One of the challenges that travelers have to deal with is in applying for a visa. In some countries, applying for a visa can be such a daunting task. But if you’re a Hong Kong citizen heading to Vietnam, the process is a whole lot easier.
Hong Kong citizens are eligible for the Vietnam e-visa. This electronic visa can be acquired online and the process is so easy. All you need to do is to fill out an online application form.
Most foreign travelers to Vietnam require a visa and that includes citizens of Hong Kong. Before, the only way to get a visa to Vietnam is to visit a Vietnamese embassy or consulate. Others can also get their visa on arrival at the country but this would require queuing at the airport’s visa counter.
If you want a hassle-free way of getting a visa to Vietnam, you should consider getting an e-visa. This is a single-entry visa that will let you stay in the country for one month or 30 days. You can apply for this visa directly from the Vietnam Immigration’s website. Aside from tourism, you can also use the visa for other purposes, such as business trips, conferences, and more. This will cost you $25 although this could cost more if you will opt for rush processing.
Currently, the Vietnam government has made the e-visa option available to citizens of more than 80 countries, Hong Kong is one of them. Thus, Hong Kong citizens can now avail of the e-visa when going to Vietnam for a holiday.
What’s great about the e-Visa is that you can also use it at seaports and land borders. Of course, you can also use it when entering the airports of Vietnam. The e-visa can be used in 33 international borders of Vietnam including the country’s major airports.
List-of-port that accept for e-visa – Please note that you are only allowed to enter Vietnam from the port you have designated.
As mentioned, the e-visa will only allow you to stay in the country for 30 days. If you need to extend your stay, you can request for a visa extension. There are agencies and organizations that can sponsor your stay and you have to pay them a certain fee. But if you have plans to stay in Vietnam for more than 30 days, you might as well choose other visa options, such as the Visa on Arrival.
With the Visa on Arrival, Hong Kong visitors can apply for multiple entries that will allow them to stay in Vietnam for up to 90 days. You can also choose to apply for a Vietnam embassy if you need a long-term visa for your trip to Vietnam.
It’s very easy to apply for the Vietnam e-visa for Hong Kong citizens. Of course, the first thing you need to do is to get connected to the Internet and access the website to apply for your e-visa. Next, make sure you read the instructions very carefully and have your photo and passport ready.
You will be taken to the application form where you need to upload your photos. The rest of the steps are pretty straightforward. Make sure you provide everything that it asks from you. Otherwise, you won’t be able to proceed to the next page. Here’s the official website for your e-visa application https://xuatnhapcanh.gov.vn
When you’re done with filling out the application form, go to the next page where you will pay for your visa application fee. For the payment, they accept Visa, MasterCard, and PayPal. It’s $25 for e-visa fee.
After successfully submitting your e-visa application, you’ll be given a link where you can monitor the status of your visa. There’s also a visa application code that will be provided. Take note of the code because you’ll use this in downloading your e-visa at a later time.
After about 3 – 5 business days, you should receive an email regarding your e-visa application. If approved, you will be able to download your visa in the PDF format. Print the visa and bring it on your trip to Vietnam.
No, the visa-processing fee that you have paid for is not refundable if you apply your e-visa through government website. Even if your visa will be denied, you cannot get your money back.
If you want to get back your money, please find an agency offer 100% money back guarantee if you are not satisfied. Please note that their fee is higher than government website.
The validity of your e-visa will start on the date you have specified on your visa application. You will be able to enter Vietnam anytime within the period.
You’ll have to apply for a new e-visa once again to cover your new trip. Your previous application will be canceled if a new e-visa will be issued to you.
From 01 Feb, 2019, Vietnam Immigration Department has added more 35 countries to the Vietnam e-visa program, including Hong Kong (China) and Macau (China). But until now the Vietnam e-visa system is just updated for old version of Hong Kong passport – passport number starts with letter “K”.