Vietnam Visa - Things to Know Before You Go

1. Tourist visas give holders the permission to enter and exit Vietnam at airports in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh and Danang city or through any of twelve border gates of Vietnam, three of which are with Cambodia and China, and six with Laos.

2. The privilege of visiting Vietnam without the possession of Vietnam Visa is only granted to residents of several nations.

- Most citizens of ASEAN countries do not need Vietnam entry visa to visit Vietnam within 30 days.

- Citizens of Japan, Korea & Scandinavians (Denmark, Sweden, Norway and Finland passport owners) do not need visa to Vietnam to enter Vietnam within 15 days.

- Citizens of other nationalities are obliged to get Vietnam Visa before departure (Vietnam entry visa issued by Vietnamese embassies or consulates in advance of departure ) or pre-approved Vietnam Visa (visa issued on arrival at Vietnam International Airports) supplied before arriving in Vietnam.

3. Tourist visas are applicable to a single 30-day visit only. In case you want to stay longer, from 1 to 3 months, you will need to apply for business visa.

4. You can obtain a visa on arrival with a Vietnamese travel agent. You will need to provide details of your passport beforehand and they will confirm with you the issuance of your visa at the arriving airport. Cambodia is the best nation in Asia to get a Vietnam visa. It costs about US$30 and you can have everything done in the same day. Another place, which is also popular, is Bangkok where a lot of agents provide cheap packages with visa thrown in and an airline ticket.

5. If you plan to spend more than a month in Vietnam, If you wish to stay for more than a month in Vietnam or if you want to leave Vietnam and enter again from Laos or Cambodia, you will need to have a three-month multiple-Visa. In Cambodia, the fee is about US$95 but this is not available in all Vietnamese embassies.

6. Personal appearance can affect how you receive reception from the airport immigration. From our experiences, if you dress in shabby clothing or shorts, look filthy or bristly, you can should anticipate troubles. Try your best to look 'respectable'.

VIETNAM VISA EXEMPTION INFORMATION:

1. No Vietnam entry visa needed for traveling for less than 30 days: Residents Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Philippines, Indonesia, Cambodia and Laos.

2. No Vietnam visa needed for traveling for less than 15 days: Residents of Denmark , Japan, Sweden, Norway, South Korea and Finland.

3. No Vietnam visa needed for traveling for less than 90 days or several visits within 6 months: Residents of France possessing valid official or diplomatic passports.

4. No Vietnam visa needed for traveling for less than 60 days: Residents of Chile holding valid official or diplomatic passports.

5. No Vietnam Visa needed for traveling for less than 30 days: APEC Business Travel Card (ABTC) Holders from Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) member economies.

6. No Vietnam Visa needed for traveling to Phu Quoc Island, Vietnam: The application of Vietnam entry visa can be exempted in case Vietnamese and international residents holding foreign passports enter Vietnam through international border gates and subsequently travel to Phu Quoc Island and stay there for less than 15 days. Their passports must have the validity of at least 45 days. Upon their arrival at Phu Quoc Island, if visitors want to travel to other areas or remain in the island for more than 15 days, the immigration department will take responsibility for the issuance of visa right on the spot.