visa On Arrival
- This is the last step when applying for visa on arrival to get your passport stamped.
10a.At your departure airport.
• you will be asked to show the approval letter at the check-in counter. Only then you will be allowed through to get in plane.
10b.At Vietnam Airport
• Once you land in Vietnam, find your way to the “visa on arrival” or “landing visa” counter, usually before or beside customs area or you can follow the airport’s arrows.
• Submit your approval letter along with your passport and two passport-sized photos 4x6cm, arrival/exit form. The stamping fee is paid at this stage and it is $25USD for a single entry or $50USD for a multiple entry. Waiting for your name to be called after short processing time, you will receive your passport back with a new visa sticker (Fast-Track service is always recommended in this case to avoid long queuing)
11. Fast Track Service.
- Fast-track service is Immigration service that allow our staff to welcome you at entrance gate of air plane and take you directly to visa on arrival (landing visa) counter without queuing in long line.
- This is an optional service when you apply for visa on arrival online.
- Our staff will collect your documents that includes: original passport, arrival form, approval letter, stamp fee and complete the procedure on your behalf.
- Waiting your name to be called and get your passport back with new visa sticker.
- If you use VIP fast-track service then you will be escorted to luggage lounge and our staff will take care your luggage as baggage porters.
- Service fee is $20-$25 for Fast-track and $35-$45 for Vip fast-track.
12.Vietnam Immigration Departments
You can find the contact details of the three major Immigration Departments located in all 3 of the major regions of Vietnam – North, Center and South:
Vietnam Immigration Department (A18) in Hanoi
• Address: 40A, Hang Bai Street, Hanoi, Vietnam
• Website: www.vnimm.gov.vn
Vietnam Immigration Department (A18) in Da Nang
• Address: No. 7 Tran Quy Cap, Da Nang city
• Telephone: + (84)236-3823383
Vietnam Immigration Department (A18) in Ho Chi Minh City
• Address: No 161 Nguyen Du, Ben Thanh Ward, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City
• Telephone: + (84)2838299398
