Applying for a visa to Vietnam is no longer a problem when Vietnam or other countries are in the process of globalization. Nowadays, many foreigners come to Vietnam to travel, work or live.
Foreigners wishing to enter Vietnam must have a VN visa issued by a Vietnam consulate/embassy in the host country. In addition, foreigners can also apply for an e-visa, or a visa approval letter to get a Visa at Vietnam airport.
Vietnam visa policy
See policy and requirements for citizens of a specific country:
Vietnam visa is a document issued by a Vietnamese competent authority allowing a foreigner (visa holder) to enter Vietnam.
Vietnamese citizens holding Vietnamese passports do not need a visa to enter and leave Vietnam. Foreign nationals traveling to Vietnam must have a valid visa issued by one of the Vietnamese diplomatic missions or the Immigration Department unless they are from one of the countries exempted from visa.
Visa exemption
Full detailed information: Vietnam visa exemption
Vietnamese residing overseas and foreigners who are spouses, children of Vietnamese holding foreign passports will be exempt from visas but they need to apply for a visa exemption certificate beforehand. Each entry is allowed to stay for 6 months. The visa exemption document has a maximum validity of 5 years and is at least 6 months shorter than the passport duration.
In addition,
- those coming from Chile are exempted from Vietnam visa for up to 90 days on tourist purpose,
- those from Cambodia, Indonesia, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand are exempted from visa to Vietnam for up to 30 days,
- those from the Philippines are exempted from visa to Vietnam for up to 21 days,
- those from Brunei and Myanmar are exempted from visa to Vietnam for up to 14 days, and
- those from Belarus, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Norway, Russia, South Korea, Spain, Sweden and UK (not applicable to BNO passport holders) are exempted for visa for up to 15 days in Vietnam if their arrival date is at least 30 days from exit date of their last stay in Vietnam with visa waiver.
Vietnam visa types
There are many ways to divide Vietnam visa categories, such as based on the purpose of entry, the number of entries and the validity of the visa. Vietnam visa is issued to foreigners who enter Vietnam for purposes of diplomatic, tourism, business, investment, visiting relatives, etc. with single or multiple entries within 1 month, 3 months, 6 months or 1 year.
For travel purpose, there’s specific type of visa called Vietnam tourist visa.
How to get visa to Vietnam
There are currently 3 ways to apply for a Vietnam visa.
1. Get visa for Vietnam in person at Vietnam embassy
You choose a Vietnamese embassy or consulate near where you live to find out the procedure. After preparing the documents according to the instructions, you bring them to the embassy to submit. After 5-7 days, you will return to the place where you submit the dossier to receive your results
2. Get Vietnam e-visa
Some countries are granted electronic visas by Vietnam. Vietnam e-visa is issued by Vietnam Immigration Department from February 2017. The steps to apply for an electronic visa to Vietnam include:
- Visit the website https://evisa.xuatnhapcanh.gov.vn and provide the necessary information.
- Pay the e-visa service fee ($25) via the online platform.
- Visit the website again after a few days, in the search box enter the registration code, email and date of birth to check the status of your electronic visa processing.
- Get the link to download and then print your e-visa after your visa application is approved.
- Present electronic visa or verification code at the entry border into Vietnam.
3. Get Visa on arrival for Vietnam
See more: Vietnam visa on arrival.
- Visa on arrival service providers will help you get approval letter after you provide all necessary information in the form and pay the service fee.
- You receive an approval letter via email. Please print it on A4 paper and bring it to check in at Vietnam airport upon entry.
- At the airport, you submit a stamping fee and get visas stamped on your passport.
The typical fee of a visa for entering Vietnam can be found here: Vietnam visa fee.