Vietnam Tourist Visa
1. What is tourist visa for Vietnam?
Vietnam tourist visa (DL) is also known as visitor visa, travel visa or holiday visa which is granted to those who are visiting Vietnam for the purpose of leisure or holiday.
Important information about the Vietnam tourist visa:
⋅ Visa validity: 30 or 90 days
⋅ Number of entries: single or multiple
⋅ Purpose: tourism
To travel to Vietnam for a reason rather than tourism, a different type of visa is required to apply.
2. Who needs a tourist visa to travel to Vietnam?
Vietnam has offered the visa exemption for citizens from the following countries as shown as bellows, to stay up to 15 or 30 days according to the bilateral or unilateral agreements between Vietnamese and these countries. Here are the list of countries enjoying the Vietnam Visa Waver Program.
NOTE: No tourist visa is required for citizens from all countries if they are travelling to Phu Quoc Island and staying up to 30 days, then leaving for another country.
3. Options to obtain Vietnam tourist visa
3.1 Option 1: E-visa (online)
Vietnam e-visa is the most convenient option for international tourists. The e-visa application is submitted online and other supporting documents are digitally uploaded. A Vietnam-visa is sent to your email within 3-4 working days.
However, this option is available now for citizens from 80 countries. If you are not eligible for e-visa, there are two other options to apply for a tourist visa to Vietnam.
Documents required
⋅ Passport is valid for at least 6 months from the expected arrival date and at least 2 blank pages
⋅ A soft file of your passport personal data photo in .jpg format
⋅ A soft file of your portrait photo in .jpg format (white background without glasses)
⋅ A valid international credit or debit card for the payment of E-visa fee (American Express card is not accepted)
How to apply:
⋅ Fill it the online visa application form
⋅ Pay 25usd for e-visa with visa/Mastercard/Paypal
⋅ You receive e-visa by email within a few days
⋅ Print out and bring it with you to Vietnam
3.2 Option 2: Vietnam visa on arrival
International tourists can get tourist visa on arrival in Vietnam which is issued at the international airports of Vietnam. It is not accepted if passengers enter Vietnam through land or sea ports.
To acquire a visit visa, tourists are advised to apply for a visa approval letter in advance before travelling to Vietnam.
Documents required
⋅ Passport: valid for at least 6 months from your arrival date to Vietnam and have at least 2 blank pages for immigration stamps.
⋅ Visa approval letter: required to get before your departure to Vietnam.
⋅ 02 passport sized photos: 4x6cm size, white back ground and taken recently without glasses.
⋅ Vietnamese visa application form: sent to your email or collect it upon on arrival.
⋅ Vietnam visa stamping fee: paid in cash upon arrival
SPECIAL NOTE:
To apply for a visa approval letter, travelers have to submit along:
– 2 nights at 4 star hotels in Ha Noi and Ho Chi Minh upon your arrival in Vietnam
– Vietnam travel insurance
How to apply
⋅ Fill it the online visa application form
⋅ Make a payment for visa approval letter
⋅ You receive the visa approval letter by email within a few days
⋅ Print it out and bring it along with you to Vietnam
⋅ Present the visa approval letter with documents as mentioned above to get visa stamped on your passport.
3.3 Option 3: Vietnamese Embassy/Consulate
Travelers who can not able to apply for e-visa or visa on arrival, can contact the Vietnamese Embassy or Consulate nearest to their place. Applicants need to send the required documents to the Embassy in person or by mail. Embassy applications take longer to process, so travelers need to begin the process as early as possible prior to their trip.
How to apply:
⋅ Contact the embassy or consulate for detailed guidance on visa procedure and fee
⋅ Prepare and submit all documents as required to the embassy or consulate (in person or by mail)
⋅ Visit the embassy again to receive your visa and original passport.
How to extent Vietnam tourist visa
Currently, Vietnam tourist visa can not be extended. If travelers wish to remain in the country, they have to go for visa run to the neighboring countries such as Thailand, Laos and Cambodia to renew their visa.
FAQs
1. Can I work in Vietnam on a tourist visa?
No, you can not. To work in Vietnam, you have to obtain a work permit before getting a working visa or temporary residence card (TRC)
2.How much does a Vietnam tourist visa cost?
The cost of a Vietnam tourist visa is varied depending on which option you will choose to get it. For Vietnam e-visa, it costs 25USD in total while visa on arrival, applicant has to pay for visa service fee and stamping fee. Please check the fee of visa on arrival in details here. The visa fee charged by Vietnamese Embassies differs from the one to another.
3.What happens if I overstay my tourist visa?
In case you overstay in Vietnam you have to pay a fine charged by days of overstaying. It is clearly regulated in Article 8 of the Circular No.144/2021/ND-CP as follows:
⋅ Overstay for less than 16 days: VN 500,000 – VND 2,000,000 (~ US $22 – US $88)
⋅ Overstaying for 16 days – less than 30 days: VND 3,000,000 – VND 5,000,000 (~ US $133 – US $221)
⋅ Overstaying for 30 days – less than 60 days: VND 5,000,000 – VND 10,000,000 (~ US $221 – US $441)
⋅ Overstaying for 60 days – less than 90 days: VND 10,000,000 – VND 15,000,000 (~ US $441 – US $661)
⋅ Overstaying for at least 90 days: VND 15,000,000 – VND 20,000,000 (~ US $661 – US $885)