Visa To Vietnam....some Advice For Travellers

[IMA_FARANG]

First point

The Vietnamese consulate on Wireless Road (Thanom Witthiya) will be CLOSED from 29th April 2013 to 5 May 2013 for a Vietnamese National holiday (VictoryRe-unification Days).

Therefore NO VIETNAMESE VISAS will be issued or picked up in that week.

Second point

New visa fees for Vietnamese visas came into effect on 1 January 2013.

A 30 day single entry visa is now 2500 Baht vice the previous 2100 Baht (2 to 3 day service).

Express service (1 day service) .... add 300 Bant for a total of 2800 Baht.

I applied for my visa on 23 April 2013 and was told to return on 25 April at 1630 to pick up my visa.

That's what they call 2 or 3 day (nomral) service.

Don't know about other visa categorys, but looks likw a across the board approximate 20 percent increase in all visa fees effective since 1 January 2013.

Third point

The Vietnames consulate/embessy has a notice posted that their are NO Official on-line visa services and that all such services are unofficial private Vietnames visa services.

Therefofre, the Vietnamese counsulate/embessy wants to stress that they (the consulate) is Not responsible for any loss of your private personal data or information that you give to get one of those on-line private Vietnamese visa services.

That is not to say these servises are not legitimate, but just that the Vietnamese consulate/embessy has no responsibilty to compensate you if you do suffer a loss of your personal information or a monetary loss from using such an on-line service.

So be careful, repeating that there is NO OFFICIAL ON-LINE SERVICE for Vietnamese Visas.

The Vietnamese consulate therefore advises you to get your visas from the consulate/embessy in person only.

Fouth point

If you DO GET A VIETNAMESE visa-on-line what you actually will get is a introduction letter only.

There is a so-called "Stamping Fee" on arrival in Vietnam to put the actual visa into your passport.

The current stanping fee is now $65 USD (or the equivalent in GBP, EUR, or some other recognised major international currency).

You pay this stamping fee on arrival in Vietnam at your arrival airport.

Also note they want your current passport to be valid for 6 months at least after your arrival,

Fitfh point (and last one)

Exchanging money in Vitnam on arrival, the banks will want a major international currency (again USD, GBP, EUR, or something similar.

Otherwise you will not get a good exchange rate, or they may simply not want your money,

They do NOT want Thai Baht so do NOT expect to change Thai Baht or they won't want to chage it for you.

If arriving from Bangkok, it is best to buy USD, GPB, or EUR in Bangkok before you leave....either at the airport of preferably at a Thai bank/currency exchange BEFORE you go to the airport.

P.S. That fifth point is from my personal experience in Ho Chi Minh City.

Edited April 24, 2013 by IMA_FARANG

[HeijoshinCool]

I've been three times. Love Viet Nam. But the visa price is crazy.

My guess is the consulate put up that notice because many became aware that a particular lady who issues the visas is a scammer and exceptionally rude. So she's probably been losing money. I know quite a few who have used the online service, and haven't heard a complaint. But, yes, a letter is a pain at the airport.

The last two times, I spent a week in Cambodia, and got my Nam visa there while I explored. Can't remember the cost, but I do recall computing it was (at that time 15 months ago) cheaper than BKK. That's what I'll do next time, too.

[danpat]

My experience is that i have done visa online 3 times without any problems,and it has worked out cheaper than going to the consulate here in bangkok.

You need to go to visa on arrival desk when you arrive at airport(cannot do this for land crossings) fill in some more forms,pay the money in US dollars only,it was 25US dollars.

First 2 times it took only around 10 mins.Third time nearly one hour!!!!!! they ran out of visa stamps.!!!

Think the online letter fee was 16 US approx.

Change your money into Dong at Super Rich here in Bangkok.You get a much better rate than in Vietnam.

[CPT]

"If arriving from Bangkok, it is best to buy USD, GPB, or EUR in Bangkok
before you leave....either at the airport of preferably at a Thai
bank/currency exchange BEFORE you go to the airport."

Why not buy Dong? Is there a particularly large difference in the exchange rate in Thailand and Vietnam?

[Lakegeneve]

1) If you have a lot of info to disseminate and you wish people to EASILY understand your info it it best to adequately space your info, be concise and don't repeat yourself.

2) Just because something is new for you it doesn't mean that it is new for others. 80% of your post is common knowledge which could have been made in point form. Be clear about what is the most pertinent info pls. In this case, the holiday period when the Embassy will be closed and the visa fee increases since 1 Jan 2013..

3) With respect, the majority of your info regarding authorised online visa agents in vietnam seems to be BS. These travel agents are authorised by Immigration in Vietnam to apply for a pre-approval letter issued by Immigration. This letter gives the person named approval from Immigration to fly to a designated entry point - only 3 airports - and receive a visa upon arrival. You then pay the visa fee upon arrival - (previously $25 if it has now increased).

All the BS about it being an introduction letter - which it is not -, your personal info and funds is no different from any other company which is authorised to process visas for other nations.

Most agencies charged up to $20 for this service but it can be as low as $8-12 for people like myself who have used it many times. A total previous max of $45- but as potentially as low as $33-37. Compare that to the previous Embassy fee of 2100 baht ($70-), add in your travel and time costs.

4) You seem to be missing the fact that visas at the embassy cost more and that there is a clear reason for that. If you want to pay much more at the Embassy and waste your time going there twice, then feel free by all means.

However, most regular and return visitors to Vietnam use the online agents as it saves time and is much cheaper. I always recommend this to first time travels who fly into Vietnam and will continue to do so.

Note: I have not quoted current fess as I have not checked. Only fees as applicable for my last trip in Dec 2012.

Enjoy your trip.

[buenavad]

1) If you have a lot of info to disseminate and you wish people to EASILY understand your info it it best to adequately space your info, be concise and don't repeat yourself.

2) Just because something is new for you it doesn't mean that it is new for others. 80% of your post is common knowledge which could have been made in point form. Be clear about what is the most pertinent info pls. In this case, the holiday period when the Embassy will be closed and the visa fee increases since 1 Jan 2013..

3) With respect, the majority of your info regarding authorised online visa agents in vietnam seems to be BS. These travel agents are authorised by Immigration in Vietnam to apply for a pre-approval letter issued by Immigration. This letter gives the person named approval from Immigration to fly to a designated entry point - only 3 airports - and receive a visa upon arrival. You then pay the visa fee upon arrival - (previously $25 if it has now increased).

All the BS about it being an introduction letter - which it is not -, your personal info and funds is no different from any other company which is authorised to process visas for other nations.

Most agencies charged up to $20 for this service but it can be as low as $8-12 for people like myself who have used it many times. A total previous max of $45- but as potentially as low as $33-37. Compare that to the previous Embassy fee of 2100 baht ($70-), add in your travel and time costs.

4) You seem to be missing the fact that visas at the embassy cost more and that there is a clear reason for that. If you want to pay much more at the Embassy and waste your time going there twice, then feel free by all means.

However, most regular and return visitors to Vietnam use the online agents as it saves time and is much cheaper. I always recommend this to first time travels who fly into Vietnam and will continue to do so.

Note: I have not quoted current fess as I have not checked. Only fees as applicable for my last trip in Dec 2012.

Enjoy your trip.

Could you please give a little more information about the on-line service you use? Link ?

Thank you.

[davejones]

One other point - if you're entering by land you need a visa in advance.The online visa thingy is only for arrival at certain airports.

[IMA_FARANG]

My experience is that i have done visa online 3 times without any problems,and it has worked out cheaper than going to the consulate here in bangkok.

You need to go to visa on arrival desk when you arrive at airport(cannot do this for land crossings) fill in some more forms,pay the money in US dollars only,it was 25US dollars.

First 2 times it took only around 10 mins.Third time nearly one hour!!!!!! they ran out of visa stamps.!!!

Think the online letter fee was 16 US approx.

Change your money into Dong at Super Rich here in Bangkok.You get a much better rate than in Vietnam.

-----------------------------

Sorry but the new charge for the stampng fee after 1 January 2013 visa rate increase is now $45 dollars (not $65 as in my previous post).

This increase is in line with the the visa fee increase for ALL Vietnamese visas that went into efeffect on 1 January 2013.

So a on line visa is now about $65 total .....$20 for the service charge to apply for an on line visa, and the now $45 stamping fee on arrival.

The notice about on lin Vietnamese visa services is posted in the Vietnamese consulate in Bangkpk and is stamped with an Vietnamese government stamp.

Wat they want you to understand is that THEY are NOT responsible for any monetary or personal data loss you may suffer by going through any on line visa service, and therefore the Vietnamese government will not compesate you in any way IF you have a problem from that service.

It's a new notice, posted in the last 3 months I believe. It is in Englih and Vietnamese.

Edited April 24, 2013 by IMA_FARANG

[theoldgit]

I saw that "new notice" over a year ago when I got my visa.

Of course the only people that would see this notice would be the people who had visited the consulate anyway, not the people who were getting their emailed letter.

I decided to get my visa stamped in my passport because I had heard anecdotal evidence of a rugby scrum in Hanoi and long waits, when we arrived in Hanoi there was no queue at the visa on arrival counter, I did wonder that if a visa on arrival wasn't really being encouraged then why did they have a counter for it, in any event passengers were being processed pretty quickly, and that method was cheaper.

[stoli]

1) If you have a lot of info to disseminate and you wish people to EASILY understand your info it it best to adequately space your info, be concise and don't repeat yourself.

2) Just because something is new for you it doesn't mean that it is new for others. 80% of your post is common knowledge which could have been made in point form. Be clear about what is the most pertinent info pls. In this case, the holiday period when the Embassy will be closed and the visa fee increases since 1 Jan 2013..

3) With respect, the majority of your info regarding authorised online visa agents in vietnam seems to be BS. These travel agents are authorised by Immigration in Vietnam to apply for a pre-approval letter issued by Immigration. This letter gives the person named approval from Immigration to fly to a designated entry point - only 3 airports - and receive a visa upon arrival. You then pay the visa fee upon arrival - (previously $25 if it has now increased).

All the BS about it being an introduction letter - which it is not -, your personal info and funds is no different from any other company which is authorised to process visas for other nations.

Most agencies charged up to $20 for this service but it can be as low as $8-12 for people like myself who have used it many times. A total previous max of $45- but as potentially as low as $33-37. Compare that to the previous Embassy fee of 2100 baht ($70-), add in your travel and time costs.

4) You seem to be missing the fact that visas at the embassy cost more and that there is a clear reason for that. If you want to pay much more at the Embassy and waste your time going there twice, then feel free by all means.

However, most regular and return visitors to Vietnam use the online agents as it saves time and is much cheaper. I always recommend this to first time travels who fly into Vietnam and will continue to do so.

Note: I have not quoted current fess as I have not checked. Only fees as applicable for my last trip in Dec 2012.

Enjoy your trip.

Could you please give a little more information about the on-line service you use? Link ?

Thank you.

I just did this yesterday. I used VietnamVisaCorp.com. They charged me $19 for their service, which they said would take 1 or 2 days. I received my pre-approval letter from them in the afternoon yesterday. Same day service. It is a pre-approval letter from the Vietnamese. Now I can board the plane. They advised me that the new rate for the Visa is $45, paid when I arrive in Hanoi to immigration, in US dollars. They also offer a second service called "Airport Fast Track Service" where they state they will have everything ready when you get to the airport and you just whisk through and don't have to bother with any long lines. They want $20 for this service. I am going to not use this service and just see how long it takes to get through. What the heck, I've got time. Hope this helps.

Edited April 25, 2013 by stoli

[Tomtomtom69]

"If arriving from Bangkok, it is best to buy USD, GPB, or EUR in Bangkok

before you leave....either at the airport of preferably at a Thai

bank/currency exchange BEFORE you go to the airport."

Why not buy Dong? Is there a particularly large difference in the exchange rate in Thailand and Vietnam?

You can easily buy dong in Bangkok especially at Superrich or otherwise exchange Baht upon arrival. Maybe the OP found Baht hard to exchange at the airport but I can tell you he is wrong. I have exchanged Baht at the airport in Saigon no problem but the best place to exchange other currencies like Baht would be in the city. There is absolutely no reason to exchange at the airport so just wait until you're in town.

Unlike in the past, it's becoming more difficult to use USD directly in Vietnam so if you have any, they must be exchanged for local currency as is the case if you're carrying EUR, GBP, CHF, AUD or THB.

[HeijoshinCool]

I've been three times. Love Viet Nam. But the visa price is crazy.

My guess is the consulate put up that notice because many became aware that a particular lady who issues the visas is a scammer and exceptionally rude. So she's probably been losing money. I know quite a few who have used the online service, and haven't heard a complaint. But, yes, a letter is a pain at the airport.

The last two times, I spent a week in Cambodia, and got my Nam visa there while I explored. Can't remember the cost, but I do recall computing it was (at that time 15 months ago) cheaper than BKK. That's what I'll do next time, too.

Does anyone know the current cost of getting a Vietnam visa in Phnom Penh via an agent? This always seems to be the quickest and cheapest way to get one. I'm going to Vietnam in a few months, stopping in Phnom Penh along the way.

I used the "travel agency" at my hotel. You know your passport is likely safe with them, because you haven't paid the hotel bill yet. Next day service, but, sorry I can't remember the amount. It was noticeably cheaper than the agents I used in LOS, though. But things change fast, you know?