Vietnam Visa

[TomTom55]

Hello all. I have been living in Thailand for nearly two years now, I am originally from the UK and under 30. Me and my girlfriend would like to move to Vietnam for several reasons, and I would like to know what the visa requirements are, and how to go about such a thing. I have looked through the net, but have gained little information from google. Could anybody please enlighten me here...

Thanks, Tom

[7by7]

I can't help you with Vietnam visas, but it will aid those who can were you to say what your girlfriend's nationality is.

[TomTom55]

She is from Thailand with a Thai passport. I have seen so far that Vietnam provide most of the time a 1-3 month visa on arrival and they are pretty cheap. However, I cannot find if there is a 6 or 12 month visa for work or tourism, and what extensions are available how and why.

[lekatai]

I live in Vietnam now,and have done so for just over a year,having previously lived in both Cambodia and then Thailand for 4 years.I am married to a Vietnamese girl, so automatically qualify for a 5 year visa exemption.It would be much more difficult for you,both being non Vietnamese,to live here on a long term basis.It might be possible for you both to get a 3 month tourist visa,but even the normally laid back Vietnamese Consulate in Sihanoukville recently refused a friend of mine a 3 month visa,saying they would only give one of those to someone who had previously visited Vietnam on at least one 30 day visa .That was exactly my experience with the Vietnamese Embassy in Bangkok a few years ago,before I got married.There are work possibilities in Vietnam,but I understand the criteria are fairly strict and the procedure(like most paperwork in Vietnam) lengthy.There is no such thing here as a retirement visa,or as in the case of Cambodia a business visa on arrival.I am not saying that you cannot come and live here on a long term basis,but it is not nearly as easy as in Thailand or Cambodia.Also,you don't say if you have visited here before,or traveled around Vietnam,if not I would certainly do that before committing yourself to living here.Good luck anyway and if you want any more information please ask.

Reason for edit-grammar

Edited July 25, 2011 by lekatai