Tourists visiting Vietnam for the first time might find the process of applying for visas complicated. Authorities have tried to simplify the process, but it somehow only added to the confusion.
Thankfully, there are local agencies in Vietnam that offer assistance services in getting a Vietnam tourist visa. They can simplify things for you and will make sure that your visit to Vietnam will be stress-free.
But before you hire the assistance service, it’s a good idea to understand the various ways in which you can apply for a visa to Vietnam.
This option is considered to be the traditional one when applying for a Vietnam visa. But you have to check first if there is a Vietnamese embassy in your country. As an example, you can visit the website of the Vietnamese embassy located in The Hague if you are from the Netherlands. On this website, you can book an appointment for your visa application. Other embassies might also require applicants to mail their application and passport during the process.
But when you’re already in Southeast Asia, you can proceed to a Vietnam embassy in a neighboring country. For instance, a Vietnam tourist visa can be secured in Bangkok, Thailand. You can also contact a private agency that will provide assistance services when getting a Vietnam visa from an embassy.
It is a must that you secure an application form and fill it out before going to the embassy. Also, prepare two (2) passport-sized photos. After a few days, your visa application will be approved. To indicate the approval of your application, a visa paper will be attached on one page of your passport. The fees will range from $25 to $50, depending on your requested type of visa.
Some of the features that you can get with this type of visa are the option to choose from single or multiple entries. You can also pass through land and sea borders when using this visa.
Please take note that you have to apply and collect your tourist visa in a Vietnamese embassy only. Also, make sure you check the date of arrival. The date indicated in your visa begins on the date you have specified during your application and not on the actual date that you arrived in Vietnam.
Another way of entering Vietnam would be through a visa-on-arrival, which is the easiest option.
For the general process, all you have to do is submit an online application and wait for a pre-approved letter to be sent to your email. You can then fly to Vietnam once it is approved. Present your letter at the airport’s immigration counter and wait for a visa stamp to be issued in your passport. Take note that you need to hire the assistance of a third party agency when getting your pre-approval letter.
First, submit your application online using the assistance service of a local Vietnamese agency. Choose the visa options, which include a 1-month or 3-month validity and single or multiple entries. Then pay for the processing fees.
Upon the approval of your application, you can already leave for Vietnam. Present the letter at the airport’s immigration unit and wait to receive a stamp. Lastly, prepare $25 to pay at the border for the visa stamp. The fees you have paid during the application process is only for the assistance service.
Usually, a visa approval letter from Vietnam’s Immigration Department is needed before successfully getting a visa on arrival. But since tourists cannot directly make transactions with the Immigration Department, you need to hire the assistance service of a local agency. Having an agency will help you get a Vietnam tourist visa easily.
It is a good idea to hire an assistance service when applying for a Vietnam tourist visa. The agency will help you secure a visa within a short period of time. You can have it during the same day of your processing and sometimes within 2-4 hours. Applications can also be processed even during weekends.
If you are traveling to Vietnam as a tourist, it’s important that you apply for your tourist visa ahead. Although Vietnam offers visa exemption to tourists of certain nationalities, most nationalities that are entering Vietnam as a tourist would require a visa before they can enter the country.
The online tourist visa that you can get for Vietnam is valid for only one entry into the country and you can stay for up to thirty days during this time. Â The same tourist e-visa cannot be used for leaving and coming to the country one more time.
The usual processing time for Vietnam e-visa for tourist takes anywhere between 24 hours to 72 hours. Only in rare scenarios it can take longer than that.
Vietnam e-visa is available only for the citizens of 81 countries depending on the country they are travelling from. This allows eligible travellers to enjoy a short stay in Vietnam for 30 days with a single entry for tourist purpose.