Vietnam Visa
Vietnam is a long, thin country in Southeast Asia. Its neighbouring countries are China to the north, Laos and Cambodia to the west.
Visitors to Vietnam must obtain a visa from one of the Vietnamese diplomatic missions unless they come from one of the visa exempt countries or countries eligible for electronic visas.
VIETNAM FREE VISA ENTRY
The citizens of below countries are able to visit Vietnam without an entry visa:
– Most citizens of ASEAN member-countries as Thailand, Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, Cambodia, and Laos do not need a Vietnam visa if they visit Vietnam within 30 days. The Philippine passport holders do not need a Vietnamese visa for 21 days and Myanmar do not need Visa within 14 days. The passport holders of Brunei are not required to get a visa to Vietnam for 15 days. They could apply for popular passport type with return tickets.
– From July, 1st 2015 to next June 2016, Vietnam Government exempts Visas for nationals of 5 Western European countries as: France, Germany, Spain, United Kingdom and Italy. They do not need visa if staying in Vietnam less than 15 days regardless of their purpose or type of visas.
– The Passport Holders from Korea, Japan, Russia and the Scandinavian nations (as Norway, Denmark, Sweden, and Finland) do not need a visa to Vietnam if they intend to stay in the country within 15 days. They could also apply for popular passport type with return tickets.
TYPES OF VIETNAM VISA
As the new regulations went into effect in January 2015, there are about 20 different types of Vietnamese visas including DL, DN, NG, LV, DH, HN, PV, TT, VR, SQ ..ect.
|
Visa Type |
Description and Information |
Validity |
|
NG1 – NG4 |
Diplomatic Visas |
No longer than 12 months |
|
LV1 – LV2 |
Working with Vietnam authorities or parties |
No longer than 12 months |
|
ĐT |
Investor Visas |
No longer than 5 years |
|
DN |
Working with Vietnamese enterprises |
No longer than 12 months |
|
NN1 – NN2 |
Chief Representative Office in Vietnam, Head of Project Office of foreign NGO |
No longer than 12 months |
|
NN3 |
NGOs’ Staff, Rep office in Vietnam |
No longer than 12 months |
|
DH |
Student/Internship |
No longer than 12 months |
|
HN |
Meetings/Conferences |
No longer than 03 months |
|
PV1 |
Journalists with permanent residence in Vietnam |
No longer than 12 months |
|
PV2 |
Journalists with short term residence in Vietnam |
No longer than 12 months |
|
LĐ |
Foreign workers/Working visas |
No longer than 2 years |
|
DL |
Tourist/Visitor Visas |
No longer than 03 months |
|
TT |
Dependents of LV1, LV2, ĐT, NN1, NN2, DH, PV1, LĐ |
No longer than 12 months |
|
VR |
Family visits, other purposes |
No longer than 06 months |
VIETNAM VISA REQUIREMENTS
The following documents are required to apply for a Vietnam visa:
- Passport: A passport with at least 6-month validity from the date of travel. Temporary passport may be declined.
- Photo: Two passport sized photos (4×6 cm and must be recently taken with no glass-wear)
- Application Form: M3 entry/exit form (for visa on arrival)
- Stamping Fee: Pay by cash upon arrival (for visa on arrival) – $25 for single entry and $50 for multiple entry
- Approval Letter: This is required if you want to obtain the visa on arrival at Vietnam’s airport.
HOW TO APPLY FOR A VIETNAM VISA
You can also obtain visas through Vietnamese embassies and consulates around the world, but fees are normally much higher than using a visa agent and (depending on the country) the process can be slow.
Make a check list of the documents that you need to submit along with your application form. Gather all the documents and keep them ready for submission.
Submit your completed visa application form in person or through a representative or travel agent at the Vietnam Embassy or Consulate nearest to you, along with all the required documentation. Pay the applicable fee for your visa application at the time of submitting your application form.
After your visa is issued you will be notified about it. Collect your visa on time.
VIETNAM VISA APPLICATION FORM
All applicants must download the visa application form, fill in the required details and submit it with mandatory documents to start the process for a Vietnam visa.
You can download Vietnam visa application form from internet or get directly from the embassy or consulate. It is recommended to contact nearest Vietnamese embassy or consulate before starting prepare all required documents for application process.
VISA PROCESSING TIME
Processing time for Vietnamese travel visa varies from embassy to embassy. Some embassies need only 1-2 business days and the others require 1 week.