Vietnam Visa Info

[cdnvic]

Countries who's nationals do not require a visa are:

30 Days

Thailand

Burma

Laos

Cambodia

Brunei Darussalam

Malaysia

Singapore

Indonesia

21 Days

Philippines

15 Days

Denmark

Finland

Sweden

How to apply for a Vietnam visitor visa (from Bangkok):

83/1 Wireless Road, Lumpini, Pathumwan, Bangkok 10330

1. Office hours for public : 8h30 - 11h30 ; 13h30 -16h30 from Monday to Friday.

2. Consular Section Telephone :

66 -(0) 2 - 2515836 (---37, ---38) ext. 112 (115,116) or 02 650 8979

3. General information :

1. Visa is required for all visitors (except Holders of Thai, Malaysian, Indonesian passports staying in Vietnam less than 30 days; Philippine passport holders staying in Vietnam less than 21 days)

2. Visitors can apply for Single or Multiple, 1 month, 3 months or 6 months, one year entry Visa.

3. Applicant can personally or delegate to the third person/ agency to make the procedures and get visa.

4. Following documents are requested to submit to the Embassy for all kinds of visa:

-- a. The original PASSPORT, the expiry date of the passport should be at least 3 months since the date of departure from Vietnam, and with vacant pages for visa

stamp.

-- b. One completed application form.

-- c. Two passport-size photographs: one is stapled or glued firmly to the application form.

-- d. Visa fee (Visa fee should be paid in Thai Baht in cash; Holders of Diplomatic and Service Passports in official mission are exempted from visa fees; For update fee information, please contact the Visa Section).

5. The application form is available at the Embassy or can be printed out hereafter.

6. It takes 1 to 4 days to process a visa.

7. Tourist visa is valid for one month, you can ask for normal or express visa.

visaapplicationformviet.pdf Sample Application Form

Fees vary slightly by country so check with the embassy in the country in which you apply from for up to date prices.

Other Vietnamese Embassies:

Embassy of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam in The United Kingdom

12 Victoria Rd

London, W8 5RD, UK

+44 20 79371912

http://www.vietnamembassy.org.uk/

Embassy of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam in the United States of America

1233 20th St NW, Suite 400 - Washington, DC 20036 - tel. 202.861.0737 - fax 202.861.0917

[email protected] - [email protected]

http://www.vietnamembassy-usa.org/

Embassy of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam in Canada

470 Wilbrod Street, Ottawa, Ontario K1N 6M8

Tel: (613) 236 0772

Fax: (613) 236 2704

Email: [email protected]

http://www.vietnamembassy-canada.ca/

Embassy of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam in Australia

6 Timbarra Crescent, O'Malley, ACT, 2606, Australia

Phone: 61 - 2 - 62866059; 62901556 Fax: 61 - 2 - 62864534

Email : [email protected]

Website : www.vietnamembassy.org.au

Embassy of Vietnam in Welllington New Zealand

Level 21, Grand Plimmer Tower, 2 Gilmer Terrace P.O. Box 8042, Welllington, New Zealand

(644) 473 5912

Visa exemption for overseas Vietnamese to go ahead

Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung on August 17 has signed Decision No 135/2007/QD-TTg to promulgate a new regulation that will grant visa exemptions to Overseas Vietnamese from September 1, 2007.

Ethnically Vietnamese people that hold foreign passports and foreign nationals who are their husbands, wives and children will benefit from the new policy.

A certificate must be obtained by the passport holders for the exemption to be utilised. The certificate will be valid for five years. Overseas Vietnamese will be granted a maximum of 90-day length of stay with extensions available inside the country.

In order to be granted visa exemption certificates at Vietnamese representative offices abroad, overseas Vietnamese need to submit one of three following documents: a document that proves they are ethnically Vietnamese; a guarantee by overseas Vietnamese associations based in the country where they are residents of or by a Vietnamese citizen; and a document by authorised foreign agencies certifying that they are ethnically Vietnamese.

Husbands, wives and children of Vietnamese people living abroad will also need to submit documents that prove their relationship to the Vietnamese member of their immediate family.

Expecting a rush on representative offices abroad, the Committee for Overseas Vietnamese has sent 200,000 visa exemption certificates to Vietnamese embassies overseas.

The move to exempt visas for overseas Vietnamese is part of the Government’s efforts to speed up the implementation of the Politburo’s Resolution No. 36 on tasks relating to overseas Vietnamese. The visas exemption policy was announced by President Nguyen Minh Triet during his visit to the US on June this year.

According to the Committee for Overseas Vietnamese, there are currently close to three million overseas Vietnamese who have mostly settled in the US, France, Australia and Canada. Around 500,000 overseas Vietnamese return to Vietnam each year.

(Source: VNA)

Edited October 7, 2007 by cdnvic

[sabaijai]

Pinned. Thanks cdnvic.

[technocracy]

Just as a note for Multiple Entry Business Visas upto 12 months you need a signed letter from a Vietnam company (on letterheaded paper). A 12 months visa if I remember rightly is $140 for same day processing. Or $120 for 3 days.

The business visas are an absolute doddle to get certainly in comparison to Laos that is!

Also if you are intending to work in Vietnam as a 'foreigner' you will fall foul to their ahem 'lovely' tax laws. Regardless if you spend less than the usual 183 days in the country you have to pay tax - even when you're not paid in the country! They passed a special law to cover this obviously too many people were working in Vietnam and off-shoring all there money. So now if you're not resident i.e. live less that 183 such as a short term contract you will pay 25% tax, if you are resident then you will be liable for upto 40%(!)!! The resident thresholds are around - but you don't have to be paid a large sum to fall into the 40% tax bracket.

They apparently will stop you from leaving the country if you do not provide paperwork by an approved accountant showing you have paid the taxes. However being a communist state and the amount of corruption around how strictly this is enforced I don't know . . . seeing as the contract I was offered got pulled a day before I was supposed be on site (only slightly annoying!!)! Can anyone who is living and working there clarify the enforcement?

I emailed several Viet Accountancy firms to find out what I needed to do - but none of them could be arsed to reply!!

The same day processing isn't available for tourist visas - you must wait the minimum of 3 or 4 days to get this - so it summary if you want to make visa runs to live in Vietnam you'll be out of the country for 4 days every month . . . a bit of a pain in the butt!

If you ever end up applying the Vietnam embassy here in Laos the Embassy is just up past the Patuxay momument, on the road leading to the That Luang on the right hand site just after the Toyota Garage. Very easy to get to.

[sjaak327]

Actually in Bangkok, they have next day processing for tourist visas, fee is 2500 baht. Cambodia is generally the cheapest to obtain a Vietnamese tourist visa and apparently they have same day or next day processing as standard, rather then at an additional fee. The standard in Bangkok is 4 days.

Something to note, is that on the visa application form, you must state the date of arrival. If you want to stay the full period of the visa (single is 30 days), you must make sure that this date is the actual date of arrival. If you for instance arrive one week later then the date you have entered into the form, you will only be stamped in for 21 days.

[BADBRAD]

The same day processing isn't available for tourist visas - you must wait the minimum of 3 or 4 days to get this - so it summary if you want to make visa runs to live in Vietnam you'll be out of the country for 4 days every month . . . a bit of a pain in the butt!

This is not necessarily true. I lived in Vietnam for 18 months without needing to leave. Just before my original one month tourist visa expired I took my passport to a travel agency who obtained on my behalf a 6 month multiple entry visa. Every 6 months I repeated the process.

Edited October 20, 2007 by BADBRAD

[Abrak]

I intend to travel from Thailand to Vietnam on a regular basis (I am currently in Vietnam). I cant be arsed to get a new visa every trip. I understand that in order to get multiple visas I need some sort of letter from some sort of business in Vietnam saying I wish to do business with them. I travel to Vietnam to buy paintings principally off the local artists themselves. I do however occasionally deal with the local galleries. Would a letter from a local gallery stating that I do regular business with them be sufficient to gain me a one year multiple entry business visa?

[BADBRAD]

I'm not sure about that, but as I said it was never a problem for me to get the 6 month multiple entries. Just about any travel agency there can do it (I used 3 different ones, the last as recently as February '07). If you need need a business visa then it may be a different story.

[PattayaParent]

Regarding the Visa Exemtion for spouses of VN citizens apply in plenty of time as I was told by the VN Embassy in BKK that they have been waiting over 1 month for approval from VN to issue a Visa Exemption Certificate to a Farang.

[totlanh]

Regarding the Visa Exemtion for spouses of VN citizens apply in plenty of time as I was told by the VN Embassy in BKK that they have been waiting over 1 month for approval from VN to issue a Visa Exemption Certificate to a Farang.

Thats worrying!!I sent my passport and my daughters passport to the Vietnam embassy in London over a week ago and every day i phone and ask if they can confirm they have got it they keep telling me that they will phone me back but never do.When i forst made enquiries they told me it would take a minimum of 2 weeks and a maximum of 4 weeks.We fly Jan 2nd so we have plenty of time yet but i would like confirmation that they actually our in pocession of our passports.

[PattayaParent]

Regarding the Visa Exemtion for spouses of VN citizens apply in plenty of time as I was told by the VN Embassy in BKK that they have been waiting over 1 month for approval from VN to issue a Visa Exemption Certificate to a Farang.

Thats worrying!!I sent my passport and my daughters passport to the Vietnam embassy in London over a week ago and every day i phone and ask if they can confirm they have got it they keep telling me that they will phone me back but never do.When i forst made enquiries they told me it would take a minimum of 2 weeks and a maximum of 4 weeks.We fly Jan 2nd so we have plenty of time yet but i would like confirmation that they actually our in pocession of our passports.

Are you applying for the Visa Exemption Certificate as the spouse of a VN? I see from your location you're relocating to Hoi An? Wouldn't you need a full on non immigrant permit to stay?

The Embassy in BKK gave me back my passport and just kept the documents for processing. I suppose they konew it could take time but wish they'd have told me so I could have got a tourist visa on the spot as I'm flying on 24. Now the missus has got to go back to BKK with the nipper as I'm now back at work.

[totlanh]

Regarding the Visa Exemtion for spouses of VN citizens apply in plenty of time as I was told by the VN Embassy in BKK that they have been waiting over 1 month for approval from VN to issue a Visa Exemption Certificate to a Farang.

Thats worrying!!I sent my passport and my daughters passport to the Vietnam embassy in London over a week ago and every day i phone and ask if they can confirm they have got it they keep telling me that they will phone me back but never do.When i forst made enquiries they told me it would take a minimum of 2 weeks and a maximum of 4 weeks.We fly Jan 2nd so we have plenty of time yet but i would like confirmation that they actually our in pocession of our passports.

Are you applying for the Visa Exemption Certificate as the spouse of a VN? I see from your location you're relocating to Hoi An? Wouldn't you need a full on non immigrant permit to stay?

The Embassy in BKK gave me back my passport and just kept the documents for processing. I suppose they konew it could take time but wish they'd have told me so I could have got a tourist visa on the spot as I'm flying on 24. Now the missus has got to go back to BKK with the nipper as I'm now back at work.

Hi,

I dont know anything about the non immigrant permit infact i have never even heard of it,could you tell me about it?

Cheers

Edited November 7, 2007 by totlanh

[PattayaParent]

Hi,

I dont know anything about the non immigrant permit infact i have never even heard of it,could you tell me about it?

Cheers

I don't know the official name of it but it's a 3 year residence permit. Don't know whether you apply outside or inside the country either. A mate got one some years ago (while in VN) but I never asked for details as I wasn't interested in getting one back then. Not even bothered now if I can get the visa exemption as it'll give me an excuse to come back to LOS every 3 months!

[Kaoboi Bebobp]

For any Canadians trying to get a visa before leaving Canada, I called the VN embassy in Ottawa four or five times and left a message. They never answered the phone and never called back. I only wanted to know the visa fee. Any one else fare better? Anyway, I'll pick one up in BKK, as I did two years ago.

[Kaoboi Bebobp]

For any Canadians trying to get a visa before leaving Canada, I called the VN embassy in Ottawa four or five times and left a message. They never answered the phone and never called back. I only wanted to know the visa fee. Any one else fare better? Anyway, I'll pick one up in BKK, as I did two years ago.

Just updating my own query: Got visa from travel agent in my hotel on soi 19. 2000 baht, 500 cheaper than going to embassy myself. Who knew?

[dough]

As a regular traveler to Vietnam, it seems in dealing with their overseas consulates or any of the government agencey's in country is a crap shoot. I've had an easy time getting a visa and I've such a hard time that I've just about cancelled a trip.

If your overseas, having a Vietnamese friend get you a visa approval through a travel agent works - e-mail them your passport info and request it be processed through the consulate closest to you. However, on my last trip I recieved a 6 month, working visa in 5 days through the San Francisco office. For reference, only working in name because I wasn't working and hense no employer name to write in.

I've heard people speak of 12 month visa's but have never seen anything offical on it. So I'm guessing your choices are a 1 month, 3 months, and 6 months visa's available in single and multy entry form.

Once in Nam extensions are easy and think you could probably stay in country as long as you wanted. I've even heard of arrangements where extensions are set up to kick in automatically, "all you need are friends".

[tvntea]

Hi all,

I'll be visiting Hanoi for the first time this month end. I'm eligible to enter Vietnam under the 30 days visa exemption thing and plan to be in Hanoi for 6 to 7 weeks. I will then travel to Laos, Cambodia, and then to HCMC(Saigon). From what I've read, the 6 months multiple entry visa seems most suitable for me.

Does anyone knows if I can change my 30 days visa exemption status to a 6 months multiple entry visa when I'm there, in Hanoi?

Or, do I have to apply for the 6 months multiple entry visa right now, before entering vietnam?

Any advice at all will be greatly appreciated. Thanks thanks in advance

Valerie

[Tudo]

Well this is an interesting subject. After 5 years my Wife has finally been naturalized an American citizen ( last week ). Next step is to get her an American passport.

The interesting part is going to be these exemptions. For the both of us! Stay tuned

[yaraboy]

QUICK QUESTION.................How much time can elapse before using tourist visa after receiving it....6 months?

[gk10002000]

I actually did get an email response once from the US Vietnamese embassy. Too much hassle for me to coordinate my travel plans with a finite period visa so I didn't bother.

Indian embassy has been the worse. Many phone calls, several emails and nothing.

This is why I go to Thailand and will go to other countries. The convenience of visa on arrival. I feel sorry for people that try to get to the USA and have to deal with the Visa process. My sympathies.

[carol168]

Types of Visa to Vietnam

Tourist visa (short staying time)

This is what you need to enter and stay in Vietnam within a short period! Normally, it is available for one-month single-entry visa (maximum stay in Vietnam for one month). Tourist visa may be extended once for 30 days after your arrival in Vietnam. If you plan to spend more than a month in Vietnam, or if you plan to exit Vietnam and re-enter from other countries, for eg., Cambodia, Laos or China, you will need a three-month multiple-entry visa with approval from local agents.

Diplomatic and Official Visas

- No fees unless otherwise agreed upon between Vietnam and applicant's country

- On applying for this visa, the applicant must submit an official letter from the concerned agencies of local government, foreign embassies or consulates accredited to the applicant's country, international organizations, or other accredited organizations based in that country

Business Visa

Business visas are usually valid for three or six months, allowing multiple entries and the right to work in Vietnam. One-year business visas are also possible with special permission. To get a business visa, you often need a letter from a business sponsor in Vietnam. Getting a business visa has now become cheap and easy, although prices almost double those of a tourist visa. It is generally easier to apply for a business visa once in Vietnam, after having arrived with a tourist visa.

Student visa

A student visa is usually arranged after your arrival. It's acceptable to enter Vietnam on a tourist visa, enroll in a Vietnamese language course and then apply at the immigration department for a change in your visa status. In reality, the easiest way to do this is to contact a travel company and have them help you make the application.

Extended Visa vs. non-extended Visa (In terms of extension times)

If you've got the dollars, they've got the rubber stamp. If you need to stay some more time out of your visa validity, you can get the Immigration Dept extend your visa. Tourist-visa extension costs only around US$10, but it is easier to pay more and sort this out through a travel agency in a more simple way. Getting the stamp you can be a bureaucratic nightmare. The procedure takes two or three days and you can only extend once for 30 days. In theory, you should be able to extend your visa in any provincial capital. In reality, it goes most smoothly in major cities, such as HCMC, Hanoi, Danang and Hue, which cater to mass tourism.

Single Entry Visa vs. Multiple entry (or Re-Entry) Visa (In terms of entry times)

It's possible to visit Cambodia, Laos or any other country from Vietnam and then re- enter Vietnam without having to apply for another visa. However, you must apply for a re-entry visa before you leave Vietnam. If you do not have a re-entry visa, you will have to go through the whole Vietnamese visa procedure again. Re-entry visas are easiest to arrange in Hanoi or Hochiminh City, but you will almost certainly have to ask a travel agent to do the paperwork for you. They charge about US$25 for this service and can complete the procedure in a day or two.

More information about Vietnam Visa check here vietnam-visa.com

Vietnam Visa guide and tips: vietnam-visa.com/blog/

[lekatai]

I went to the Vietnamese embassy in Bangkok last week to get another tourist visa.I have had three 30 day visas before from the same embassy.I asked this time,if there was any way I could get a longer term multiple entry visa.I have asked previously, and been told No.This time the clerk asked me if I had a letter of introduction from a company or anyone in Vietnam.I said no, but I wanted to go there several times to visit my (Vietnamese) girlfriend and family as we were going to get married in Vietnam. She thought about it for a minute,then said, OK you can have a six month multiple entry visa.It cost 7500B,and I picked it up the next day.I don't know if this is a one off,or if they have relaxed the rules lately but I've always found them to be polite and helpful there.

[stanny]

Hi guys, I'm a Malaysian looking to enter Vietnam and I would like to stay there long term. Should I do a tourist visa at the Vietnamese embassy in my country or just enter with a 30 day visa waiver and do border runs? How long will a tourist visa last?

Edited December 16, 2008 by stanny

[SoCal]

Once you are in the country, it is incredibly easy to stay. Just give your passport to a travel agent, and they will renew your visa. No border runs required.

You can do a 6mo or 1yr multi-entry. No need to show anything, or even fill out a visa application.

[stanny]

6 months visa? So I can do that with the travel agents? So just enter first and do a visa waiver at the airport?

[SoCal]

I don't know about visa waiver, as I am from the US.

Once you are in though, it is very easy as stated above.

I know some guys who have been living here +10yrs, and never left the country, just go see their travel agent every year.

I have forwarded you an email from a travel agent. Not a reccomendation, but will give you a good idea on what is available and at what cost.

By the way, you do not have to give to a travel agent. You can go down to immigration and do yourself. It's cheaper, but I can't deal with the chaos, and my company pays for it anyways.

[stanny]

Visa related things seem way more simple here compared to Thai. I saw some Vietnam immigration sites and it states that I do not need a Visa and can stay for 30 days as an ASEAN passport holder. I wonder is it just a simple chop at the airport or will I have to pay something?

[WISteve]

The prices and eligibility seems arbitrary sometimes I think, but they are readily available in the USA.

First one through the consulate was single entry 30 days and cost $ 30-40 I think?

The last one fall of 2007 was multiple entry 3 months and cost $100. Their website doesn't state a price so I just called them and it seems they pick a number, hehehehehee. You send them the money order, one page form and two photos with your passport. The passport with visa pasted in was back very quickly.

~WISteve

[NanLaew]

You can do the whole visa deal online these days, tourist or business, single or multi and pick up your visa on arrival at the airport in Vietnam. You must have your invitation in-hand to show the airline before they will let you on the plane taking your there but that is all part of the online service. Beats spending time/money getting it at an embassy or consulate.

[Oldfield]

http://travelhappy.info/travel-tips/how-to...isa-in-bangkok/

read this

[Oldfield]

You can do the whole visa deal online these days, tourist or business, single or multi and pick up your visa on arrival at the airport in Vietnam. You must have your invitation in-hand to show the airline before they will let you on the plane taking your there but that is all part of the online service. Beats spending time/money getting it at an embassy or consulate.

Yes. This is true.

However, it costs 25 USD to get the invitation in hand thingy, and you still have to pay another 25 USD (1000baht!) for the visa on arrival when you get to Vietnam.