3 ways to obtain Vietnam visa from February 1, 2017
As on February 1, 2017, the Vietnam Government officially launched a new way of obtaining Vietnam visa which is known as Vietnam e-visa, making the number of ways to obtain a visa for Vietnam reach 3.
Now, let’s discover each of them and find which one is best for you.
1. Vietnam embassy visa
This is the most traditional way of obtaining a visa for Vietnam in which the travelers need to contact the Vietnam embassy which is the most convenient for them to submit their application and get the visa.
How to apply:
- Download the visa application form on website of the embassy you wish to apply with, complete it, attach it with your photo and send to the embassy together with your original passport and visa fee (via post or in person);
- Contact the embassy to track your visa processing process if you wish to do so;
- Receive the visa together with your original passport (via post or in person).
This whole process takes around 4 or 5 working days and a lot of embassies do not accept processing the visa applications urgently.
Convenient for:
- Those traveling to Vietnam on business or leisure trips and wishing to obtain a short or long-term visa;
- Those living close to the embassy of Vietnam;
- Those who do not enter Vietnam via air;
- Those who wish to have visa beforehand.
Not convenient for:
- Those living far from the Vietnam embassy;
- Those who do not wish to wait time travel to the embassy to submit the visa applications; or
- Those who feel worried about the risk of losing original passport on the way to reach the embassy via post and vice versa;
- Those who need a visa urgently, in just few hours.
2. Vietnam visa on arrival
This is the second way to obtain a visa for Vietnam introduced after the first option mentioned above. Since its introduction, this kind of visa has been preferred by a lot of travelers for its conveniences, including no requirement for travel to the embassy to submit the Vietnam visa application or no requirement to send the original passport away by post.
How to apply:
- Go online at https://booking.vietnam-visa.com/step1.html, complete the form with required information;
- Pay for service fee;
- Get visa approval letter via email with detailed guide to pick up full visa upon arrival;
- Get visa stamped at Vietnam airport upon arrival there by presenting original passport, approval letter, entry and exit form and stamping fee.
Convenient for:
- Those traveling to Vietnam on business or leisure trips;
- Those living either far or close to the embassy of Vietnam;
- Those traveling to Vietnam by air;
- Those who do not wish to wait time travel to the embassy to submit the visa applications; or
- Those who feel worried about the risk of losing original passport on the way to reach the embassy via post and vice versa;
- Those who need a visa urgently, in just few hours.
Not convenient for:
- Those not entering Vietnam by air.
- Those who wish to obtain a valid visa beforehand.
3. Vietnam e-visa
This is the very new kind of visa to Vietnam which has been just officially launched since February 1, 2017 under a 2-year pilot plan. This is also a convenient way to get a visa to Vietnam. But it is limited in terms of beneficiaries and visa validity.
How to apply:
- Go online at https://evisa.xuatnhapcanh.gov.vn/web/guest/trang-chu-ttdt and complete the form;
- Pay for US$25 online (this fee shall not be refunded in case your visa application is refused);
- Get a code to track status of your visa processing and get notified if your visa application is approved or not after 3 working days;
- Print out the visa once your application is approved.
Convenient for:
- Those whose nationality is included in the list of 40 eligible nationalities for Vietnam e-visa; just staying in Vietnam for no more than 30 days in one single stay for vacation purpose
Not available for:
- Those whose nationality is not included in the list of 40 eligible nationalities for Vietnam e-visa;
- Those whose nationality is included in the list but wishing to stay in Vietnam for more than 30 days or traveling to Vietnam on business purpose;
Through this post, we are sure that you have a great overview about the current 3 ways available to obtain a Vietnam visa and can decide which is the best for you.
