Vietnam Visa update - big changes

[Mac Mickmanus]

Just noticed that Vietnam has opened up in regards to Covid restrictions . 

What is the current Visa situation ?

Is it possible to stay in Vietnam long term ?

[Kaoboi Bebobp]

On 5/22/2022 at 5:54 PM, Mac Mickmanus said:

Just noticed that Vietnam has opened up in regards to Covid restrictions . 

What is the current Visa situation ?

Is it possible to stay in Vietnam long term ?

Nope. Visa situation in VN is awful. There's only the 30-day Tourist visa, which cannot be extended in-country. The 90-day Tourist visa is not available, yet. I'm not sure of the 1-year Tourist visa available ONLY to Americans, but I think it's not been reinstated, yet. 

 

I just came back from VN and friends are doing Cambodia border runs to get another 30 days. I won't go back until there's a reasonable longer-stay visa

Edited May 26, 2022 by Kaoboi Bebobp
More details

[orchidfan]

Haven't been to VN in the past 2 yrs because of C19, but prior to that quite a few trips....mainly with a Chinese businessman ( in Oil and Gas) but once also with my Thai wife.

She loved it too. Initial greeting at the SGN hotel the manager sat us down and gave us a full briefing on the city, includind maps and a  warning about which taxis to catch etc.

Never experienced that in BKK.

 

Beautiful scenery, great tours ( and they took Thai baht as payment - no problem), polite people, uni students coming up to us to chat just to improve their English.

That doesn't happen here either!

 

Farming far neater and more methodical/efficient - rice planting, fertilising (spread evenly all over the crop - not like the hap hazard hand casting all over the place practiced in Isaan!)

My wife's family are rice farmers so I've seen them in action. Shoddy and lazy.

 

Yesterday I received an email from the "Vietnam Immigration Services" (an online Visa service and very efficient too) encouraging me to come back with a 40% Summer discount on E-visa service fee.

So they're out chasing business.

But as a 30day tourist of course.

[orchidfan]

On 6/10/2021 at 1:17 PM, BangkokReady said:

 

Yeah, I'm not sure I totally buy the "draining the swamp" angle.  If covid wasn't a factor, then I'd say it would certainly seem that way, but with covid, it's totally possible that it's a temporary "get as many foreigners out of here as possible, particularly those with less authentic visa, as they're more problematic and difficult to track/manage/control in this situation".

 

Vietnam have taken covid incredibly seriously and have locked down over the smallest number of cases.  I read that not only did they extend quarantine to 21 days from 14, but they actually decided to keep people in quarantine without a leave date during the latest outbreak.  A group of foreigners whose whereabouts they cannot adequately track is probably the last thing they want right now.

 

I don't think they're allowing any tourist in at the moment and it's very hard for even skilled workers to get in, with months of checks and waiting to get on a flight.  This all suggests they're being incredibly cautious around foreigners right now.  Why not get rid of all but the most official and legitimate foreigners?

 

I know a lot of expats enjoy the "getting rid of the riff-raff" angle, as it allows them to feel superior and they enjoy something bad happening to another human being (says more about them than the people who are being kicked out tbh), but I'm not sure how much these countries see it that way.  Someone with money to spend is someone with money to spend.  And no matter how small that amount is, it all adds up.

See my post below ( near the end) Vietnam Immigration Services certainly ARE begging people like me ( an old customer of theirs) to take up the offer of 40% discount on E-visa and service charges as a special Summer "gift".

They make good money from the visa and are most ceretianly open and chasing customers.

[Enzian]

Above is good news, thanks everyone. I'm an American in Thailand on a "Non-O by reason of retirement". My son, his Vietnamese wife and their two kids will all be together near Hanoi during August.  I will fly to Hanoi from BKK, and 30 days will be the max I'll want to stay, more like 2-3 weeks. Is there anything I should keep in mind or watch out for, besides following the leads to get a tourist visa provided in the post above by Kaoboi? Thanks! And everyone take care.

[GypsyT]

Here's all info you need to know;

https://vietnamvisa.govt.vn/vietnam-visa-on-arrival/

 

Be sure to have cash, pics, letter and passport.

When I visited first time via HCMC it was confusing; No signs which line of 4 to go (there were hundreds of tourists) and it took over 2 hours to get to the first counter.

I asked young Asian (from Taiwan) who guided me through.

After giving papers you go to sit and wait to be called to pay. No waiting there. Then to Immigration and you're free.

There were only 2 hard working clerks plus cashier but I wasn't in hurry and they were friendly.

I liked Dalat very much and will go back soon.

[rahil627]

i didn't read this entire thread, but i find it interesting, as an expat normally living in Taiwan, but got stuck in Thailand during covid.

 

the way i see it is: there's two groups of people:

 

there's a group of people that just want to F off, as in, retire, just want to live in a cheap place, likely with little to no desire to cooperate toward making a better civilization. SE Asia (except Vietnam) fits this well, but so do many less developed places around the world. You will live like any other villager there, and maybe their governments will allow it, or maybe not. (in Thailand, these are often retired Englanders, Russians with mafia money, or people from some other sun-less cold places: many on these very forums)

 

then there's a group of people that actually want to live with the culture, maybe even love the culture, cooperate, do some good deeds, create organizations, or add value in some way. East Asia fits this well, but so do most places in the world, developed or not. Who doesn't want this sort of person in their group?

 

Thai culture is nothing like Taiwanese-Chinese culture (much closer to one of Taiwan's indigenous tribes though), and i imagine Vietnamese culture is also nothing like Thai culture. I'll know soon once i go, but even just judging from my past Vietnamese friends 'n co-workers, especially in programming companies, they're beasts (i mean that in a good way!). With ant-like organization and productivity, it's just a matter of time for them to rise up. History was not kind, but they can probably be near self-sufficient. Tourism is good income, but they've got enough skills 'n work ethic to live without them, or at least the rotten ones.

 

it sucks i can't get a long-term visa, but how can one blame them for actually cleaning up the travel agency visa black market?? the covid pandemic added a ton of new long-term expats on top of a ton of past long-term expats... i think post-covid (endemic) is the perfect time to clean up the bad ones, all of them: new and old... i just hope the bureaucratic replacement isn't worse than corrupt immigration 'n agencies...

 

it sucks for the good-hearted long-term expats there being kicked out; I hope they'll find some way to hang on (fake marriage?)! this sounds like the moment expats cease to exist. you must now choose to be categorized as either a tourist or a migrant worker or something special. most developed countries are like this, so, def can't be mad at that. assimilate or get out.

 

it sounds more like sincere progress than xenophobia to me.

 

all i know is i could never live in Thailand again! ahhhhhhh. i need organization!!

[La Quenta]

 

On 8/13/2022 at 7:40 AM, rahil627 said:

i didn't read this entire thread, but i find it interesting, as an expat normally living in Taiwan, but got stuck in Thailand during covid.

 

the way i see it is: there's two groups of people:

 

there's a group of people that just want to F off, as in, retire, just want to live in a cheap place, likely with little to no desire to cooperate toward making a better civilization. SE Asia (except Vietnam) fits this well, but so do many less developed places around the world. You will live like any other villager there, and maybe their governments will allow it, or maybe not. (in Thailand, these are often retired Englanders, Russians with mafia money, or people from some other sun-less cold places: many on these very forums)

 

then there's a group of people that actually want to live with the culture, maybe even love the culture, cooperate, do some good deeds, create organizations, or add value in some way. East Asia fits this well, but so do most places in the world, developed or not. Who doesn't want this sort of person in their group?

 

Thai culture is nothing like Taiwanese-Chinese culture (much closer to one of Taiwan's indigenous tribes though), and i imagine Vietnamese culture is also nothing like Thai culture. I'll know soon once i go, but even just judging from my past Vietnamese friends 'n co-workers, especially in programming companies, they're beasts (i mean that in a good way!). With ant-like organization and productivity, it's just a matter of time for them to rise up. History was not kind, but they can probably be near self-sufficient. Tourisi

 

it sucks i can't get a long-term visa, but how can one blame them for actually cleaning up the travel agency visa black market?? the covid pandemic added a ton of new long-term expats on top of a ton of past long-term expats... i think post-covid (endemic) is the perfect time to clean up the bad ones, all of them: new and old... i just hope the bureaucratic replacement isn't worse than corrupt immigration 'n agencies...

 

it sucks for the good-hearted long-term expats there being kicked out; I hope they'll find some way to hang on (fake marriage?)! this sounds like the moment expats cease to exist. you must now choose to be categorized as either a tourist or a migrant worker or something special. most developed countries are like this, so, def can't be mad at that. assimilate or get out.

 

it sounds more like sincere progress than xenophobia to me.

 

all i know is i could never live in Thailand again! ahhhhhhh. i need organization!!

Interesting post, thanks. 

 

Yes, Vietnamese culture is quite different to Thai culture. The majority of it's historical influences have been from China (whereas Thailands have been from India), although it is also influenced in the deep south by Cambodia (which was the former 'Lower Angkor' of the Angkor kingdom) and Cham culture also has a very minor influence in some parts. 

 

There is an ethos to work in Vietnam that is very much Sino in approach, and educational attainment is highly valued. Generally, Thai folk are more open and easier to get to know. Vietnamese folk are very welcoming in general, but it can take a long time to get to know them.

 

Thai people seem a bit more carefree almost not worrying at all about tomorrow with very little future planning. Whereas although Vietnamese aren't the best future planners in the world they seem to be very cognisant of it and are better at it.

 

[GypsyT]

Time to visit Vietnam again but new visa rules are not clear on this;

 

I get 30-day visa free entry to Phu Quoc island.

I want to go there 2 or 3 times in same year to meet my Vn friends (mainland visa free is only 15 days - not enough for me)

Is that possible? i don't find answer to that.

Anyone knows?

I asker Vn friends to find out but it seems they don't want talk to immigration for some reason...

Thanks!

[GypsyT]

Finally got an answer from Vn friend (I hope it's correct);

 

It's possible to make many 30-day entries to Phu Quoc, similar to Thailands visa runs.

The "30-days between entries" applies only to VISAs.

So, that opens up one interesting and very inexpensive place near Th for me ????

 

[Adam219]

On 10/2/2022 at 8:35 AM, GypsyT said:

Phu Quoc

Do you know if its yet possible to upgrade this to a mainland visa and extend it in country?

 

I really want to spend some months in Vietnam to visit someone but jesus whats VN's problem with tourist visas now?

[MyFriend You]

On 6/9/2021 at 5:03 AM, madmen said:

Communists Thailand 0% Vietnam 100%

????

I would say Vietnam is a Communist/Capitalist Country............the people are not Communist minded, only the Government, the people are capitalist...........big difference.  mind you, I have only been living/associated with Vietnam since 1999 so what do I know. ????  I don't count the two tours during the War '69 & '71-72...........was a little busy to worry about politics back then.     Peace

[La Quenta]

Quote

 

The takeaway is, for the next couple years (or more), it is quite likely that Vietnam will be totally out of the question for anyone who doesn't fit the following 2 criteria.

 

1. A tourist staying 30 days or less

2.An expert worker, with a minimum of a Bachelor Degree, 3 years+ verified experience in the field for the job in question outside of Vietnam (that can be formally verified).

 

In short, it has become very very very expat unfriendly in a very short space of time. 

 

I'm the OP.

 

Just coming in to say I told you so. 

 

Nothing much has changed, although business visas are available for those with work permits in processing with an employer & the immigration department. Although from all reports, that processing is taking up to (and in some cases over) 6 months. 

 

There remain no tourist visas longer than 30 days.

There remain no viable options for retirees. 

There remain strict requirements on Bachelors Degrees and verified experience in the field you are working in to secure a working permit application.

 

We are just about 2 years on and there have been no real changes. 

 

Those in charge do not want long term residents unless they are experts, working under certain criteria and paying their taxes. 

 

Even among those experts (not teachers), I know some who have just thrown their hands in the air in exasperation at the situation and walked away. Those who make the extra effort to jump through the hoops are those with ties to the country (such as a business, a family, have been in country for a long time anyway and its become a home).

 

Just the way it is now, and will be for some time. 

Edited March 13, 2023 by La Quenta

[my friend I]

Hanoi (VNA) – The National Assembly (NA) will pass several laws and resolutions during the last working week of its fifth sitting from June 19-24.

 

the Law on amendments to a number of articles of the Law on Foreigners' Entry into, Exit from, Transit through, and Residence in Vietnam.

[Jingthing]

I respect the right of Vietnam to have these very unfriendly to expat rules.

They don't want us?

Okie Dokie.

If they did, I would have been interested enough to at least take some exploratory trips (though I have been there once before just for holiday).

What galls me is that Vietnam STILL ends up on numerous "best places to retire abroad" lists. So stupid!

[my friend I]

• 21
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• Current affairs
• Politics

Saturday, 24/6/2023, 09:11 (GMT+7)

The National Assembly agreed to raise the e-visa period to 90 days

After being granted an e-visa, within 90 days, foreigners can enter and exit an unlimited number of times, without having to go through new visa procedures.

On the morning of June 24, with 6 out of 470 delegates present agreeing (475.95%), the National Assembly passed a bill amending and supplementing a number of articles of the Law on Exit and Entry of Vietnamese citizens and the Law on entry, exit, transit and residence of foreigners in Vietnam.

The e-visa period will be raised from 30 to 90 days. The Government shall decide on the list of countries and territories whose citizens are granted; The list of international border gates allows foreigners to enter and exit by e-visa.

The law also allows citizens of countries unilaterally exempted by Vietnam to be granted a temporary stay of 45 days (previously stipulated for 15 days) and be considered for issuance of visas and temporary stay extensions according to regulations.

[GypsyT]

"On the morning of June 24, with 6 out of 470 delegates present agreeing "

 

That's the key to get laws passed quickly ????

No BS, no Talking heads.