When you have received your Vietnam Visa, do you need to print out a paper copy or just show on phone when you enter Vietnam?

Please print E-visa to enter/exit Vietnam. 

https://evisa.xuatnhapcanh.gov.vn/en_US/web/guest/khai-thi-thuc-dien-tu/cap-thi-thuc-dien-tu

Guess I'll need to copy it to a USB stick and go to an internet cafe to get it printed. Silly that they don't accept it shown on the phone.

17 hours ago, bbi1 said:

Guess I'll need to copy it to a USB stick and go to an internet cafe to get it printed. Silly that they don't accept it shown on the phone.

Hence the expression "Paper Trail"   

I had to hand over the paper with my passport when I flew into HCMC last week. 

 

I would definitely pay extra for the fast track. I waited at least an hour waiting for the visa and immigration line and about the same length of time when I left. 

The immigration staff charge $5 to take a picture of the invitation letter on your phone and print it. If it's really a visa then I have no idea. 

The EVisa from the government website at https://evisa.xuatnhapcanh.gov.vn/ costs $25 and takes 2-3 days. You must print the EVisa, show it to the airline at checkin and hand it over at the immigration desk in Vietnam. 
 

The EVisa is entirely different than the “visa on arrival” (VOA) option. The VOA costs more and requires a stop at the VOA desk before immigration. With the EVisa you go straight to the immigration booth upon arrival. 

Print out 3 copies.  They took a copy from me when I entered and left a few years ago.  Being your talking about a few baht  there is no reason not to have copies of everything. 

If it is the invitation letter you are talking about, you have to print it out (black and white is enough) one copy of the cover letter and one of the page with your name on it:they often send you several pages with dozens of names on it. If you are not on it, you don't need it. Immigration will keep the copies. 

Please note, certain countries (including the United Kingdom) do not need a visa. You get up to 15 days in Vietnam "free" but if your stay is longer, then a visa is required. Check the Vietnamese Government's Immigration (tourist visa) website for "exempt" countries. I often travel to Vietnam (for less than 15 days) and on arrival I go straight to an immigration desk and present my UK passport which is stamped - including a "use by" date. No other paperwork.

 

For people living in Isaan, there is a Vietnamese Consulate in Khon Kaen that issues visas.

If you did it on line you actually do not have a visa. You have a previsa. 

When you get there you will join the bunfight to get your actual visa.

To avoid that I get it from the Embassy visa section before I travel

11 minutes ago, natway09 said:

If you did it on line you actually do not have a visa. You have a previsa. 

When you get there you will join the bunfight to get your actual visa.

To avoid that I get it from the Embassy visa section before I travel

Getting it from the embassy (Phnom Penh the cheapest) will cost you more than VOA. 

17 hours ago, natway09 said:

If you did it on line you actually do not have a visa. You have a previsa. 

When you get there you will join the bunfight to get your actual visa.

To avoid that I get it from the Embassy visa section before I travel

As already posted, if you get it from the government website it is a visa, not an approval letter. Submitted on Friday and received yesterday afternoon.

The cost is $25 plus a processing fee in VND which came to 601K VND, £21.43 to my account.

16 minutes ago, sandyf said:

As already posted, if you get it from the government website it is a visa, not an approval letter. Submitted on Friday and received yesterday afternoon.

The cost is $25 plus a processing fee in VND which came to 601K VND, £21.43 to my account.

I'm Canadian and did it via the website. They sent me an invitation letter that I had to show to the get the actual visa when landing in Vietnam. I did not print it and they charged $5 to print it then they put the visa in my passport.

7 minutes ago, Tayaout said:

I'm Canadian and did it via the website. They sent me an invitation letter that I had to show to the get the actual visa when landing in Vietnam. I did not print it and they charged $5 to print it then they put the visa in my passport.

You would have to say which website.

This is the official one for application

https://evisa.xuatnhapcanh.gov.vn/web/guest/khai-thi-thuc-dien-tu/cap-thi-thuc-dien-tu

 

And this is where you get your visa when the application has been approved.

https://evisa.xuatnhapcanh.gov.vn/web/guest/tra-cuu-ho-so?fsource=payoo&status=1&session=0BD031B9F5A0BD651D4C738C8F3CB892.node-01&order_no=E190920IRLPE988659450&checksum=0c4a4ac163c9aeabb628cd3a3132ea917a6920e93eac847e6dfbe0ea3bfd876ca6781be7f717360e31132ffeddc6037f7ef0839317d5a1e1203733875bcbdfe5&totalAmount=601811&paymentFee=22311

9 minutes ago, Tayaout said:

I'm Canadian and did it via the website. They sent me an invitation letter that I had to show to the get the actual visa when landing in Vietnam. I did not print it and they charged $5 to print it then they put the visa in my passport.

But as Sandyf has pointed out that's not a visa, it's a letter from a commercial company that allows you to board a flight and present yourself to the Immigration Officers at the border, you then pay a further fee on arrival for the actual visa.
With the e-visa you go directly to the border and the officer will mark your passport accordingly, with no extra charge.

19 minutes ago, Tayaout said:

I'm Canadian and did it via the website. They sent me an invitation letter that I had to show to the get the actual visa when landing in Vietnam. I did not print it and they charged $5 to print it then they put the visa in my passport.

Copy of visa with detail removed.

visa blank.pdf

21 minutes ago, sandyf said:

You would have to say which website.

This is the official one for application

https://evisa.xuatnhapcanh.gov.vn/web/guest/khai-thi-thuc-dien-tu/cap-thi-thuc-dien-tu

 

And this is where you get your visa when the application has been approved.

https://evisa.xuatnhapcanh.gov.vn/web/guest/tra-cuu-ho-so?fsource=payoo&status=1&session=0BD031B9F5A0BD651D4C738C8F3CB892.node-01&order_no=E190920IRLPE988659450&checksum=0c4a4ac163c9aeabb628cd3a3132ea917a6920e93eac847e6dfbe0ea3bfd876ca6781be7f717360e31132ffeddc6037f7ef0839317d5a1e1203733875bcbdfe5&totalAmount=601811&paymentFee=22311

I used this website: https://vietnamvisa.govt.vn/

29 minutes ago, Tayaout said:

I used this website: https://vietnamvisa.govt.vn/

As they make clear on their website "Disclaimers: vietnamvisa.govt.vn is e-commercial/non-government website. We provide visa approval letter service which is officially approved by Immigration Department".

They are of course more expensive than the official e-visa website. 

As sandyf mentioned the official government site is: 

 

https://evisa.xuatnhapcanh.gov.vn/web/guest/khai-thi-thuc-dien-tu/cap-thi-thuc-dien-tu

 

Get your e visa there, print it out and head directly to immigration on arrival.

20 minutes ago, theoldgit said:

As they make clear on their website "Disclaimers: vietnamvisa.govt.vn is e-commercial/non-government website. We provide visa approval letter service which is officially approved by Immigration Department".

They are of course more expensive than the official e-visa website. 

Ah! Got scammed by the website extension ????

2 hours ago, theoldgit said:

As they make clear on their website "Disclaimers: vietnamvisa.govt.vn is e-commercial/non-government website. We provide visa approval letter service which is officially approved by Immigration Department".

They are of course more expensive than the official e-visa website. 

There is a clue in the extension, generally official websites are "gov.xx" where xx is the phonetic for the country concerned, as in https://www.visa4uk.fco.gov.uk/home/welcome

A deliberate similarity is always something to beware.

UPDATE on Vietnam visa rules:
Rather than having to make a border run every 30 days, as previously announced, tourists will be given the option of reporting to their local immigration office (for a fee of US$10), or of hiring an agent to do so. That would mean, on a 90 day tourist visa, you would report to the local IO twice, and have to cross the border and return with a new visa (or in the case of Americans, with a one-year visa, cross the border and return, three times a year).
See new Eli the Bike Guy video. New Visa Rules discussion occur roughly 12:30- 21:00