Enriched in vibrant culture, exotic scents and fragrant flavors; Vietnam is a country of ineffable beauty. To discover this amazing land, foreigners should get a Vietnam Visa. This article will give you the brief but detailed review about 3 current available options to obtain a Vietnam Visa.
- APPLYING VIETNAM VISA THROUGH EMBASSY
Process to apply for Vietnam visa:
- 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).
Applying through Embassy is the most traditional way to get visa for Vietnam so most of people feel secured with this option. But applicants should be aware that this whole process takes around 4 or 5 working days and a lot of embassies do not accept processing the visa applications urgently.
Beneficial for:
- Those living close to Vietnam Embassy or General Consulate of Vietnam
- Those do not enter Vietnam via air
- Those who expect to have visa beforehand
Not available for:
- Those living far from the Vietnam Embassy
- Those who do not want to waste time traveling to Embassy time after time to submit and correct Vietnam visa application.
- 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 for example.
If those mentioned sentence describe your exact situation, read on the next second option.
- APPLYING VIETNAM VISA ONLINE
This second solution to get Vietnam visa for foreigners is also called Vietnam Visa On Arrival.
Process to apply for Vietnam Visa On Arrival
- Go online at https://booking.vietnam-visa.com/step1.html, complete the form with required information;
- Pay for service fee online;
- 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.
Although VOA may not be suitable for every traveler, VOA solved successfully the difficulties of applying Vietnam visa via Embassy. The simple and secured online process help visa applicants save a great deal of time and efforts. Also, it’s extremely suitable for the current evolving digital world, where both leisure and business trips need flexibility and convenience.
Beneficial for:
- Those living either far or close to the embassy of Vietnam
- Those traveling to Vietnam by air
- Those who do not want to waste time traveling to Embassy time after time to submit and correct Vietnam visa application.
- 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 urgently need a visa to Vietnam, in just few hours for example.
Not available for:
- Those do not enter Vietnam via air
- Those who wish to obtain a valid visa beforehand
- APPLYING VIETNAM E-VISA
This is the most updated solution to get an appropriate Vietnam visa since February 1, 2017 under a 2-year pilot plan.
Process to apply for Vietnam E-visa
- 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.
Compared to 2 above mentioned solutions, applying Vietnam E-visa is considered as the most convenient option. But Vietnam E-visa is largely limited in terms of beneficiaries and visa validity.
Applicable for:
- Those who stay only in Vietnam for no more than 30 days in one single stay for vacation purpose
- Those whose nationality is included in the list of 40 eligible nationalities for Vietnam e-visa.
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
Hopefully, this general overview can help you to select the most beneficial solution to get your Vietnam Visa!
