Vietnam Tourist Visa - why not easier?

[ronnie50]

There is a bewildering array of websites claiming to be 'official' tourist visa sites for Vietnam. Many URL's ending with 'V.......gov.vn' (how they manage to get that domain extension, who knows). But trying to do the visa yourself is equally confusing. Unlike most ASEAN countries, the Vietnam Embassy here in Bangkok (and I guess everywhere) still wants an 'invitation' letter from a Vietnamese source.

 

Anyone successfully done this themselves with the embassy here in Bangkok (without an agency) and what was your experience? How long, where did you get the invitation, etc.?

 

Cheers.

[BrandonJT]

https://evisa.gov.vn/

[BigBilly]

11 hours ago, ronnie50 said:

Anyone successfully done this themselves with the embassy here in Bangkok (without an agency) and what was your experience? How long, where did you get the invitation, etc.?

 

Just use the official website.  It's not difficult to use.  No invitation needed.

 

https://evisa.gov.vn

[ronnie50]

5 hours ago, BigBilly said:

 

Just use the official website.  It's not difficult to use.  No invitation needed.

 

https://evisa.gov.vn

Thanks. But I thought only certain nationalities can apply for the  e-visa (e.g. British and EU), other nationalities need a visa from the embassy (and the stupid invitation letter - from an agency I guess), isn't that right?

[ignore it]

It is easy now.

30 years ago, not easy.

[BigBilly]

1 minute ago, ronnie50 said:

Thanks. But I thought only certain nationalities can apply for the  e-visa (e.g. British and EU), other nationalities need a visa from the embassy (and the stupid invitation letter - from an agency I guess), isn't that right?

As far as I know, most can get an evisa.  I'm American and got an evisa recently.

 

There are some nationalities that are visa exempt now.  Maybe thats what you are thinking of.

[khunjeff]

44 minutes ago, ronnie50 said:

Thanks. But I thought only certain nationalities can apply for the  e-visa (e.g. British and EU), other nationalities need a visa from the embassy (and the stupid invitation letter - from an agency I guess), isn't that right?

 

The VN e-visa system  now covers visitors from all countries and territories (though of course it will be irrelevant to people who are visa exempt). 

 

https://vnembassy-canberra.mofa.gov.vn/en-us/News/EmbassyNews/Pages/Vietnam-Introduces-E-Visa-for-All-Nationalities-from-August-15,-2023.aspx

[Randy99]

Obtained a e-visa for Vietnam recently.  Applied online two weeks before departure.  My application was rejected 5 times for me not specifying where I'd be staying.  I did provide that information.  Couldn't understand the issue so I just kept sending it back unchanged.  Finally, 4 hours before before departure time it arrived.  We barely made the flight.  Don't know what the grudge is against Canadians.  Loved Vietnam by the way.

[bkk6060]

Better hurry.  If you are American they may soon block you.

[BigBilly]

3 minutes ago, bkk6060 said:

Better hurry.  If you are American they may soon block you.

Agreed.  I'm American, and I'm definitely not making any travel plans too far in advance.  There is no telling how many countries will block us soon.

[DFPhuket]

I just returned to Thailand from a holiday in Vietnam yesterday.

 

The evisa was relatively easy, and I received mine in about a week after applying, which was about a month before the trip. They indicate they prioritise those who are arriving soon, so if you apply a month or more in advance, your visa might take a week or two to be approved. The official government site is: https://evisa.gov.vn/

 

You'll get an email when it's approved with a pdf with the visa. Print out the visa and then when you walk off the plane, go straight to the immigration counter, handing over your visa and passport. It took about 1 minute to get stamped in. Then take a Grab taxi from the airport to wherever you want to go. It's all pretty efficient. 

[fredwiggy]

I'm American .Just got back 2 weeks ago from Vietnam with my Thai girlfriend. Applied online, told them where I was initially staying, near the Noi Bai airport, and had it come back in three days, over a weekend approved. No need for embassy .

[QPRFC]

It's simple to do online yourself. $25 USD for 90 days tourist visa (check country list though but most 'common' countries are eligible). 

Takes 3-5 days to process. 

The only official website has been posted above already. 

[Grumpy one]

2 hours ago, bkk6060 said:

Better hurry.  If you are American they may soon block you.

Again  

[ronnie50]

3 hours ago, Randy99 said:

Obtained a e-visa for Vietnam recently.  Applied online two weeks before departure.  My application was rejected 5 times for me not specifying where I'd be staying.  I did provide that information.  Couldn't understand the issue so I just kept sending it back unchanged.  Finally, 4 hours before before departure time it arrived.  We barely made the flight.  Don't know what the grudge is against Canadians.  Loved Vietnam by the way.

That's frustrating/worrying. I guess you must book you flight before the visa application (or after submitted)? After makes more sense of course. This nonsense about where one is staying is silly too. If you are going for 2-3 weeks, you're not likely to stay in the same place for more than a few nights. Do they expect you to list all the reservations and dates, or just the first one? So if we wanted to fly from Bangkok to Da Nang how far in advance should we plan?