Vietnam visa exemption for 5 Western European countries

The Government has just issued the Resolution No.46/NQ-CP on Vietnam visa exemption for citizens of 5 Western European countries

The Government has just issued the Resolution No.46/NQ-CP on Vietnam visa exemption for citizens of 5 countries including the UK, France, Germany, Spain and Italy when entering Vietnam. Citizens of 5 countries above entering Vietnam with the duration not exceed 15 days since the date of entry, regardless of type of passport, immigration purposes, meeting the following regulations of Vietnam law will be exempted visa. Mr. Nguyen Quy Phuong, Director General of Travel Department said, on June 18th, the Prime Minister issued the formally Resolution on unilateral visa exemption for citizens of Germany, France, Britain, Italy and Spain. Accordingly, citizens of these countries entering Vietnam do not need to apply a visa Vietnam with the duration of 15 days, with effect from July 1st, 2015 to June 30th, 2016. Providing that, these citizens to Vietnam must acquire passports with the validity of at least 06 months since the date of entry. In addition, the next entry to Vietnam without visa must be at least 30 days before the date of the last exit.  To specify, the date of entry is on 4 August, and the date of exit is on 18 August. Then, the second entry is on 22 August. For the second entry, it is a must to have normal Vietnam visa, as the duration between the last exit and the second entry is not 30 days. Therefore, the visa exemption is optimal for tourists with a single entry with the last exit is 30 days before, and they will have a stay of less than 15 days. Other cases of single entry with stay of more than 15 days, and multiple entry must apply for visa to Vietnam. Particularly, for multple entry, the first entry can use the exemption, from the second time, it is a must to get new visa.

At the regular meeting in May 2015, the Government agreed with the solutions to overcome difficulties and develop Vietnam tourism of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, including visa exemption, electronic visa, facilitation of processes and procedures for granting visas. German, Britain and France are traditional markets with large volume of tourists and high spending. In the first 5 months of the year, the numbers of tourists in these markets to Vietnam are respectively 68,000, 90,000 and 99,000 arrivals. Mr.Tran Chi Cuong, Deputy Director of the Da Nang Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism said that Italy and Spain are the two new markets. The visa to Vietnam exemption will certainly attract more tourists from these markets. In Resolution No. 92 / NQ-CP on some measures to promote Vietnam tourism development in the new period issued late 2014, the government also asked the Ministry of Public Security in the coordination with the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and relevant agencies to review, study, propose for expanding the visa-free countries associated with ensuring national security and order, public safety. Currently, Vietnam visa exemption is applied to countries of Japan, South Korean, Norway, Finland, Denmark, Switzerland, Russia and Belarus. Vietnam also exempts visa for 9 ASEAN countries on the basis of reciprocity. Additionally, tourists coming to Phu Quoc Island will be exempted visa to Vietnam for 30 days. By dint of the regulation on free visa for Vietnam since 2014, the number of Japanese tourists coming to Vietnam increases by 2.43 times, that of South Korean is by 3.6 times, and that of Russia is by 7.45 times (from 2009). Many international travel companies said this is a positive policy for tourism. Though we cannot currently assess the specific impacts of the exemption from visa, tourists and foreign travel companies will be happy with this policy. "This is a good policy. In the immediate future, even in this summer, visa Vietnam exemption will have good impact on the Italian and Spanish tourists who travel a lot in the summer, while the other markets have to wait until the end of the year" Ms. Bui Viet Thuy Tien, Executive Director of Asian Trails Co. specializing in the European market, said. According to Mr. Tuan, the visa exemption is a favorable step but only a part in attracting international tourists to Vietnam. When having the advantage of visa, tourism must connect to aviation of those countries to take tourists to Vietnam and to promote Vietnam tourism in those countries. In addition, the current shortcomings as the quality of service, human resources, and the tourism environment need to be solved. 

New provisions for Korean and Japanese to get Vietnam visa

Under Act of Entry and Exit No. 47/2014/QH13 with effect from January 1, 2015, new regulations on transit and residence of foreigners in Vietnam are defined. The procedure of issuing Vietnam visa for foreigners as South Korean and Japanese passport holders is renewed from January 1, 2015. According to regulation of Law on Entry, Exit, transit, and residence of foreigners in Vietnam (no. 47/2014/QH13) taking into effect on January 1, 2015, citizens receiving unilateral Vietnam visa exemption in general, and citizens of South Korea and Japan in particular can choose one of the following visa to Vietnam application forms as below:

In case, Japanese and Korean citizens entering Vietnam with 15-day Vietnam visa exemption according to the regulations on unilateral visa exemption to Japanese and South Korean, they do not need to apply for visa Vietnam in advance. They do need a valid passport, round-trip transportation tickets and do not belong to subjects who are prohibited to enter Vietnam. If Japanese or South Korean citizens can enter Vietnam, Immigration Agency at the border gate will seal the stay. Notably, according to new regulation, if foreigners entering Vietnam with Vietnam visa exemption, they will not be allowed to change visa type. When the period of exemption ends (no more than 15 days), foreigners have to exit Vietnam. If they want to enter Vietnam with visa exemption for the second time, it must be at least 30 days after the first time of exit Vietnam.

Japan passport

If South Korean or Japanese citizens apply Vietnam visa on arrival at international airports or border gates of Vietnam, they can get visa on arrival at Noi Bai International Airport, Tan Son Nhat Interantional Airport, and Phu Quoc International Airport. In case, South Korean and Japanese do not want to enter Vietnam with visa exemption (no more than 15 days) and want to apply visa for Vietnam with longer stay (1 month or 3 months), they can do procedure of applying visa at international border gates of Vietnam. To conduct the procedure of applying visa at international border gate, agencies, organizations or businesses in Vietnam must do procedure of applying Vietnam visa for foreigners at Immigration Department before the entry of foreigners. At international border gate, foreigners present passport, approval letter, fill out the application form, and pay fee as prescribed. South Korean and Japanese can apply for visa to Vietnam at Vietnam Embassy or Consulate in these countries.

In case, South Korean and Japanese do not want to enter Vietnam with visa exemption (no more than 15 days) and want to apply visa for Vietnam with longer stay (1 month or 3 months), they can do procedure of applying visa at Vietnam representative diplomatic offices in these countries. To conduct the procedure of applying visa at international border gate, agencies, organizations or businesses in Vietnam must do procedure of applying Vietnam visa for foreigners at Immigration Department before the entry of foreigners. The approval letter of Vietnam Immigration Department must be sent to Vietnam representative diplomatic offices in foreign countries. At Vietnam representative diplomatic offices, foreigners present passport, approval letter, fill out the application form, and pay fee as prescribed. Notably, according to new regulation, all visa types are not allowed to change purposes, so foreigners need to pay attention to this to easily apply for Vietnam visa when visa is invalid.

Source: Vietnam Visa

Time-limited Vietnam visa exemption for Belarus citizens

Immediately after the regular session in May 2015, the Government decided on Vietnam visa exemption for citizens of the Republic of Belarus. This shows the attention of the Government to the visa policy aiming to create the favorable conditions for tourism development and attracting foreign tourists to Vietnam and openness in international integration.

vietnam visa exemption

Citizens of the Republic of Belarus entering Vietnam with the duration not exceed 15 days since the date of entry, regardless of type of passport, immigration purposes, meeting the following regulations of Vietnam law will be exempted visa. The exemption policy when entering Vietnam for Belarus citizens will be implemented in a period of 5 years, from January 1st, 2015 to June 30th, 2020 and will be reviewed and renewed under the Vietnamese regulations.

Until now, the number of tourists from Belarus to Vietnam are very few, mainly businessmen and investors, but with the exemption of visa Vietnam for citizens of the Republic of Belarus, Vietnamese Government believed that Belarus tourists and investors to Vietnam will increasingly outnumber, the friendship cooperation relation between the two countries will further develop.

Earlier, at the regular meeting in May 2015, Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung required ministries, departments and localities to promote tourism development, a key economic sector of Vietnam. Accordingly, the Government approved the solutions to resolve the difficulties and develop Vietnam tourism of the Ministry of Culture, Sport and Tourism. There are 5 measures to simplify the immigration procedures applied around the world as transparency of information, facilitation of procedures, visa application at border gates, concessionary policy for a number of priority subjects, unilateral visa exemption for several country, electronic visa (e-visa) application, implementing regional agreements.

Policy on Vietnam visa exemption makes great contribution to the development of Vietnam tourism. On January 1st, 2015, Vietnam also exempted visa to Vietnam for citizens of 7 countries including Russia, Japan, South Korea, Denmark, Norway, Switzerland, and Finland. Accordingly, citizens of 7 countries above entering Vietnam with duration not exceed 15 days since the date of entry, regardless of type of passport, immigration purposes, meeting the following regulations of Vietnam law will be exempted.

Since 2014, after applying visa exemption policy, Japanese tourists to Vietnam have increased by 2.43 times, Korean tourists have increased by 3.6 times, and Russian tourists (since 2009) have increased by 7.45 times. As proposed by the Ministry of Culture, Sport, and Tourism, besides 7 countries being exempted Vietnam visa on arrival, Vietnam will extend the unilateral visa exemption for the countries which are the major markets with large number of tourists, demand for longer stays and higer spending.