The government has recently approved European - Vietnam Free Trade Agreements, which paves a wave for the foreign direct investment into Vietnam as well as a lot of Vietnamese SMEs. In the context of the globalized world, Vietnam always welcomes foreign tourists and foreign investors coming to the country. Hence, no matter how long you stay in Vietnam, it is advised that you apply for a Vietnamese visa. The article provides you with accurate procedures to apply for a visa in Vietnam. 

Apply for a Vietnamese Visa via the Vietnamese Embassy or Consulate 

To apply for a visa via the Vietnamese Embassy, foreigners need to prepare four required documents are:

- Vietnam Visa Application form (attached photo)

- Approval Letter issued by the Immigration Department - Ministry of Public Security of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam or Consular Department, Ho Chi Minh City Department of Foreign Affairs (Ministry of Foreign Affairs) allow you to enter and receive a visa at a Vietnamese Embassy or Consulate abroad (the dispatch must specify the name of the Vietnamese Embassy or Consulate abroad).

- Original passport: Must be valid for at least 6 months from the intended date of entry: If you request a loose-leaf visa, a copy of your passport is sufficient.

- Mail Service: Prepaid self-addressed return envelope is required if you want to have the passport returned by post (FedEx and USPS are recommended).

The procedure goes through five steps. First, fill in Vietnam Visa Application with an attached photo (online or offline). After that, a foreigner will receive an approval letter via email, then present the passport. Next, he/ she will make a copy of Vietnam Visa Application form and the approval letter. Then the last step is to pay visa fee at the Embassy or Consulate as prescribed. 

When the procedure of visa application is completed, a foreigner will wait for a few days so that the Embassy issue the visa. Regarding NG1 and NG2 (these visa types are granted to members of official delegations invited to Vietnam as a governmental body and guests of equivalent ranks), the Embassy will issue within one working day from the date the Embassy received a complete and valid application and notification of approval from the Consular Department or the Department of Foreign Affairs of Ho Chi Minh City.

With regard to other types of visas, they are issued within 03 working days from the date when the Vietnamese representative missions abroad receive a complete and valid application and notification of approval from the Immigration Department, the Consular Department, or the Department of Foreign Affairs of Ho Chi Minh City. 

Apply for Visa on arrival

Who is eligible to apply for a visa in Vietnam according to this method? Under these circumstances are foreigners eligible to apply for visa on arrival: 

- Departing from a country where there is no competent Vietnamese visa-granting authority

- Traveling through many countries before entering Viet Nam

- Visiting Viet Nam on tours organized by an international travel agency operated in Viet Nam

- Foreign crewmembers onboard vessels anchored in Vietnam’s seaport wishing to exit through other border checkpoints

- Visiting Viet Nam to attending a relative’s funeral or visit a seriously ill family member

- Entering Viet Nam to engage in emergency response, search/rescue activities, disaster or epidemic control, or for other special purposes at the request of the competent authority in Viet Nam.

Foreigners should prepare in advance these following documents to apply for a visa on arrival:

- Passport valid for at least 06 months, not torn or blurred

- Approval letter issued by the Immigration Department - Ministry of Public Security of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam or Consular Department, Ho Chi Minh City Department of Foreign Affairs (Ministry of Foreign Affairs) that allows you to enter and get a visa at the international airport in Vietnam.

- Vietnam Visa Application form

- 2 passport photos size 4 × 6 cm

After preparing all mandatory documents, a foreigner follows this procedure to obtain a visa in Vietnam. First, you submit Vietnam Visa Application online. After your application is submitted successfully, you will receive a visa approval letter via email (attached with the Vietnam Visa Application form). Finally, you prepare all documents, photos, required stamping fees, board the plane to Vietnam, and get the visa stamped on passport upon arrival at Vietnam airport. 

Apply for a visa in Vietnam via E-Visa

So, who can apply for a visa in Vietnam via E-Visa? They can be foreigners who are citizens of countries eligible for pilot e-visa issuance according to the regulations of the Vietnamese Government. Besides, they can also be foreigners who hold passports and do not fall into the categories not yet permitted for entry as prescribed in Article 21 of the Law on entry, exit, transit, and residence of foreigners in Vietnam.

In the aspect of electronic visa application, foreigners follow form No.01 issued together with the Government’s Decree posted on the E-Visa information page. 

To apply E-Visa, first and foremost, foreigners access the E-visa information page of the Immigration Portal (Vietnamese domain name: https://www.xuatnhapcanh.gov.vn and English domain name: https://www.immigration.gov.vn) to enter information about e-visa application, download portrait photo and passport page.

After this step, foreigners will be granted a file code. When completing filling in the online form, you pay the visa issuance fee to the account provided at the E-visa information page. Finally, you get results. Foreigners who apply for e-visa use electronic document code to check the results at the e-visa information page, in case of successfully getting the e-visa, use the file code for e-visa printing.

Your visa will be issued within 3 working days from the date of receipt of all the electronic visa applications and visa insurance fees. 

All in all, applying for a visa in Vietnam is a must thing when you would like to travel to Vietnam or work in Vietnam in your long-term plan. The procedures of applying for a visa in Vietnam is fairly easy provided that you submit correct and invalid documents to the Embassy. Hope that you will find helpful information in our article. Viettonkin is willing to assist you in any situation so, don’t hesitate, contact us if you have any problems.  You can learn more about our HR service here.