Visa policy of Vietnam

Visitors to Vietnam must obtain a visa from one of the Vietnamese diplomatic missions unless they come from one of the visa exempt countries or countries eligible for electronic visas.[1] However, owing to the COVID-19 pandemic in Vietnam, the issuance of visas was temporarily suspended.[2][3][4] On March 15, 2022, Vietnam reopened its borders and resumed its pre-pandemic entry and exit policies though 90 day visas (available pre-pandemic via consular offices worldwide) have remained unavailable.[5] Vietnam’s lawmakers on June 24 in the National Assembly passed an approval to increase the validity of electronic visas for inbound visitors on recommendation of the government. Effective August 1, the validity of the approved e-visa will be 90 days from the current duration of 30 days.[6]

Politics of Vietnam
Ideology
Constitution
  • History
    • 1946
    • 1959
    • 1980
    • 1992
    • 2013
Communist Party
Legislative
  • Provincial People's Councils
Presidency
Executive
Fatherland Front
Military
Foreign relations
See also
flag Vietnam portal
Vietnamese loose-leaf visa.

History

Decree No. 390/TTg dated October 27, 1959, on the regulation of passport control, signed by Prime Minister Pham Van Dong, was the first legal document that regulated passport control in Vietnam.[7] Article 1 of the decree states:

Vietnamese citizens and foreigners entering or leaving the Democratic Republic of Vietnam must carry a passport with a visa issued by the competent authority of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam, and must present the passport with the visa to the police station at the final place when leaving or the first place when entering.

This means that both Vietnamese citizens and foreigners, when leaving or entering Vietnam, must have a passport and a visa. A person who wants to leave the territory of Vietnam must have an exit visa. Exit visas are administrative procedures imposed to restrict the freedom of citizens of a country to travel abroad. This measure was previously used by many countries, especially socialist countries, to control their citizens and migration issues. Currently, only a very few countries in the world still use exit visas (for example: Saudi Arabia). Therefore, before the Renovation period, the travel of Vietnamese citizens abroad was highly restricted and tightly controlled. Vietnamese individuals were issued passports and exit/entry visas mainly for official work purposes, with decisions made by relevant authorities.

In 1988, Prime Minister Vo Van Kiet issued the Decision of the Chairman of the Council of Ministers No. 48/CT dated February 26, 1988, on allowing Vietnamese citizens to temporarily leave the country to settle personal matters.[8] This decision relaxed the regulations on exit permits "to meet the legitimate aspirations of our people to apply for temporary exit permits to settle personal matters".

In 1993, the Government issued Decree No. 48-CP on passports and visas,[9] which unified the regulations on passport types and visas for the first time. The decree officially abolished entry visas for holders of Vietnamese passports, as stated in Article 10, Clause 3:

Vietnamese citizens (except Vietnamese citizens residing abroad) holding diplomatic passports, official passports, or ordinary passports are exempt from entry visas to Vietnam.

It was not until 1997 that Prime Minister Phan Van Khai officially abolished the regulation on exit visas for Vietnamese citizens by issuing the Decision No. 957/1997/QD-TTg of the Prime Minister on improving some procedures for exit and addressing the issue of Vietnamese citizens who have left the country but have not returned on time,[10][11] stated in Clause 2, Article 1:

Vietnamese citizens with valid passports are exempt from exit visas and can pass through Vietnam's international border gates.

As for foreigners, in 2000, the National Assembly abolished exit visas by referring to all types of visas (exit, entry, exit-entry, entry-exit) as visas (valid for entry and exit) in the Ordinance No. 24/2000/PL-UBTVQH10 on Entry, Exit, and Residence of Foreigners in Vietnam[12] by the Standing Committee of the National Assembly.

In 2014, the National Assembly of Vietnam issued the Law on Entry, Exit, Transit, and Residence of Foreigners in Vietnam (No. 47/2014/QH13), which is the highest legal document that regulates all activities related to the entry, exit, transit, and residence of foreigners in Vietnam.[13]

Visa policy map
Visa policy of Vietnam
  Vietnam
  Visa-free - 90 days
  Visa-free - 45 days
  Visa-free - 30 days
  Visa-free - 21 days
  Visa-free - 14 days
  eVisa - 90 days

Visa exemption

Ordinary passports

Holders of normal passports issued by the following 25 countries do not require a visa to visit Vietnam, including all ASEAN nationals. According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Vietnam, the maximum allowed period of stay depends on nationality:[14]

90 days (2)

45 days (13)

30 days (8)

21 days (1)

14 days (1)

In addition, citizens of China, Cuba and North Korea who hold passports for public affairs or normal passports endorsed "for public affairs" do not require a visa to enter Vietnam.

A visa waiver agreement for ordinary passports was signed with  Kazakhstan in 21 August 2023 and it is yet to come into force.

Certificate of visa exemption
A certificate of visa exemption for an overseas Vietnamese national who holds a foreign passport

Holders of Certificates of Visa Exemption do not require a visa regardless of nationality. A Certificate of Visa Exemption is valid for up to 5 years or up to 6 months before the passport expiration date (whichever is shorter). This is available for Vietnamese residing abroad or spouses or children of Vietnamese citizens or Vietnamese residing abroad.[30] The exemption is valid for up to 180 consecutive days of stay. There is no limit placed on the number of entries or exits during the stay or minimum waiting time needed in between each 180 days of stay.

Non-ordinary passports
Visa policy of Vietnam for holders of diplomatic or official/service category passports
  Vietnam
  Visa free access for diplomatic and official/service category passports
  Visa free access for diplomatic passports

Holders of diplomatic or service category passports of Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Angola, Argentina, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Belarus, Bolivia, Brazil, Bulgaria, Chile, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Côte d'Ivoire, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, France, Germany, Hungary, India, Iraq, Italy, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Mexico, Moldova, Mongolia, Montenegro, Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar, Nepal, Nicaragua, North Korea, Pakistan, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Seychelles, Singapore, Slovenia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Tanzania, Tunisia, Turkey, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, Uruguay, Venezuela, and holders of diplomatic passports only of Czech Republic, Estonia, Greece, Israel, Malta, Poland, Slovakia, Switzerland and Uzbekistan do not require a visa to visit Vietnam.[20]

Visa waiver agreements for diplomatic and service passports were signed with the following countries but are not yet in effect:

Phú Quốc Island

Travellers who are not exempted from visa requirements can visit Phú Quốc without a visa for up to 30 days.[35][36][37] They must arrive at Phú Quốc directly from a third country, or from airports in Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City where they will clear immigration and proceed to the domestic terminals.[1]

Transit

Passengers of any nationality may transit through Vietnam by air without a visa for less than 24 hours providing that they do not intend to leave the sterile transit area. Staying overnight in the transit lounge is permitted.[1]

E-visa
Vietnam E Visa Stamp on Indian Passport at HCMC airport

Vietnam has introduced a pilot electronic visa system on 1 February 2017[38] The e-visas have a cost of US$25 and are granted for single entry visits for up to 30 days.

Starting from August 15, 2023, e-visas are issued to citizens of all countries and territories and are issued for multiple-entry up to 90 days.[39]

The list of border crossings that allow foreigners to enter and exit on an e-visa includes:

List of international airports

List of road border crossings

  • Tay Trang, Dien Bien Province
  • Mong Cai, Quang Ninh Province
  • Huu Nghi, Lang Son Province
  • Lao Cai, Lao Cai Province
  • Na Meo, Thanh Hoa Province
  • Nam Cau, Nghe An Province
  • Cau Treo, Ha Tinh Province
  • Cha Lo, Quang Binh Province
  • La Lay, Quang Tri Province
  • Lao Bao, Quang Tri Province
  • Bo Y, Kon Tum Province
  • Moc Bai, Tay Ninh Province
  • Xa Mat, Tay Ninh Province
  • Tinh Bien, An Giang Province
  • Vinh Xuong, An Giang Province
  • Ha Tien, Kien Giang Province

List of sea border crossings

  • Hon Gai Port, Quang Ninh Province
  • Cam Pha Port, Quang Ninh Province
  • Hai Phong Port, Hai Phong city
  • Nghi Son Port, Thanh Hoa Province
  • Vung Ang Port, Ha Tinh Province
  • Chan May Port, Thua Thien Hue Province
  • Da Nang Port, Da Nang City
  • Nha Trang Port, Khanh Hoa Province
  • Quy Nhon Port, Binh Dinh Province
  • Dung Quat Port, Quang Ngai Province
  • Vung Tau Port, Ba Ria Province - Vung Tau
  • Ho Chi Minh City Port, Ho Chi Minh City
  • Duong Dong Port, Kien Giang Province

E-visa holders with Chinese biometric ordinary passport must get a loose-leaf visa free of charge at the port of entry. This is because the passport contains a disputed map of the South China Sea, and the Vietnamese government refuses to stamp on it.[40]

Pre-arranged visa

Holders of a visa letter issued and stamped in Hanoi or Da Nang or Ho Chi Minh City by the Vietnamese Immigration Department within the Ministry of Public Security or the Consular Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs can obtain a visa for a maximum stay of 1 or 3 months at airports in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Da Nang, Phu Quoc, Hai Phong, Da Lat or Nha Trang.[1]

APEC Business Travel Card
A Vietnamese visa, issued in the United States

Holders of passports issued by the following countries who possess an APEC Business Travel Card (ABTC) containing "VNM" on the back of the card can enter visa-free for business trips for up to 60 days.[1]

ABTCs are issued to nationals of:[41]

Statistics

Most visitors arriving in Vietnam on short-term basis were from the following countries of nationality:

Data Source: Ministry of Culture, Sport & Tourism[42][43]

RankCountry9/202320223/2020201920182017201620152014201320122011
1 South Korea2,584,840769,167819,0894,290,8023,485,4062,415,2451,543,8831,112,978847,958748,727700,917536,408
2 China1,122,57271,862871,8196,806,4254,966,4684,008,2532,696,8481,780,9181,947,2361,907,7941,428,6931,416,804
3 Taiwan575,10189,463192,216926,744714,112616,232507,301438,704388,998398,990409,385361,051
4 United States548,866215,274172,706746,171687,226614,117552,644491,249443,776432,228443,826439,872
5 Japan414,444128,764200,346951,962826,674798,119740,592671,379647,956604,050576,386481,519
6 Thailand*351,226162,567125,725509,802349,310301,587266,984214,645246,874268,968225,866181,820
7 Malaysia*333,396135,007116,221606,206540,119480,456407,574346,584332,994339,510299,041233,132
8 Australia283,13699,15692,227383,511386,934370,438320,678303,721321,089319,636289,844289,762
9 Cambodia*270,319140,461120,430227,910202,954222,614211,949227,074404,159342,347331,939423,440
10 Singapore*229,007128,39951,726308,969286,246277,658257,041236,547202,436195,760196,225172,500
11 United Kingdom187,21667,33781,433315,084298,114283,537254,841212,798202,256184,663170,346156,300
12 France155,13758,10774,480287,655279,659255,369240,808211,636213,745209,946219,721211,444
13 Germany142,36459,97561,465226,792213,986199,872176,015149,079142,34597,673106,06845,000
14 Philippines*129,38336,28136,969179,190151,641133,543110,96799,757103,403100,50199,192TBA
15 Canada96,47737,89441,807159,121149,535138,242122,929105,670104,291104,973113,563TBA
16 Laos*95,68847,00236,81098,492120,009141,588137,004113,992136,636122,873150,678118,500
17 Russia88,29328,056244,966646,524606,637574,164433,987338,843364,873298,126174,287101,600
18 Indonesia*72,13026,33821,446106,68887,94181,06569,65362,24068,62870,39060,857TBA
19 Spain51,86422,51111,78383,59777,07169,52857,95744,93240,71633,18331,305TBA
20 Netherlands50,29619,75618,26581,09277,30072,27764,71252,96749,12047,41345,862TBA
21 Italy41,42315,05117,77470,79865,56258,04151,26540,29136,42732,14331,337TBA
22 New Zealand23,9598,6819,47047,08849,85449,11542,58831,96033,12030,95726,621TBA
23 Denmark22,5478,25014,44442,04339,92634,72030,99627,41427,02925,64927,970TBA
24  Switzerland19,7638,02510,84536,57734,54133,12331,47528,75029,73828,42328,740TBA
25 Belgium19,1668,1047,45234,18731,38229,14426,23123,93923,22721,57218,914TBA
26 Sweden18,7206,48721,85750,70449,72344,04537,67932,02532,46631,49335,735TBA
27 Norway17,7935,2358,95828,03726,13424,29323,11021,42522,70821,15719,928TBA
28 Finland7,0042,4769,99421,48022,78518,23615,95315,04313,83114,66016,204TBA
29 Hong Kong108433,78051,61862,20847,72134,613TBA14,60110,23213,383TBA
Total8,885,4023,440,0193,686,77918,008,59115,497,79112,922,15110,012,7357,943,6517,874,3127,572,3526,847,6786,014,032

* Country in ASEAN

See also
Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Vietnam.

Notes
  1. Temporary policy until 14 March 2025
  2. Including all classes of British nationality, except for British National (Overseas).

References
  1. "Visa and passport". Timatic. International Air Transport Association through Emirates. Retrieved 1 April 2017.
  2. "Tạm dừng cấp thị thực cho người nước ngoài từ 18/3". Zing. 17 March 2020. Archived from the original on 7 October 2020. Retrieved 17 March 2020.
  3. "Announcement from Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Viet Nam". Ministry of Foreign Affairs. 17 March 2020. Archived from the original on 19 March 2020. Retrieved 19 March 2020.
  4. "VGP News | Nearly 7,000 Vietnamese return home due to coronavirus fear in foreign countries - Nearly 7,000 Vietnamese return home due to coronavirus fear in foreign countries". news.chinhphu.vn. 18 March 2020. Archived from the original on 19 March 2020. Retrieved 19 March 2020.
  5. "Vietnam fully reopens borders to tourists". VNA. Retrieved 15 March 2022.
  6. "National Assembly agrees to extend e-visa validity to 90 days". english.vov.vn. 24 June 2023. Archived from the original on 21 July 2023. Retrieved 5 August 2023.
  7. "Decree of the Prime Minister No. 390/TTg dated October 27, 1959, on the regulation of passport control". National Database of Legal Documents.
  8. "Decision of the Chairman of the Council of Ministers No. 48/ct dated February 26, 1988, on allowing Vietnamese citizens to temporarily leave the country to settle personal matters". National Database of Legal Documents.
  9. "Decree of the Government No. 48-CP on passports and visas". National Database of Legal Documents.
  10. "Decision No. 957/1997/QD-TTg of the Prime Minister on improving some procedures for exit and addressing the issue of Vietnamese citizens who have left the country but have not returned on time". National Database of Legal Documents.
  11. "vietnam tours". vietnamtour.asia. Retrieved 2 July 2023.
  12. "Ordinance No. 24/2000/PL-UBTVQH10 on Entry, Exit, and Residence of Foreigners in Vietnam". National Database of Legal Documents.
  13. "Law on Entry, Exit, Transit, and Residence of Foreigners in Vietnam". National Database of Legal Documents.
  14. "EXEMPTION OF ENTRY VISA TO VIETNAM". lanhsuvietnam.gov.vn. Vietnam Ministry of Foreign Affairs. March 2023. Retrieved 10 August 2023.
  15. Under Agreement between USSR and Vietnam on 15 July 1985.
  16. "Visa Procedure". Viet Nam Government Portal. Archived from the original on 3 September 2017. Retrieved 3 September 2017.
  17. Under Decision No. 08/2003/QĐ-BNG Archived 2017-12-22 at the Wayback Machine from 1 Jan 2004 to 1 Jul 2004
    Under Decision No. 09/2004/QĐ-BNG Archived 2017-12-22 at the Wayback Machine (PDF) from 1 Jul 2004
    Under Resolution No. 99/NQ-CP Archived 2017-08-05 at the Wayback Machine trom 1 January 2015
  18. Under Decision No. 09/2004/QĐ-BNG Decision No. 09/2004/QĐ-BNG Archived 2017-12-22 at the Wayback Machine (PDF)
    Under Resolution No. 99/NQ-CP Archived 2017-08-05 at the Wayback Machine trom 1 January 2015
  19. Under Decision No. 808/2005/QD-BNG Archived 2017-12-22 at the Wayback Machine (PDF)
    Under Resolution No. 99/NQ-CP Archived 2017-08-05 at the Wayback Machine trom 1 January 2015
  20. Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Vietnam) (30 August 2017). "Visa waiver agreements between Vietnam and other countries" (in Vietnamese). Archived from the original on 29 January 2018. Retrieved 29 January 2018.
  21. "Vietnam-Cambodia visa exemption agreement to take effect". Vietnam Tourism. 11 November 2008. Archived from the original on 22 December 2017. Retrieved 2 July 2017.
  22. Under Decree No. 3207/2008/QD-BNG Archived 2017-08-05 at the Wayback Machine
    Under Resolution No. 99/NQ-CP Archived 2017-08-05 at the Wayback Machine trom 1 January 2015
  23. "Vietnam visa exemption for Myanmar passport holders". 23 October 2013. Archived from the original on 16 June 2019. Retrieved 17 June 2019.
  24. Under the Resolution No. 39/NQ-CP Archived 2017-12-22 at the Wayback Machine
  25. Under Resolution No. 46/NQ-CP Archived 2017-12-22 at the Wayback Machine
  26. "Visa-free travel between Vietnam and Chile". Archived from the original on 23 October 2017. Retrieved 17 June 2019.
  27. "Myanmar, Vietnam travellers to get 30-day visa-free visits to boost tourism". The Myanmar Times. 18 December 2019. Archived from the original on 9 January 2020. Retrieved 10 January 2020.
  28. "Vietnam – Panama : 90-days visa -free for its citizens - 👉vietnamimmigration.org 🇻🇳". www.vietnamimmigration.org. Retrieved 4 August 2021.
  29. Was applied from 14 August 1982 under Agreement between USSR and Vietnam on 15 July 1981.
  30. "5 year visa exemption". Archived from the original on 4 January 2019. Retrieved 4 January 2019.
  31. @MOFAVietNam (27 December 2017). "DPM/@FMPhamBinhMinh holds talks w/ #Cameroon FM Lejeune Mbella Mbella discussing broadening affiliation & sign framework agreement in bilateral cooperation/agreement on visa exemption for holders of diplomatic & official passports/MoU on cooperation btwn the 2 Foreign Ministries" (Tweet). Archived from the original on 7 October 2020. Retrieved 17 June 2019 – via Twitter.
  32. "Ethiopia, Vietnam Confirm Interest in Strengthening Relationship". Prensa Latina. 25 August 2018. Archived from the original on 29 August 2018. Retrieved 29 August 2018.
  33. "Vietnam signs 85th visa exemption agreement". en.nhandan.org.vn. Archived from the original on 17 June 2019. Retrieved 17 June 2019.
  34. "Nigeria, Vietnam Sign Visa Waiver Deal For Diplomatic, Official Passport Holders". Archived from the original on 31 October 2019. Retrieved 31 October 2019.
  35. "Discover Phu Quoc - island paradise in the Gulf of Thailand, secluded and beautiful beaches, resorts and hotels on Phu Quoc island, Vietnam..." discoverphuquoc.com. Archived from the original on 23 February 2014. Retrieved 17 June 2019.
  36. "No visa required for tourists to Phu Quoc on short stay. Vietnam visa embassy, Vietnam visa on arrival". vietnamvisaembassy.org. Archived from the original on 17 June 2019. Retrieved 17 June 2019.
  37. "Phu Quoc Visa - Exemptions- Requirements - Vietnam". Vietnam-visa.com.
  38. "Vietnam to begin granting e-visa in February". Archived from the original on 2 February 2017. Retrieved 13 February 2017.
  39. "Vietnam Introduces E-Visa for All Nationalities from August 15, 2023". 17 August 2023.
  40. "中国护照办理越南旅游电子签". Sohu.
  41. "ABTC Summary". Archived from the original on 19 October 2016. Retrieved 16 December 2017.
  42. "International visitors to Vietnam in December and 12 months of 2011". Vietnam National Administration of Tourism. Archived from the original on 20 July 2014. Retrieved 26 January 2012.
  43. "International visitors to Viet Nam in December and 12 months of 2018". Vietnamtourism.gov.vn. Retrieved 28 June 2017.


This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.