Bad News for Expats wishing to Extend their Visas.

fellow confusionists    

It seems people keep repeating the same questions regarding the new visa rules that went into effect on January 1st 2015.

Instead of reading through the many replies/post where people speculate about all the possible scenarios - I suggest that you first read the government supplied decree on these visa rules yourself:

Download it from the link below:
47-2014-QH13.doc

After reading this document you will understand the proposed law but it won't tell you the specifics on how it will (and can) be carried out --> the answers to those questions can ONLY come from people who have had first-hand experience in obtaining/renewing visas and/or resident cards AFTER January 1st 2015 - disregard any other replies and posts to save time and further confusion.

I feel that Expat.com should have made the link to this document a 'sticky' in the Vietnam Visa forum so it could actually benefit those looking for concrete information - it seems though that the extra traffic/revenue generated by numerous duplicate posts, questions and replies is a higher priority.

Cheers,
Win

The Document is allot of legal mumble...Its not clear about DL visa extension also if DL visa can receive temporally residence status......and DL visa is what most of us will get unless your married or invest officially here.......

Now to other points above....You can't compare a visa of Vietnam to western countries, sure your point is correct but its nonsense. A huge amount of people want to get into Western countries for the sole purpose to make money because of the economies in the Western World the earning power is much higher...ie look at USA with the vast majority of illegal immigrants.....

Now to get to the main point for those who are on pensions, that want to live here is because it is affordable. I can't speak for others but i don't make a dime of income here so the idea of income taxes evasion is nonsense.

I been looking at central and South America not only to they have a  retirement visas they actually offer many incentives to pensioners to come live in their country....compare that to here where they don't offer even a visa to allow you to live here to spend your pension....again more nonsense......

I don't know what the thinking is behind  the men and women that make these laws, and why they don't want to have a visa for retirees. For sure their are plenty of us here and the numbers would only increase in the future. We are in general a group that are mature that usually don't have a negative impact on the social order here....So you go figure why not grant a visa that allows us to dump thousands of dollars into their economy for years........Lastly a blog is to share our feeling about what happening and try to get some clarity which at the moment doesn't seem possible because no one knows how these new laws will be applied.....Maybe in a few months when the loopholes can be made profitable then we will line up  to have our visas extended for the new outrageous fees......

Yes! In a closer-to-perfect world they would offer a "Retirement Visa"... the VN ex-pat's RV 

Hello everyone!

Goodmorning! I asked the agency where i applied visa last 28th of January regarding the extension process.

He told me that right now it's very hard to extend, but the law "might change" after tet holiday 😁

He said even you pay 300usd for the extension it might still not possible 😰😰😰

Hope things will be better for my fellow expats!

Have a great day everyone!

I've just paid 50$ to get 1 month for my friend, but only 1 month, can't not extend to 3 month...

The document is fragmentary and says nothing about renewals.  Moreover, nobody knows how to implement it.

Vietnam-Travel-142 wrote:

Do you means VEC - Vietnam Exemption Visa Certificate?
If yes, please take a look at new implementation of the Immigration Law From 2015

" People from the countries have Vietnam Visa Exemption Certificate can visit Vietnam unlimited number of times but limited period from the previous exit to the next entry time - It means that the citizens from these country can only visit Vietnam with FREE VISA at least 30 days after their preceding visit. If they want to enter Vietnam sooner, they have to apply Vietnam visa."

Have a nice day!

To all VEC holders, what Vietnam-Travel-142 posted is not correct. She wrote that citizens or passport holders with VEC must stay out of country for 30 days before they can re-enter again. WRONG, she does not understand the term VEC and mixes it up with "FREE VISA" or rather FREE OF VISA. VEC and FREE VISA is not the same. Some countries or their citizens can since the 1st of Jan.2015 enter Vietnam without applying or holding any visa and are allowed to stay for 30 days in country. Those are the ones who must get out and stay out for 30 days before they can re-enter into VN. VEC holders can go in and out as they wish. That's it. So no worries, nothing has really changed regarding VEC.

here is the legal text or new law regarding these visa-free entries which has nothing to do with VEC:
Chapter III
ENTRY
Article 20. Conditions for entry
A foreigner shall be granted entry into Vietnam when all of the conditions below are satisfied:
1. The foreigner has a passport/laissez-passer and a visa.
Any foreigner that enters Vietnam and is unilaterally granted visa-free entry must have a passport that is still valid for at least 06 months, and the entry date must be at least 30 days from the previous exit;

source: http://www.mediafire.com/view/kqdlor2c6 … 4-QH13.doc

iamunicaija wrote:

He told me that right now it's very hard to extend, but the law "might change" after tet holiday.

WE HAVE a few things, at least going for us.

One is Immigration Department bribes. Some of the 'easy going' bribe takers in the Immigration Department have experienced serious reductions in income since the commencement of the new plan. And some of these complainers wear a lot of 'gold' on their shoulders.

The tourism industry is up in arms with the confusion - they are demanding, not requesting, a review.

Foreign manufacturers are getting steamed up, slowly, and will add their weight to the drive for revision.

And the departments lie. I personally accompanied one of my business consultants to a border point after he neglected to renew his visa. He had overstayed 84 days.

The Border Control (Immigration) guys could not have been more helpful. They understood the problem (it happens all the time).

The Border guys let us sit in an air-con office (not custody) and supplied coffee and water. My friend completed numerous forms including a Statement as to how it occurred.

A senior Immigration guy (more 'scrambled egg' in his epaulettes and neck band) held a 'hearing'. He determined that my friend made an honest mistake so instead of fining him VND4,000,000 he would reduce the fine to VND2,000,000.

They also issued a (back dated) visa for the period of the overstay + 120 days of 'new' visa for USD$79 (paid in Dong). Finally, there's a strange stamp in the back that says: "Permitted to remain until 07-08-2015". (Always check the very last page when crossing a border). In effect my business friend got the equivalent to a 9-month visa.

ScrambledEggs explained he can even issue visas in arrival (with a letter of 'Invitation') IF Ha Noi approved it. He said, proudly his new computer terminals and accessories could do anything TP HCM can do - the trouble is Ha Noi won't let them. He said these Regulations will/have to be reviewed as they are unworkable - for Foreigners and officials alike.

So don't curse the front line guys, curse the Ha Noi 'Beltway' types who, like their Washington counterparts, haven't a clue what the real world is doing.

Yeah, it will certainly need to be re assessed and reviewed.   I'm in Sihanoukville, Cambodia now having just got a new DL visa., 3 mths single $95.   Doesn't worry me coming here for a fortnight  and a few days in Phnom Penh, I turn the problem into a holiday away. 

I've spoken to a lot of tourists in Saigon, Phnom Penh and Sihanoukville that won't be going back to Vietnam anytime soon.  Given the poor implementation of these new laws and the level of misinformation going around , you can't blame them.   The Johnny Cash song .."Bad news travels like wildfire, good news travels slow" is very evident here.  There are loads of tourists that have cut their stay short in Vietnam , and are living it up on the beach here now.  Social media doesn't help either.  They generally think that Vietnam won't be doing extensions anymore.

No problem getting a 12 month visa here, $270 multi AND easily renewable.    Yep, that sunset in the sea, better beer and hundreds of good food outlets, friendly locals .........mmmmm ,can't wait for my next Visa run.

Yogi!,,,
Sunset,,, hundreds of good food outlets and better beer??
More misinformation....
Sihanoukville is dirty and disgusting....
Been there a lot.
2 days is plenty.

Yogi007 wrote:

Yeah, it will certainly need to be re assessed and reviewed.   I'm in Sihanoukville, Cambodia now having just got a new DL visa., 3 mths single $95.   Doesn't worry me coming here for a fortnight  and a few days in Phnom Penh, I turn the problem into a holiday away. 

I've spoken to a lot of tourists in Saigon, Phnom Penh and Sihanoukville that won't be going back to Vietnam anytime soon.  Given the poor implementation of these new laws and the level of misinformation going around , you can't blame them.   The Johnny Cash song .."Bad news travels like wildfire, good news travels slow" is very evident here.  There are loads of tourists that have cut their stay short in Vietnam , and are living it up on the beach here now.  Social media doesn't help either.  They generally think that Vietnam won't be doing extensions anymore.

No problem getting a 12 month visa here, $270 multi AND easily renewable.    Yep, that sunset in the sea, better beer and hundreds of good food outlets, friendly locals .........mmmmm ,can't wait for my next Visa run.

Got to agree with you on both points, implementation and misinformation. The guidance for implementing the law should have came out the same day the law went into effect without a question. I think, and this is just me, when the dust is settled and everything is in place and out in the open it'll be less confusing than it was prior to 01/01/15. Back then you had to rely on visa sellers to extended, don't think that will be the case now. Never been to Cambodia but another plus for U.S. retires that don't have ties to VN there's no monthly or now every three months reporting to the US Consulate to draw your SS in Cambodia, The restriction was lifted in Dec 2012.

Rick

Thanks Rick,
The thing that bugged me the most ,was that these laws were drafted back on 14/6/14.  They've had about 7 mths to get things up to speed.

The travel agents over here ,(and I emailed 6 of them before I came) were far more informed than anyone I spoke to back in VN.

Problem is , these Visa sales people should be licenced and informed of the procedures.  What I found , most of them are hairdressers ,kitchen hands and washed up hookers pretending to be Immigration Officials, Real estate agents, business consultants etc etc.   They have no idea,
AND they're running around town with your passport looking for someone that does. 
One guy here in Nha Trang got his passport back , wet ,pages stuck together, photo tarnished and smelling of sea water.   They [moderated: please avoid such offensive language on the forum] must have went swimming with it still in her pocket.. 😄 No offer of compensation for a replacement either..Welcome to the developing world folks.

Yogi007 wrote:

u]They've had about 7 mths to get things up to speed.[/u]

- yes, ridiculous - also none of the official government websites have (updated) information that visitors would actually be interested in reading.

For example:

You have to get a new visa and although you've spent quite some time reading up on those new visa regulations; you are in fact even more confused than ever before.
Your new employer doesn't wanna know anything about it, so you decide to check on the website of the Vietnamese Embassy in Cambodia where you plan to get the visa from. You hope to find information and perhaps get more clarity on 
1. dates the embassy is closed because of TET
2. 'new' Visa procedures, regulations and fees.

On the website you click on news....great!   lots of articles from 2015, good thing they do update their website. *Feeling positive* you browse through the news................consular section...........current affairs...........wait...........where is........$@#$%........really?!!  

Visa: no news on visas - no mention even about the visa regulation being changed
Fees: fee structure points to a link...which lets you download a 1.2Mb .tif file with an article of 2009!
Tet holiday: .....took a while to notice the unnoticeable notice reading "Holiday Notice" - clicking it show that the embassy will be closed from 9 February to 13 February......2013

http://www.vietnamembassy-cambodia.org/

I was in the travel shop yesterday needing to book some boat trips for customers in Nha Trang, I usually sit and have a chat and a coffee with the lady owner so of course got speaking about the visa's, I asked her [even though I dont want one] about mine how much it would cost to extend and she said you cant as it's the 4th one you must leave and get a new one, I said that's the same as before and she said everything is the same as before, only difference now is where as it was $45 $65 $85 from 1st to  3rd visa its $200 each time, I got to saying how many expats are fed up about it and she said know one cares and it was easy to see why, while I was sat there over a period of about an hour 6 Russians picked up and paid for there 3 monthly extensions not batting an eyelid at the price, and for those that don't know all tourist and buz visas extensions from Nha Trang go through HCMC.

hello dirtypierre. I read the new regulations for expats who wants to renew their visas. I am als an expat like you but I don't have to go back in my country just to waste money. get back to me if you need some advice

I received a call from my travel agent informing me that i can't extend my Dl for another 3 months. They said they can only extend for one month.

I gave my passport to her the other day and she phoned and said i can have another 3 month extension that was on June 29. My Dl visa was issued on Jan 8, 2015, i already received a 3 months extension. So now in applying for my second extension they called my travel agent today which is July 1 and said i can only have 1 month. I am on a Australian Passport.....

Any one else here of this new shift in there thinking about extension?

I just got my Passport back with my new 3 months extension on a DL Visa. Second extension in a row. No problem at all. Canadian Passport. My contact said that I will most probably be able to get a third extension without leaving.

Where are you located? Which airport did you arrive at in Vietnam?

In Nha Trang, arrived HCMC.....I just went down and spoke again with my travel agent.....she was saying that some people can't get any extension and other they will only give a month. Now it is weird because she called them again when i was in the office and now i can receive 3 months again....I pray to that unknown force that this will hold true...I have been recovering from Bronchitis and am very weak still also i have contract for my apartment here. It will be difficult if i needed to leave Vietnam after 1 months. I thought the whole visa extension deal was settled down, it's so odd how quickly it changes!

Hi Jaya.  Was that Lau in NT.
Can't believe they are starting this bullshit all over again.
So they promise you 3 mths, take your PP and then tell you 1 mth.  Unbelievable.  If they've got your PPort what can you do.

Did you know that unless you have at least a 3 mth visa, you can't lease an apartment.  Hotel room only.

Hi Yogi,

Yes it was Lai, I have been getting my visa's extended with her for the last 2 years. She is a good person. If you read the last thing i posted now after Lai called them again 1 hour ago they will give me the 3 months again. Yes my passport in HCMC.....I didn't know about 3 month deal on contract for apartments....I am pretty happy in my apartment and didn't want to run to Cambodia for another visa next month......I read that government is saying that they are way down on the number of Tourist in the country this year compared to last year...It would make sense they would want to keep the expats here spending their pension and boosting the economy. I think it's one hand doesn't know what the other hand knows and visa versa.....so the head of tourism want to increase the people that come here and god knows how the other hand thinks!!!!!

Of course government want more tourists visit here. Actual problem is some 'dirty' official who never wish to get out from the corruption pool 

no its not a vec......

I was born in the United States & moved to Vietnam in 2012, November 29th, with a 3 month tourist visa. I extended my visa every three months until August 2013. I did a visa run to & from Cambodia. I was in Cambodia for a day. I renewed or made a new visa for Vietnam & went back to extending it every three months like before for five or six times, until December 2014 when I extended it again but this time for about $210 USD, which is about 4.200.000 VND.
.
Around March 2015, I paid about the same amount, $210, to visit Cambodia again (Cambodia visa) & to return with a new 3 months single entry DL (tourist) VN visa.
.
In June 2015, I extended my visa for three more months for about $170.
.
In September 2015, I will try my best to maybe extend, renew, or return to Cambodia for a visit, and I will try my best to try to look for any visa sales.
.
I know visa costs are rising each year and it also may rise for those who stay in VN longer without exiting. I don't understand all of the rules but I try my best to stay as educated as I can. I read all the comments here.
.
Thanks for the information here, everybody.
Joey Arnold

JoeyArnoldVN wrote:

I was born in the United States & moved to Vietnam in 2012, November 29th, with a 3 month tourist visa. I extended my visa every three months until August 2013. I did a visa run to & from Cambodia. I was in Cambodia for a day. I renewed or made a new visa for Vietnam & went back to extending it every three months like before for five or six times, until December 2014 when I extended it again but this time for about $210 USD, which is about 4.200.000 VND.
.
Around March 2015, I paid about the same amount, $210, to visit Cambodia again (Cambodia visa) & to return with a new 3 months single entry DL (tourist) VN visa.
.
In June 2015, I extended my visa for three more months for about $170.
.
In September 2015, I will try my best to maybe extend, renew, or return to Cambodia for a visit, and I will try my best to try to look for any visa sales.
.
I know visa costs are rising each year and it also may rise for those who stay in VN longer without exiting. I don't understand all of the rules but I try my best to stay as educated as I can. I read all the comments here.
.
Thanks for the information here, everybody.
Joey Arnold

Not that it makes much difference but visa costs [3 month tourist visa] aren't rising each year, whats rising is how much you are being ripped off from corrupt officials in immigration who work in tandem with the agents selling the visa's.

Problem is because what these officials are doing is illegal [I am talking of the extensions] there is no avenue to complain, the Vietnamese government I notice are becoming much more aware of the likes of Facebook so a campaign pointing out whats happening would probably get it stopped but then the tourist on a 3 month visa who wants to stay would actually suffer more as they would have to leave the country every 3 months.

Its very frustrating and am not sure how to fight it to be honest, I mean you look a pretty fit young guy but the people who suffer most from this corruption are the older single pensioners, with them its not just the money but having to travel to Cambodia every few months, talking to one guy the other day and he says he now has to do the Cambodia run every 4 months and living in Nha Trang that's pretty tough, he was saying he will put up with it but a few of his friends who have lived here years have left, or will leave when there house contract expires.

The last paragraph is all that needs to be said......
Put up with it,,,, or move.
All the other ranting and raving equals nothing.
Anyone on a visa,,,, is not a citizen, may be entitled to a opinion.
But really should not be complaining constantly.

fredaussie wrote:

The last paragraph is all that needs to be said......
Put up with it,,,, or move.
All the other ranting and raving equals nothing.
Anyone on a visa,,,, is not a citizen, may be entitled to a opinion.
But really should not be complaining constantly.

I hardly think my comment was ranting and raving, more an observation as to whats happening.

Sorry Dave,,,
Wasnt directed at you personaly.
But if you observe all the posts...for the last 6 months.
There is more than enuogh ranting and raving.
All i am agreeing on is that pragraph,, or last sentance.
If anyone doesnt like it,,, they can easily pack up and go.
Probably the only way these people will understand how others think.

daveinvietnam wrote:

fredaussie wrote:

The last paragraph is all that needs to be said......
Put up with it,,,, or move.
All the other ranting and raving equals nothing.
Anyone on a visa,,,, is not a citizen, may be entitled to a opinion.
But really should not be complaining constantly.

I hardly think my comment was ranting and raving, more an observation as to whats happening.

Only fredaussie knows for sure what he meant. I took his post as a general comment on the tone of the thread, and NOT as directed to you.

Are commercial visa help companies such as http://www.vietnam-visa.com/ useful in this regard?