Vietnam Visa Tips

1. Tourist visas allow visitors to enter and exit Vietnam at Hanoi, HCMC and Danang airports or at any of its twelve land borders, three each with Cambodia and China, and six with Laos.

2. Only citizens of certain countries can visit Vietnam without Vietnam Visa.

All other citizens are required to get Vietnam Visa before departure (Vietnam entry visa issued prior to departure by Vietnamese consulates or embassies) or a pre-approved Vietnam Visa (visa is issued on arrival at Vietnam International Airports) supplied before arrival in Vietnam.

3. Tourist visas are valid for a single 30-day stay. The government often talks about issuing visas on arrival to certain favored nationalities, but as yet this sensible scheme has failed to materialize. Arranging the paperwork for a Vietnamese visa has become fairly straightforward, but it remains expensive and unnecessarily time-consuming.

4. It is possible to arrange a visa on arrival through a Vietnamese travel agent. They will need passport details in advance and will send a confirmation for the visa to be issued at your airport of arrival. In Asia the best place to pick up a Vietnamese visa is Cambodia, where it cost around US $30 and can be arranged the same day. Bangkok is also a popular place as many agents offer cheap packages with an airline ticket and visa thrown in.

5. If you plan to spend more than a month in Vietnam, or if you plan to exit Vietnam and enter again from Cambodia or Laos, arrange a three-month multiple-Visa. This cost around US$95 in Cambodia, but is not available from all Vietnamese embassies. In our experience personal appearance influences the reception you receive from airport immigration - if you wear shorts or scruffy clothing, look dirty or unshaven, you can expect problems. Try your best to look 'respectable'.

VIETNAM VISA EXEMPTION INFORMATION:

1. No Vietnam Visa for traveling to Phu Quoc Island Vietnam: Foreigners and Vietnamese nationals bearing foreign passports that enter Vietnam through an international border gate and then travel to Phu Quoc Island and stay in Phu Quoc less than 15 days will also be exempt from Vietnam entry visa application. Passports must be valid for at least 45 days. After arriving in Phu Quoc Island, if visitors want to travel other localities or stay in the island for more than 15 days, the immigration department will be responsible for issuing visas right on the spot.

2. No visa required for travel less than 90 days or several visits within 6 months: Citizens of France holding valid diplomatic or official passports.

3. No Vietnam Visa required for travel less than 60 days: Citizens of Chile holding valid diplomatic or official passports.

4. No Vietnam Visa required for travel less than 60 days: APEC Business Travel Card (ABTC) Holders from Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) member economies.

5. No Vietnam entry Visa required for travel less than 30 days: Citizens of Thailand, Philippines, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Myanmar, Cambodia, Brunei and Laos.

6. No Vietnam Visa required for travel less than 15 days: Citizens of Japan, South Korea, Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Finland.