From beautiful beaches to exotic cuisine, travel to Vietnam can be a rewarding experience. However, before traveling, you should know about certain things - like, visa and their requirements. Without any further ado, let's look at some of the most concerning questions you may have.
What is the Vietnam visa policy?
The Vietnam visa policy puts forward a list of rules and regulations on what types of foreign visitors need to travel to the country. Vietnam offers numerous types of visas and depends on various factors such as the traveler's nationality, the purpose of the visit, and the intended period of stay in Vietnam. Vietnam offers an electronic multi-purpose visa and can be obtained easily by completing an online form, without you having to go to the Consulate or Embassy in person. Available to citizens of over 80 nations, the Vietnam eVisa grants the holder to enter Vietnam for purposes like tourism, study, leisure, or business. However, citizens from over 150 nations are not eligible for Vietnam eVisa, so they must obtain a Vietnam visa from the Consulate or Embassy for tourist purposes or short stays. Citizens of most nationalities must go to the Consulate or Embassy to apply for the relevant visas if they want to live and work in Vietnam. If the visitors want to spend longer in Vietnam than the standard eVisa or tourist visa permits, they will have to do the same. Only citizens from a small number of nations are exempted from Vietnam's visa requirements; they can enter Vietnam for short stays by presenting their passports at the border. For passengers who transit through Vietnam by air, a Vietnam visa is not required if they stay in the airport's transit area and don't stay longer than 24 hours.
Do I need a Vietnam visa?
Yes, most travelers will need a Vietnam visa to enter the country. However, visitors from various African nations and a few parts of Asia are not required to obtain a Vietnam visa for entry. Note that visitors from European and North American nations will require a visa to enter Vietnam.
What are the types of Vietnam visas?
There are two criteria to categorize the types of Vietnam visas.
1. Visit's purpose
2. Validity and length of stay
1. Visit's purpose
According to the purpose of the visit, the Vietnam visa can be of the following types - DH, LD1, LD2, LV, LS, DL, DN1, NG, HN, PV1, to name a few.
Out of the above, the following listed are the popular ones
- Business visa (DN1, DN2)
- Diplomatic visa (NG)
- Investor visa (DT1, DT2, DT3, DT4)
- Student/Internship visa (DH)
- Tourist visa (DL)
- Working visa (LD1 - LD2)
Let's go into a bit of detail!
Business visa: Business visas can be categorized into DN1 and DN2. DN1 visa is granted to foreigners who work in companies and other such organizations under the laws in Vietnam.
DN2 visa is granted to foreigners who come to Vietnam to offer services or perform legal activities under international treaties and to which Vietnam is a member.
A Vietnam business visa, based on the number of entries and validity, can be categorized into the following
- 3 months multiple entry visa
- 1 month multiple entry visa
- 3 months single entry visa
- 1-month multiple entry visa
Diplomatic visa: This visa is granted to the following
- Consulate personnel in Vietnam
- Those who go to work with the Consulate personnel or visit the Consulate personnel for a short duration
- Delegation's members that visit Vietnam at the Vietnamese ministries' invitation or other high-ranked government officials
Unless decided by the Vietnamese embassy and the home nation of the applicant, there's no fee for this visa.
Investor visa: The investor visa is categorized into DT1, DT2, DT3, and DT4. Valid for 5 years, the DT1 visa is granted to the foreign investors in Vietnam and the representatives of the foreign organizations that invest in Vietnam, whose contribution of capital is at least VND100 billion or investing in the business areas and fields of investment, that is decided by the Government of Vietnam.
Also valid for 5 years, the DT2 visa is granted to foreign investors in Vietnam and the representatives of the foreign organizations that invest in Vietnam, whose contribution of capital is VND50 - under VND100 billion or investing in the business areas and fields of investment, that is decided by the Government of Vietnam.
The DT3 visa is granted to foreign investors in Vietnam and the representatives of the foreign organizations that invest in Vietnam, whose contribution of capital is VND3 - under VND50 billion. This visa is valid for 3 years.
The DT4 is granted to foreign investors in Vietnam and the representatives of the foreign organizations that invest in Vietnam, whose contribution of capital is less than VND3 billion. This visa is valid for 12 months.
Student/Internship visa: This visa is granted to those who want to attend a university course in Vietnam.
Usually, this visa can be arranged after arrival in Vietnam. One can enter Vietnam with a tourist visa and can apply for a status change in visa at the Immigration Office after enrolling at the university.
However, the easiest way to get this visa is to have an agency do it for you.
Tourist visa: This visa is issued to those travelers who plan to travel to Vietnam for tourist purposes, and not for doing any business activities in the nation.
The Vietnam tourist visa can be categorized into the following based on the number of entries and validity
- 3 months multiple entry visa
- 1 month multiple entry visa
- 3 months single entry visa
- 1 month multiple entry visa
That said, according to the new regulations taking effect from July 1, 2020, the travelers who holds Vietnam tourist visas and which are valid for more than 30 days are given a 30-day temporary stamp residence; they can, however, choose to extend the visa in Vietnam, if they wish to remain in the nation for a long duration.
Working visa: Foreigners who want to come to Vietnam for work can opt for this visa. It is categorized into LD1 and LD2.
Valid for 2 years, the LD1 visa is granted to foreigners who have come to Vietnam to work with a work permit exemption certificate, unless it's been provided for in international treaties to which Vietnam is a member.
The LD2 visa is granted to foreigners who have a work permit to work in Vietnam.
2. Validity and length of stay
According to validity and length of stay, a Vietnam visa can be categorized into the following - 12 months multiple entry visa - 6 months multiple entry visa - 3 months multiple entry visa - 1 month multiple entry visa - 3 months single entry visa - 1 month single entry visa The main difference between a multiple entry visa and a single entry visa is the number of entries into the country. A single entry visa is valid for one stay in Vietnam while a multiple entry visa allows several stays in Vietnam as long as the visa is valid.
How to get Vietnam visa?
To get a Vietnam visa, the Vietnam visa application process is easy and can be divided into three parts. One can get a Vietnam visa through the following - Through online, and which is known as Vietnam eVisa - Through the Consulate or Embassy - By getting a visa on arrival However, we will be focusing on the online process for the article's sake. So, without any further ado, let's get on to the main topics ahead.
What is a Vietnam visa? How much is Vietnam visa?
A Vietnam visa is the same as the other visas – it is a permit that allows the traveler to enter the nation of Vietnam legally. To get a Vietnam visa, you have to pay two types of fees. Approval letter fee - Depending on the visa type and the number of visas that you request, the approval letter fee will start from $17 and will go up. Stamping fee - A fee has to be paid when the visa stamp arrives. For a single-entry visa, the fee is $25 and for a multiple entry visa, the fee is $50. The fee can be paid either in US Dollars or Vietnamese dong.
What is Vietnam eVisa? And what is Vietnam eVisa's cost?
A Vietnam eVisa is the same as a Vietnam visa; the only difference is that the visa is issued to the applicants via an electronic system. As for the Vietnam eVisa's cost, the Vietnam e visa cost is quite reasonable, as mentioned above. You need to pay $17 for the visa approval letter, and based on the visa type and your requests, the fee of $17 may go up. There's also the stamping fee to be paid - for a single-entry visa, the fee is $25 and for multiple entries, it will be $50. One can pay either in Vietnamese dong or US Dollars.
How to get Vietnam eVisa?
For travelers wanting to visit Vietnam, rest assured that the Vietnam visa application process is quite an easy one. You will need to fill out an online form at this website - it is one of the best Vietnam visa services. This will help you in getting an approval letter that you will have to show in Vietnam upon your arrival to get the visa stamp. Make sure that you have the right amount to pay before you depart for Vietnam. Your passport must be valid for at least 6 months before you arrive in Vietnam, and must have at least a few blank pages for visa stamps. Once you apply for the Vietnam eVisa, fill out the form with the correct and necessary details, and following which, pay the Vietnam eVisa fees. It will take 2-3 days for processing the visa, and once processed, you will receive the approval letter within 2 days. Take a printout of the approval letter in color, and bring it with you. Also, it's a must to bring 2 recent passport photos. However, if you are an Indian citizen, and want to visit Vietnam, take note that the Vietnam e visa for Indian citizens is not easy - Indian passports are difficult when acquiring a visa for Vietnam, because of the high fees that the Indian passport holders have to face. They will also need to produce a passport copy and return flight proof with their visa application. As such, it's best to apply for a Vietnam visa online at one of the best Vietnam visa services, that way, it will provide you extra time if any issues crop up.
