Who must apply for Vietnam visa?

Most of foreign countries need visa to enter Vietnam except some below feature countries:

–          Citizens of ASEAN countries: Thailand, Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, Cambodia and Laos can stay in Vietnam not beyond 30 days without a visa

–          Filipino citizens are exempt from Vietnam visa for 21 days

–          Brunei citizens are exempt from Vietnam visa for 15 days

–          Passport holders from Korea, Japan, Russia and the Scandinavian nations (Norway, Denmark, Sweden and Finland) do not need a visa to visit Vietnam if they wish to stay not beyond 15 days.

For all above exemption cases, they are required to show their return ticket as a proof of not residing in Vietnam over the permitted time. In case any of them expect to stay longer than prescribed, they must apply for Vietnam visa either through Vietnam Embassy or via a travel agent before arrival.

Other exceptions:

–      French diplomatic or official passport holders are exempt from Vietnam visa for less than 90 days or several visits within 6 months

–      Chile diplomatic or official passport holders are exempt from Vietnam visa for less than 60 days

–       Foreigners hold APEC Business Travel Card (ABTC) can stay in Vietnam not beyond 60 days

–       Foreigners and Vietnamese overseas can visit Phu Quoc island for less than 15 days as long as their passport must be valid for at least 45 days. After arriving in Phu Quoc island, the Vietnam Immigration Department will be responsible for issuing visa on the spot if visitors want to travel other localities or stay in the island for more than 15 days.

–       Vietnamese nationals holding foreign passport or foreigners who are their husbands, wives and children are allowed to stay for not more than 90 days. To get Vietnam visa exemption paper, kindly check out this link for more details:  http://mienthithucvk.mofa.gov.vn/

If you have any queries about how to get Vietnam visa, do not hesitate to contact us via email at support@vietnamvisaonentry.com or hotline:

Regards,

Vietnamvisaonentry

How to fill in On Arrival Form (Entry and Exit form)?

Here are some confusing questions you may need clarification:

–          Question 6: Kind of passport  (refers to regular or diplomatic passport)

–          Question 10: Name, address of office, organization or full name, relation, address of your relatives to contact or visit ( in this case you can fill in your hotel name and its address instead)

–          Question 13: Done at…(regards to where you fill in this form)

Note: Below the form indicates you need to submit 2 forms. However, this information is not exact as what it says. In fact, you only need to fill in one form and submit one to customs officer at Vietnam airport.

Can I enter Vietnam before the arrival date indicated on the approval letter?

No, you cannot. You are strongly advised to estimate the correct arrival date while applying because you are only permitted to enter Vietnam later than your entry visa date, not earlier than that. Otherwise, you will be denied for entry at Vietnam airport.

For example, if you apply for 1 month visa with the arrival date starting on 19^th March, you can enter and leave Vietnam any time you want during 19^th March – 19^th April. However, it is impossible to enter the country on 18^th March.

What is Vietnam visa approval letter?

Vietnam visa approval letter is a legal document issued by Vietnam Department of Immigration that allows foreign travelers to get their visas stamped at Vietnam airport upon arrival. Without a Vietnam visa or Vietnam visa approval letter, visitors will be denied entering Vietnam or even they cannot get on plane from their country.

To get visa approval letter in the quickest manner, you may apply online through a visa service website, fill in an online application form, pay the service fee and get the approval letter via email within 2 working days or less. Copies of the same document will be forwarded on your behalf to Vietnam Immigration checkpoints at International Airports only. Therefore, when you reach Vietnam, the customs officers will have those documents ready and will be able to issue your entry visa quickly. See our guide to visa procedure at Vietnam airports.

What is Vietnam visa code? (visa approval code)

Just like Vietnam visa approval letter, Vietnam visa code is a document issued by Vietnam Department of Immigration. However, the approval code letter is used to get Vietnam visa stamped directly at Vietnam Embassy.

Normally, foreigners can visit Vietnam Embassy in person to get Vietnam visa without applying for visa approval code in advance. However, Vietnam visa code service will fast-track the visa procedure at Vietnam Embassy and you will only need to come there once time instead of multiple times as usual.

What is the difference between Vietnam visa on arrival and Vietnam visa code?

–          Vietnam visa on arrival works well for air travel only

–          Vietnam visa code works well for all means of transport. However, this method should only be used if you wish to travel by sea or border crossing because visa on arrival is the quickest and hassle-free way to get entry Vietnam visa.

Where to get Vietnam visa stamp?

– If you apply for Vietnam visa on arrival, your visa will be picked up at one of 3 international airports in Vietnam( Hanoi with Noi Bai International Airport, Da Nang with Da Nang airport and Ho Chi Minh city with Tan Son Nhat International Airport). When you arrive at Vietnam airport, you will see “Landing Visa” counter before check-in, coming to the “Landing visa” counter, show the pre-approved letter for checking on the system and pay the stamping fee and wait for visa stamped on your passport.

Visa-on-arrival counters:

Hanoi Airport Map – Hanoi airport visa-on-arrival counter.

Ho Chi Minh city airport map – Ho Chi Minh city airport visa-on-arrival counter.

– If you apply for Vietnam visa code service, you will need to print out the approval code letter, show it at your noted Vietnam Embassy and pay the stamping fee to get your visa done there.

What are single entry/ multiple entries visa?

Single entry or multiple entries visa refers to the number of times a traveler can enter and exit Vietnam during a certain period of time.

+ Single entry visa: you are allowed to enter and exit Vietnam once time only during your visa period. This is also called visa with single use. Once this single entry visa is used, you cannot enter Vietnam again but must reapply for a new visa. For example, your type of visa is 1 month single entry visa. It means you cannot re-enter Vietnam if you exit Vietnam after 8 days of stay even your visa is valid for 30 days.

+ Multiple entries visa: you are allowed to enter and exit Vietnam multiple times during your visa period.  After getting a multiple entries visa at the airport, you can exit and re-enter Vietnam at any ports you want. However, when your visa expires, you still need to apply for a new visa.

How much in total must I pay for Vietnam visa on arrival?

There are 2 kinds of fee you must pay to get Vietnam visa upon arrival: service fee and stamping fee.

You must pay the service fee in advance for the travel agent where you apply visa to get the approval letter via email. Based on different promotion policies of travel agents, you may get discount based on your group size, normally cheaper fee for bigger group. If you apply through our service, please click here for the service fee in details.

Besides, you must pay the stamping fee at “landing visa” counter once you reach Vietnam airport. This kind of fee must be paid in cash. USD or VND is much preferred to avoid low exchange rate but you can also use any other currencies.

Arrival in 2013: Stamping fee at the airport (price per person)

45 USD for single 1 month/ 3 months

65 USD for multiple less than 1 month

95 USD for multiple 1 month/3 months

135 USD for multiple 6 months

Must I fill in the form with the exact date of arrival?

No, it’s not necessary to fill in the form with the exact date of arrival. You only need to estimate the earliest time possible you plan to arrive but you completely can arrive after that date. The exit date is the last day you are allowed to stay in Vietnam unless you apply for Vietnam visa extension.

For instance: If you apply for 1 month single entry visa and submit your arrival date as 20^th March, the visa letter will be valid from 20^th March – 20^th April. You can arrive anytime during this period of time but you must leave Vietnam by 20^th April.

How to get Vietnam visa at Vietnam Embassy/Consulate?

There are 2 ways to get Vietnam visa at Vietnam Embassy/Consulate:

–          Visit Vietnam Embassy in person and follow all instructions there to get Vietnam visa done. If you live far away from Vietnam Embasy/ Consulate, you can send a post mail including your original passport and stamping fee to Vietnam Embassy to be processed. This traditional method is regarded to be a bit complex and time-consuming.

–          Apply for Vietnam visa code service through Vietnamvisaonentry.com by filling out our secure online application form including the address of Vietnam Embassy or Consulate near your location. After applying, we will send you an approval code via email within 2 working days and fax the same copy to your noted Embassy/Consulate where you will get your visa stamped. This method will help you fast-track Vietnam visa procedure at Vietnam Embassy/Consulate.

Can I use the approval letter for entering Vietnam by land?

No, you can’t. The visa approval letter is applicable for air travel only. In case, you enter Vietnam by border crossing, you must contact Vietnam Embassy to get visa done there or another simpler method is to apply for Vietnam visa code through vietnamvisaonentry.com.

We will not refund in case you Do Not enter Vietnam by air once visa approval letter is approved.

What documents do I need to show at Vietnam airport to get visa stamped?

Here is a list of things you should prepare before arrival to Vietnam:

–          Your original passport with at least 6 month validity

–          Printed visa approval letter

–          Two passport-sized photos

–          Passport should have at least 2 blank pages where visa sticker can be placed

–          Some cash to pay the stamping fee: 45 USD for 1month/3 month single entry visa; 65 USD for 1 month multiple entry visa; 95 USD for 3 month multiple entry visa

The entry and exit form (not a must; however you can save waiting time by filling it out at home in advance)

How can I check my Vietnam visa approval letter processing status?

You can check your visa processing status by entering your ID order or passport number on Check Visa Status bar.

If your visa shows:

–          “Payment pending” status: your application is submitted, however, your payment has not been made yet.

–          “Under process” status: your visa application is being processed

–          “Completed” status: your visa application has been processed successfully and the approval letter is sent to your inbox

Can I apply for visa to Vietnam if my passport expired?

No, you cannot apply for visa to Vietnam when your passport expired. In such this case, you are advised to renew your passport before applying for Vietnam visa because it must be valid for at least 6 months.

The processing time to renew a passport may take 7-10 working days depending on your Embassy so if you wish to travel to Vietnam on a certain day, please check carefully the expiration date of your passport.

I am a Vietnamese resident overseas, how can I get a Vietnam visa?

For Vietnamese overseas, we offer 2 options as belows:

–          Get visa exemption paper by visiting Vietnam Embassy/Consulate or apply it online through this link: http://mienthithucvk.mofa.gov.vn/.

–          If you would like to save your time, please apply for Vietnam visa on arrival with us

Do I need to send you the scanned copy of my passport?

In most cases, it is not necessary for you to send us the passport scan. However, if the Immigration office needs to verify your information or we suspect of any error in your application, you are required to send us the scanned copy of your passport. In such that case, we will notify you by email immediately.

How long in advance should I apply for Vietnam visa?

You can apply for Vietnam visa from 1 day to 6 months in advance. Although it takes 2-3 working days only to get visa processed, you are strongly advised to apply at least one week before your arrival date to avoid urgent fee and administrative issues. In certain period of time, 3 month visa can take longer to be processed than other types of visa. Therefore you should prepare Vietnam visa as soon as possible before departure.

When should I pay for the approval letter?

You should pay for the approval letter once you submit an application. We will hold your application without processing it until you complete the payment through one of our payment options.

If you have any difficulty making a payment, just send us an email to support@vietnamvisaonentry.com regarding your problem. Then we will shortly create another payment link for you to follow. Keep in mind that no application can be processed until the full payment is made.

What if I enter the wrong passport number in the application?

Once you submit an application on our website, there will be a confirmation email sent to your inbox within minutes showing all information you filled out previously. In this email, if you spot any errors, do not hesitate to contact us right away at support@vietnamvisaonentry.com or through hotline because once the application is under process or issued, there is no way you can fix it but must re-apply for a new one with the correct information.

Can I get my visa stamped if I fly to another airport in Vietnam?

There will be no problem if you switch your destination among 3 international airports in Vietnam: Noi Bai International Airport (Hanoi), Da Nang airport (Da Nang), Tan Son Nhat International airport (Ho Chi Minh city). Visa on arrival works well for 3 above airports so you completely can get your visa stamped there.