As a holder of a Vietnam visa, your stay in the country is only limited. Depending on the type of visa that you have, your stay could be limited only to 30 days, 60 days, etc. So what happens if you decide to extend your vacation?
There are many reasons why foreigners will choose to extend their stay in Vietnam. Others would simply want to live in the country longer while some foreigners may have some important transactions to attend to. When it comes to extending your stay in Vietnam, you have two options, the visa extension, and visa renewal. But which of these will work for you? Read on to find out.
When Should You Get a Vietnam Visa Extension?
If you are currently in Vietnam and your visa is about to expire but you still don’t want to exit the country, then you need a visa extension. The visa extension is applicable to holders of tourist visa, business visa, visit visa, and others. To request a visa extension, you need to get in touch with a sponsorship company. These are International travel agencies that can sponsor your stay in the country. But for those who were stranded in Vietnam due to the travel restrictions imposed as a result of the Covid 19 pandemic, they can contact their respective embassy to sponsor their stay.
The requirements that you need to submit for the visa extension will depend on the type of visa that you have. But usually, this will require submitting your passport. You also need to fill out and submit the N5 form or the application for a visa extension. Applicants must also present a certificate of local residency, which they can get from the hotel or landlord of the apartment they are staying in.
Form NA5 for visa extension
Make sure you apply for your visa extension at least 5 days before your existing visa will expire. That’s because it could take up to five working days for your visa extension request to be processed. Once it’s approved, you can continue staying in Vietnam depending on the number of days that you have requested. But take note that once you exit the country, you can no longer use that visa to go back to Vietnam even if it’s still valid.
When Should You Get a Vietnam Visa Renewal?
For foreign visitors who are holding a valid Vietnam visa and would like to go out of the country and come back again, visa renewal is needed before you can be allowed to enter in Vietnam once again. Some foreigners would choose to exit the country before their current visa expires and come back again to renew their visa. This is possible, however, this will cost you more money.
If you want a cheaper way to extend your stay in Vietnam, you should apply for a visa extension. The extension fee that you will pay is much cheaper than what you will spend for the visa renewal. Also, you need to spend for your fare going out of Vietnam and in coming back again. And traveling back and forth can be such a hassle.
So if you are a foreign visitor in Vietnam and your visa is about to expire but you needed to extend your stay, you should apply for a Vietnam visa extension.
What Are the Conditions For Applying for a Visa Extension?
You can only request for an extension of 1 month if you’re currently holding the following visas:
- 1-month single entry
- 1-month multiple entries
- 3-month single entry
- 3-month multiple entries
If you wanted to request for an extension of 3 months, then your current visa should be the following:
- 3-month single entry
- 3-month multiple entries
For those who are holding a business visa, you can extend such a visa for up to 12 months or one year.
Applying for a Vietnam Visa Extension
There are local agencies in Vietnam that can help you with your visa extension. They will make the process easier for you. Requesting for the extension yourself can be a challenge due to the language barrier. But if you go through an agency, they will inform you ahead of the requirements that you need to prepare so this will save you time.
To apply for an extension of your visa, just send in an email to the agency. Also, attach a scanned copy of your passport’s bio page. You are also required to send in a copy of your current visa and it should show the immigration stamp as well as details of your last entry date. You must also provide details of your current address in Vietnam and proof of residency. If they need more requirements from you, they will email you about it. Don’t hesitate to call them if you have any questions regarding your visa extension request.
Do you want to get update for Vietnam visa extension and renewal ? [show answer]
If you need any useful information about Vietnam visa extension or renewal, please take a photo of your current visa then send to us to check following information:
- Type of your current visa (tourist or business | single or multiple entry | place of issuance ….)
- Immigration stamped to know which port you entered Vietnam.
- Latest date of entry to know how long you have been in Vietnam with the current visa
How long would you like to stay more in Vietnam ?
Our email : info@vietnamimmigration.org or drop a message via chat support online.
Frequently Asks About Vietnam Visa Extension
For further request, please email to info@vietnamimmigration.org or Chat online for support bottom right corner. Thanks