How to get a Vietnam visa

October 27, 2019

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Note:

This post is based on my research before Coronavirus hit us. Vietnam is on hold until better times and I will up date this post as and when I get to travel to Vietnam again. Thank you.

Here are your options for getting a visa for Vietnam:

Visa - Free - Citizens of 24 countries do not require visas to enter Vietnam.

15 days - Belarus, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Norway, Russia, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom
14 days - Brunei, Myanmar
21 days - Philippines
30 days - Cambodia, Indonesia, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand
90 days - Chile

You must arrive and depart by plane, provide an onward flight ticket and you must wait 30 days to be eligible for another visa-free stay.

Visa On Arrival - You can apply for a Visa On Arrival.
You must apply for a 'letter of approval' and then present your documents upon arrival at the airport in Vietnam to obtain the actual visa. The 'approval letter', commonly costs 10USD and upon arrival, you pay 25USD for the visa.

The VOA is only available at international airports and you must show an onward ticket. It's valid for 30 days and is non extendable. When applying, you must stipulate (air)port of entry, and entry and exit dates.

E Visa - Citizens of 81 countries can apply for an E Visa. It is valid for 30 days and is non extendable.

You can enter Vietnam at land border crossings too. You must stipulate the 'port of entry' AND 'port of exit' when applying for the visa as well as the dates.

Apply for Visa at Embassy - If you are not eligible (or like to make things harder for yourself or don't have a credit card) for visa free, VOA or E Visa you can apply the old fashioned way: get yourself to the nearest Vietnamese Embassy or Consulate.

Many moons ago, I got my visa through Trailfinders in London. It was valid for 3 months from date of issue and allowed entry and departure at all border crossings, and in 2011 I got a 30 day single entry from the consulate in Sihanoukville, Cambodia. Agencies in Phnom Penh and Siem Reap can also get for you.

For a little commission, agencies save you the leg work and possible frustrations. You also pay in cash! I recall the issuing process in Snookville took less than 5 minutes. It was valid from the dates I requested.