Visa Requirements For Vietnam ?

[allane]

I am a Canadian citizen living in Thailand planning my first trip to Vietnam (Hanoi) for  5 days in mid Oct. I am sifting through a lot of murky, conflicting, online information,most of which does not indicate how old it is.

 -It appears I will need either a) an advance visa from the Viet. Embassy in Bangkok. or, b) a "visa letter" from them or an online agency of some sort. which I will need to board the plane in Bangkok, and use to get my visa once I have arrived at Hanoi airport.

With reference to a)   5 day processing time ?    cost - somewhere in the order of B 2200 ?    anything else I need to know ?

With reference to b)    How do I know that whoever I am dealing with online is legitimate?  Stated costs seem to be somewhere in a range from B 650 - B                                       1000.  Some sites have reference to an additional "Stamping fee"upon arrival in VN, somewhere in the range of B 800 - B 1000; is that                                     correct ? I presume it is; that would bring the total cost inline with a) above.

 

I would particularly appreciate responses from Canadians, but will be grateful for all. Please: No rumours, speculation, or hearsay. If you don't know, or can't cite your source, don't reply. Please indicate the date of your experience.

I am also interested in hotel recommendations, in or very close to, the Old French Quarter; mid-range places, which are just expensive enough that they probably will accept a credit card; so B 700- 800/nt.  Would go a little higher if I receive a favourable review from someone.

[BritManToo]

Get approval letter online $17, then pay for VISA stamp when you get off the plane another $25.

https://vietnamvisa.govt.vn/canadian-citizens/

 

It's a Vietnam government website.

Edited October 1, 2018 by BritManToo

[tutsiwarrior]

the VN embassy in BKK will give you an actual visa with which you can proceed directly to immigration/passport control on arrival in Hanoi...with the letter that you obtain from the online services you go to the visa counter first on arrival and pay your money (in USD) and they put the visa in your passport and then you proceed to immigration...

 

checkout the visa info online to see what visas are available to which nationalities: single/multi entry, 1/3 months, etc...

 

employers have gotten me visas from the embassy in the past but when I've gone on my own (last year) I've used the letter from online services...easy to use and convenient...

 

google for hotels in old town hanoi and there's plenty of info incl prices and etc...USD40 would be the minimum that I would expect for cheap accommodation unless you want a backpackers hostel...western credit cards accepted everywhere...

 

 

[Kaoboi Bebobp]

I'm Canadian but have year-long visas now. But when I occasionally got 30-day visas via the online services, I never had a problem. There's the visa fee (government and service) and the stamping fee (at the airport). I would never pick the cheapest service, by the way. 

 

Or, as noted above, go to the VN embassy on Wireless Road in Bangkok and pick up the visa sticker, which takes up a full passport page.

 

As for the online service, you get an emailed letter you print out. When you arrive at the VN airport, you go to the Visa on Arrival window and give them the letter. They take your passport, put in a sticker and fill it out. Then you go to Passport control, where they stamp you into the country. SGN airport operates much faster these days. Don't know about Hanoi. 

[LongTimeLurker]

On 10/1/2018 at 10:08 AM, BritManToo said:

Get approval letter online $17, then pay for VISA stamp when you get off the plane another $25.

https://vietnamvisa.govt.vn/canadian-citizens/

 

It's a Vietnam government website.

 

That doesn't look like a government website as the VN government never used to issue visa approval letters except through agents. This website looks like an agent.

 

Canadians are not eligible to receive the official government eVisa.

 

Correction. Yes you are.

 

Here is the official VN government eVisa website

 

https://evisa.xuatnhapcanh.gov.vn/trang-chu-ttdt

 

Click the link to the list of eligible countries and Canada is now on it. The list has been increased from 40 to 46.

 

As you're only going for 5 days you should check whether you are eligible for the visa free entry which allows visits up to 14 days without a visa.

 

Unfortunately you're not

 

http://lanhsuvietnam.gov.vn/Lists/BaiViet/Bài viết/DispForm.aspx?List=dc7c7d75-6a32-4215-afeb-47d4bee70eee&ID=306

 

Edited October 2, 2018 by LongTimeLurker

[scorecard]

On 10/1/2018 at 12:08 PM, BritManToo said:

Get approval letter online $17, then pay for VISA stamp when you get off the plane another $25.

https://vietnamvisa.govt.vn/canadian-citizens/

 

It's a Vietnam government website.

 

This website is blocked with a message that it's phissing site.

[scorecard]

8 hours ago, Kaoboi Bebobp said:

I'm Canadian but have year-long visas now. But when I occasionally got 30-day visas via the online services, I never had a problem. There's the visa fee (government and service) and the stamping fee (at the airport). I would never pick the cheapest service, by the way. 

 

Or, as noted above, go to the VN embassy on Wireless Road in Bangkok and pick up the visa sticker, which takes up a full passport page.

 

As for the online service, you get an emailed letter you print out. When you arrive at the VN airport, you go to the Visa on Arrival window and give them the letter. They take your passport, put in a sticker and fill it out. Then you go to Passport control, where they stamp you into the country. SGN airport operates much faster these days. Don't know about Hanoi. 

 

The above was true however there is now an even better e.visa service. 

 

Link:  

https://www.xuatnhapcanh.gov.vn/

 

The govt e.visa site looks like just below. Scroll down a few lines and you can search what countries can use the e.visa certificate.

 

Click on 'FOR FOREIGNERS' and it will take you direct to the easy to use application form :

 

  

 

Click on 'FOR FOREIGNERS' and it will take you to the application page. The application form is very easy to use, easy questions, and insert:

- Scan of Head and shoulders photo.

- Scan of the details page of your passport. 

- Pay the fee on-line (from memory US$12-, but I think it can be a little  different by nationality)

 

Submit the application. 

 

- Within about 24-36 hours you will receive your e.visa certificate by e.mail, now print the certificate. Note: this certificate is you only, It's not a list of many people who have been pre-approved to apply for a visa on arrival.

 

- Show the printed e.visa certificate when you check-in at your departure airport.

 

- On arrival in VN walk direct to the actual passport stations / lines (foreign passports) and when it's your turn give the immigration/passport officer your passport and the e.visa certificate, the immigration/passport will do a quick on-line check then quickly stamp you in. All done, 1 or 2 minutes.

 

I've never waited more than 10 minutes in the actual passport line to get my passport stamped and then move through to the baggage belts. 

 

Note 1: With this new process don't go to the 'Visa on Arrival Counter'', no need to do that anymore.

 

Note 2: On departure some immigration/passport officers will ask to see the e.visa certificate again, so have it ready just in case.

 

 

Edited October 2, 2018 by scorecard

[tutsiwarrior]

10 hours ago, Kaoboi Bebobp said:

As for the online service, you get an emailed letter you print out. When you arrive at the VN airport, you go to the Visa on Arrival window and give them the letter. They take your passport, put in a sticker and fill it out. Then you go to Passport control, where they stamp you into the country. SGN airport operates much faster these days. Don't know about Hanoi. 

 

Hanoi has got a nice new terminal these days and when I went last year things on arrival moved a lot quicker than in the past...

 

but scorecard has said above in post #7 that now it's possible to proceed directly to immigration/passport control on arrival with the visa letter issued by the online visa services and that going to the 'visa on arrival' counter with the letter is no longer necessary...which if true is a remarkable improvement to the VN visa process...maybe reflects a significant increase in tourism and a need to streamline the visa process...

 

now I'm wondering if the new arrangement applies to all types of visas issued by the online VN visa services? maybe call the VN embassy and check it out?

 

 

Edited October 2, 2018 by tutsiwarrior

[scorecard]

1 hour ago, tutsiwarrior said:

 

Hanoi has got a nice new terminal these days and when I went last year things on arrival moved a lot quicker than in the past...

 

but scorecard has said above in post #7 that now it's possible to proceed directly to immigration/passport control on arrival with the visa letter issued by the online visa services and that going to the 'visa on arrival' counter with the letter is no longer necessary...which if true is a remarkable improvement to the VN visa process...maybe reflects a significant increase in tourism and a need to streamline the visa process...

 

now I'm wondering if the new arrangement applies to all types of visas issued by the online VN visa services? maybe call the VN embassy and check it out?

 

 

 

It is true, I've used it twice, once to HCMC 4 months ago, then 3 months back to Ha noi. The details I quoted are from my personal experiences. A further small point, using this method there is no one page sticker, no sticker at all, just a suitable and much smaller stamp inserted quickly by the actual immigration officer at the passport desks. The e.visa certificate is obtained directly from the actual VN Immigration Department.

 

From my understanding the bulk listed pre-approval letter, obtained through an agent, and then get the actual one page visa sticker at the 'Visa on Arrival' counter is still available. 

 

The website I quoted seems to be fairly comprehensive, maybe it answers your other questions.  

 

Edited October 2, 2018 by scorecard

[LongTimeLurker]

On 10/2/2018 at 5:42 PM, tutsiwarrior said:

but scorecard has said above in post #7 that now it's possible to proceed directly to immigration/passport control on arrival with the visa letter issued by the online visa services and that going to the 'visa on arrival' counter with the letter is no longer necessary...which if true is a remarkable improvement to the VN visa process.

 

It's only true for the official VN government issues eVisa, not all online visa services

[scorecard]

8 minutes ago, LongTimeLurker said:

 

It's only true for the official VN government issues eVisa, not all online visa services

 

Agree. 

 

- With the e.visa, you go direct to the passport lines and stamped in in a couple of minutes. The individual e.visa certificate is only available from the official VN immigration department. (I shared the link for this earlier on this thread along with a capture photo of what the opening page of the website looks like. Another way to know you have landed on the official VN Imm. department site is that you click on 'Foreigners' on the opening page and that takes you direct to the page where you insert a scan of your passport opening page and also insert a head and shoulders photo scan.)

 

- The older method of getting your name on a bulk pre-approval letter and then go to the 'Visa on Arrival counter, wait and get a sticker and then go to the passport lines is still available (at the moment) from various travel agents. With this method you don't send a photo (with the internet based application for) to the agent. You hand in your photo when you arrive at a VN airport along with your pre-approval letter and passport, wait until they process the sticker and put it in your passport, then you pay the official fee, (and it's more expensive with this method), then you go to the actual passport lines. 

 

However please note many of the travel agents who will get you a pre-approval letter (just above) use words and phrases on their website which are very misleading / dishonest, they make it appear that they are the VN immigration department, which is not true.