October 8, 2020
Visa tips

Which Countries Need Vietnam Visa: An Update About Visa-free Policies After Covid-19

Vietnam is a wonderful country to visit in Southeast Asia. In fact, your backpacking trip to Asia won’t be complete if you don’t include Vietnam on your list of countries to visit. It’s home to several interesting historical and religious sites, not to mention gorgeous beaches and scenic mountains.

Before you fly into Vietnam, you have to make sure that you possess the right travel documents including a visa. But not all nationalities are required to have a Vietnam visa. Vietnam offers visa-free entry to tourists coming from a limited number of countries. If your country is not on the list, then you need to apply for a visa ahead of your trip. Read on to find out which countries need Vietnam visa.

đź’ˇ Important Note : At the moment of the writing article (Covid-19 period), the government of Vietnam still remain suspending all visa-free policies to visitors and the border still not open for tourists.

Countries with Visa-free Entry Into Vietnam

Below is a list of countries that can enter Vietnam visa-free. If you came from a country that is not on the list, then you need to have a visa to enter Vietnam.

  • Chile
  • Cambodia
  • Indonesia
  • Kyrgyzstan
  • Laos
  • Malaysia
  • Myanmar
  • Singapore
  • Thailand
  • Philippines
  • Brunei
  • Belarus
  • Denmark
  • Finland
  • France
  • Germany
  • Italy
  • Japan
  • Norway
  • Russia
  • South Korea
  • Spain
  • Sweden
  • UK

Applying for a Vietnam Visa

Any tourist that came from countries not listed above must have a tourist visa before they can enter Vietnam for a holiday. When it comes to applying for a tourist visa, you will have two options, the Vietnam e-visa or the Visa on Arrival.

  • Vietnam E-visa – In order to make it easier for tourists to apply for their Vietnam visa, the government has introduced the Vietnam e-visa. This is a visa that can be applied and will be issued online as well. Currently, the visa is available to tourists coming from more than 80 countries. This is a single entry visa that will grant you a stay of up to 30 days.
  • Visa on Arrival – If you want to stay longer in Vietnam, you can choose the visa on arrival. This will let you apply for multiple entries with a maximum stay of 60 days. Although this visa is being issued on arrival at the airport, you need to pre-register for this visa online. After you register, they will email you a pre-approval letter. You must present this letter at the Immigration counter so they can give you your visa.

The Vietnam E-visa will take up to three working days to be processed and costs $25. This visa will allow you to enter Vietnam through various ports of entry, including airports, seaports, and land border crossings.

When requesting for a pre-approval letter for the Visa on Arrival, tourists will be asked to pay for the processing fee. They must also pay for the stamping fee of $25 when they arrive at the airport to claim the visa. This visa can only be claimed at the airports of Vietnam and is not available at seaports and land border entry points.

Visiting Phu Quoc Island

If you are only visiting the tourist island of Phu Quoc, you no longer need to have a visa regardless of your nationality. That’s because the Vietnamese government has allowed visa-free entry for all nationalities who want to holiday on the island. This is their way of inviting more tourists to holiday on the island.

All tourists can stay on the island for up to 30 days. In order for them to be allowed a visa-free entry in Phu Quoc, they must fly directly into Phu Quoc airport coming from another country, or from Ho Chi Minh or Hanoi.

Notes on Vietnam Visa Exemptions

When the Covid-19 pandemic started in March, Vietnam has decided to temporarily suspend the visa exemptions for citizens of the following countries:

  • South Korea
  • Japan
  • Belarus
  • Russia
  • European Union countries
  • United Kingdom

Vietnam has also stopped issuing visas to countries that have recorded more than 500 cases of Covid-19 infections.

As of September 15, Vietnam has resumed some international flights going to selected countries. These include Japan, South Korea, China, and Taiwan. However, Vietnam will only allow the entry of visitors who are visiting for essential reasons. Tourists are not yet allowed to enter Vietnam at the moment. Those who are planning to enter Vietnam must apply for a visa from a Vietnam embassy.

Spouses, children, or any family member of a Vietnamese citizen can enter Vietnam visa-free and stay for up to six months. However, they are required to show proof that they are related to the Vietnamese national.

It’s not yet clear when Vietnam will start accepting foreign tourists. Right now, the Covid-19 situation in the country is in control so there’s a good chance that it will open to tourism soon. If you have plans to visit Vietnam for a holiday in the near future, it’s important to know ahead which countries need Vietnam visa.

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