Generally, visas are required to most visitors who want to enter Vietnam. However, citizens of following countries are allowed to stay in the country between 15 and 30 days without a visa.

• Not more than 30 days: for citizens of Indonesia, Thailand, Singapore, Philippines, Malaysia and Laos.
• Not more than 15 days: for citizens of South Korea and Japan, Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Finland. (Vietnamese diplomatic and official passport holders are exempted from visa requirements to enter Japan).
• French citizens holding valid diplomatic passports are exempted from visa requirements when visiting Vietnam and are allowed to stay for up 3 months at one time or on several visits within six months since their first immigration dates. Vietnamese citizens holding valid diplomatic passports also enjoy similar privileges.
• Citizens of Chile and Vietnam holding valid diplomatic or official passports from one of the two countries are exempt from needing entry, exit and transit visas in the other’s territory and are allowed to stay for up 60 days on each visit.

Visitors can apply for a tourist visa at Vietnamese embassies, consulates in their home countries. Otherwise, they can obtain a visa on arrival at the airports or authorized points of entry. In this case, tourists are required to show an invitation letter, which is issued by Vietnam Immigration Department, to an immigration officer upon arrival. Most travel agencies that provide hotel reservation and tour packages in Vietnam can arrange this letter for their customers. The process takes about 7 days before you get the approved letter of invitation. Travellers need to prepare the following documents and give them to their travel agencies for an application of an invitation letter;

• Full name as in your passport (First name – Last Name/ Sex)
• Birthday and place of birth
• Nationality
• Number of your passport -expiry date
• Entry date, flight number (if arriving by flights)
• Exit date, flight number (if departing by flights)
• Exit date, point of entry and departure (if arriving and/or departing overland)

Document to prepare upon arrival at airport for visa on arrival.

• Valid passport (valid more than 6 months after arriving in Vietnam)
• 2 photos 4 x 6 cm
• Letter of invitation
• Visa fee (25 USD)

You should be firm with your date and point of departure since they are specified in your visa. Changing the information in the visa can be complicated and time consuming.

Three month single entry visa for tourists, three month multiple entry visa and six month multiple entry visa for business purpose can be applied at Vietnamese consulates and embassies in your home countries or nearby countries where Vietnamese consulates are located.

Vietnam’s most popular land crossing point where visa on arrival can be obtained is Moc Bai/ Bavet checkpoint between Vietnam and Cambodia. It is usually used for crossing between Phnom Penh and Ho Chi Minh.

Visa Extension
You can contact your travel agency in Vietnam or the immigration department if you want to extend your stay. The process takes about 3 or four days. Visa extension fees apply.