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Visa policy of Vietnam

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A Vietnamese visa sticker issued in Noi Bai International Airport
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Vietnamese loose-leaf visa

Visitors to Vietnam must obtain either an e-Visa or a visa in advance, unless they are citizens of one of the visa-exempt countries.

Visa policy map

[edit]
  Vietnam
  Visa not required (90 days)
  Visa not required (45 days)
  Visa not required (30 days)
  Visa not required (21 days)
  Visa not required (14 days)
  Visa required / eVisa

Visa exemption

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Ordinary passports

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Holders of ordinary passports of the following countries may enter Vietnam without a visa (including all ASEAN member states).

According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Vietnam, the maximum allowed period of stay depends on nationality:[1][2]

90 days

45 days

30 days

21 days

14 days

In addition, citizens of China, Cuba and North Korea who have a passport for public affairs or ordinary passports endorsed "for public affairs" may enter Vietnam without a visa.

Certificate of visa exemption

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A certificate of visa exemption for an overseas Vietnamese citizen 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.[19]

The exemption is valid for 180 consecutive days of stay. There is no limit on the number of entries and exits during the stay or the minimum waiting time between each 180-day stay.

APEC Business Travel Card

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Holders of passports issued by the following countries who possess an APEC Business Travel Card (ABTC) containing "VNM" on the back of the card may enter Vietnam without a visa for business trips for up to 60 days.[2]

ABTCs are issued to citizens of:[20]

Non-ordinary passports

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  Vietnam
  Visa not required for diplomatic and official / service passports
  Visa not required for diplomatic passports

Holders of diplomatic or official / service passports of the following countries may enter Vietnam without a visa for the following period:

90 days

30 days

14 days

D - Diplomatic passports only.

Future changes

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Vietnam has signed visa exemption agreements with the following countries, but they have not yet entered into force:

Country Passports Agreement signed on
 Timor-Leste[21] Diplomatic 2 August 2024
 Belarus[22] All 8 December 2023
 Nigeria[23] Diplomatic, official October 2019
 Botswana Diplomatic, service August 2019
 Lithuania[24] Diplomatic 23 January 2019
 Ethiopia[25] Diplomatic, service August 2018
 Cameroon[26] Diplomatic, service December 2017

In November 2023, the authorities in Vietnam proposed to abolish visas for citizens of China and India.[27] In July 2024 Prime Minister of Vietnam instructed relevant ministries to work on expanding the list of visa exemption eligible countries.[28]

Electronic visa (e-Visa)

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Vietnamese e-Visa
Vietnamese e-Visa Stamp

Vietnam introduced a pilot electronic visa system on 1 February 2017.[29]

Starting from August 15, 2023, an e-Visa is issued to citizens of all countries and territories and is issued for multiple-entry up to 90 days. The e-Visa costs 25 USD.[30][31] 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 who present a Chinese biometric ordinary passport upon arrival must exchange their e-Visa for a free paper visa 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.[32]

Investor visas

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Investor visas in Vietnam 2024[33]

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Code Description Length
DT1 Investments over VND 100 billion (US$4.15 million), or for investment into ‘prioritised’ sectors, professions, or areas of Vietnam. 5 years
DT2 Investments between VND 50 billion (US$2.07 million) and VND 100 billion (US$4.15 million), or for investment into ‘prioritised’ sectors, professions, or areas of Vietnam. 5 years
DT3 Investor visa: issued for investors with total investment capital between VND 3 billion (US$125,000) and VND 59 billion (US$2.07 million). 3 years
DT4 Investor visa: issued for investors with total investment capital less than VND 3 billion (US$125,000). 12 months

Phú Quốc Visa-free Program

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Travellers who are not exempted from visa requirements may enter Phú Quốc without a visa for up to 30 days.[34][35][36] 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.[2]

Pre-arranged visa on arrival

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Approval letter for obtaining Vietnamese visa on arrival

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 may obtain a visa on arrival 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.[2]

Transit

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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.[2]

Visitor statistics

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

This section is transcluded from Tourism in Vietnam. (edit | history)

Data Source: Ministry of Culture, Sport & Tourism[37]

Country 9/2024 2023 2022 3/2020 2019 2018 2017 2016 2015 2014
 South Korea 3,367,700 3,595,062 769,167 819,089 4,290,802 3,485,406 2,415,245 1,543,883 1,152,349 849,384
 China 2,705,402 1,743,204 71,862 871,819 6,806,425 4,966,468 4,008,253 2,696,848 1,771,654 1,949,433
 Taiwan 953,805 851,024 89,463 192,216 926,744 714,112 616,232 507,301 425,060 391,040
 United States 578,615 717,073 215,274 172,706 746,171 687,226 614,117 552,644 492,847 445,945
 Japan 529,006 589,522 128,764 200,346 951,962 826,674 798,119 740,592 677,477 648,612
 Australia 355,303 390,087 99,156 92,227 383,511 386,934 370,438 320,678 323,792 322,424
 Malaysia* 356,517 470,105 135,007 116,221 606,206 540,119 480,456 407,574 341,125 333,859
 India 353,118 145,340 N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A
 Cambodia* 325,727 402,062 140,461 120,430 227,910 202,954 222,614 211,949 220,449 397,399
 Thailand* 300,968 489,174 162,567 125,725 509,802 349,310 301,587 266,984 218,025 253,503
 Singapore* 241,300 328,195 128,399 51,726 308,969 286,246 277,658 257,041 237,496 202,870
 United Kingdom 224,510 253,522 67,337 81,433 315,084 298,114 283,537 254,841 214,866 203,719
 France 198,716 215,508 58,107 74,480 287,655 279,659 255,369 240,808 211,780 214,569
 Germany 175,585 200,425 59,975 61,465 226,792 213,986 199,872 176,015 134,784 142,843
 Philippines* 175,225 153,168 36,281 36,969 179,190 151,641 133,543 110,967 101,451 104,988
 Russia 159,382 125,610 28,056 244,966 646,524 606,637 574,164 433,987 339,270 365,163
 Indonesia* 135,610 105,380 26,338 21,446 106,688 87,941 81,065 69,653 65,660 68,974
 Laos* 111,091 120,522 47,002 36,810 98,492 120,009 141,588 137,004 116,349 136,658
 Canada 108,670 133,493 37,894 41,807 159,121 149,535 138,242 122,929 105,189 105,279
 Italy 64,250 57,054 15,051 17,774 70,798 65,562 58,041 51,265 43,202 36,509
 Spain 64,745 76,087 22,511 11,783 83,597 77,071 69,528 57,957 45,483 40,824
 Netherlands 57,677 68,057 19,756 18,265 81,092 77,300 72,277 64,712 48,862 49,837
 New Zealand 34,988 33,730 8,681 9,470 47,088 49,854 49,115 42,588 34,731 33,385
 Poland 31,480 N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A
 Denmark 27,520 30,231 8,250 14,444 42,043 39,926 34,720 30,996 27,285 27,115
  Switzerland 23,464 27,929 8,025 10,845 36,577 34,541 33,123 31,475 25,765 32,315
 Sweden 22,981 25,755 6,487 21,857 50,704 49,723 44,045 37,679 34,131 30,223
 Belgium 22,5901 26,353 8,104 7,452 34,187 31,382 29,144 26,231 23,689 23,275
 Norway 20,593 22,717 5,235 8,958 28,037 26,134 24,293 23,110 21,130 23,165
 Finland N/A 8,618 2,476 9,994 21,480 22,785 18,236 15,953 16,283 13,867
 Hong Kong N/A 112** 43** 3,780 51,618 62,208 47,721 34,613 TBA 14,871
Total 12,705,316 12,602,434 3,661,222 3,686,779 18,008,591 15,497,791 12,922,151 10,012,735 7,898,852 7,887,013

* Country in ASEAN ** Incomplete data

History

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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.[38] 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.[39] 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,[40] 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,[41][42] 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[43] 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.[44]

See also

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Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Vietnam.

Notes

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Temporary visa-free regime until 14 March 2025.
  2. ^ Including all classes of British nationality, except for British National (Overseas).

References

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  1. ^ "EXEMPTION OF ENTRY VISA TO VIETNAM". lanhsuvietnam.gov.vn. Vietnam Ministry of Foreign Affairs. March 2023. Retrieved 10 August 2023.
  2. ^ a b c d e "Visa and passport". Timatic. International Air Transport Association through Emirates. Retrieved 1 April 2017.
  3. ^ a b c d e f "Visa Procedure". Viet Nam Government Portal. Archived from the original on 3 September 2017. Retrieved 3 September 2017.
  4. ^ 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
  5. ^ 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
  6. ^ 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
  7. ^ 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.
  8. ^ "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.
  9. ^ 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
  10. ^ "Vietnam visa exemption for Myanmar passport holders". 23 October 2013. Archived from the original on 16 June 2019. Retrieved 17 June 2019.
  11. ^ Under the Resolution No. 39/NQ-CP Archived 2017-12-22 at the Wayback Machine
  12. ^ Under Resolution No. 46/NQ-CP Archived 2017-12-22 at the Wayback Machine
  13. ^ "Visa-free travel between Vietnam and Chile". Archived from the original on 23 October 2017. Retrieved 17 June 2019.
  14. ^ "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.
  15. ^ "Vietnam – Panama : 90-days visa -free for its citizens - 👉vietnamimmigration.org 🇻🇳". www.vietnamimmigration.org. Retrieved 4 August 2021.
  16. ^ "Attention to people visit to Vietnam".
  17. ^ Kazakhstan - Visa-free travel policy with Vietnam introduced
  18. ^ Was applied from 14 August 1982 under Agreement between USSR and Vietnam on 15 July 1981.
  19. ^ "5 year visa exemption". Archived from the original on 4 January 2019. Retrieved 4 January 2019.
  20. ^ "ABTC Economy Entry Information" (PDF).
  21. ^ "TL and Vietnam sign Visa Waiver Agreement for Services and Diplomatic Passports".
  22. ^ "Vietnam, Belarus agree to exempt visa for ordinary passport holders".
  23. ^ "Nigeria, Vietnam Sign Visa Waiver Deal For Diplomatic, Official Passport Holders". Archived from the original on 31 October 2019. Retrieved 31 October 2019.
  24. ^ "Vietnam signs 85th visa exemption agreement". en.nhandan.org.vn. Archived from the original on 17 June 2019. Retrieved 17 June 2019.
  25. ^ "Ethiopia, Vietnam Confirm Interest in Strengthening Relationship". Prensa Latina. 25 August 2018. Archived from the original on 29 August 2018. Retrieved 29 August 2018.
  26. ^ @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.
  27. ^ "Vietnam to Consider Visa-Free Entry for Indian Travellers". Retrieved 22 November 2023.
  28. ^ Vietnam PM urges visa exemptions for more countries to spur tourism
  29. ^ "Vietnam to begin granting e-visa in February". Archived from the original on 2 February 2017. Retrieved 13 February 2017.
  30. ^ "E - Visa Page". National Web Portal on Immigration. Vietnam Immigration Department. Retrieved 21 July 2024.
  31. ^ "Vietnam Introduces an e-Visa for all citizens from August 15, 2023". 17 August 2023.
  32. ^ "中国护照办理越南旅游电子签". Sohu.
  33. ^ the-shiv (5 June 2024). "Vietnam Visas for Doing Business in Vietnam: Quick Read 2024". the-shiv. Retrieved 26 August 2024.
  34. ^ "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.
  35. ^ "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.
  36. ^ "Phu Quoc Visa - Exemptions- Requirements - Vietnam". Vietnam-visa.com.
  37. ^ "Tourism Statistics". Vietnam National Administration of Tourism. Retrieved 29 February 2024.
  38. ^ "Decree of the Prime Minister No. 390/TTg dated October 27, 1959, on the regulation of passport control". National Database of Legal Documents.
  39. ^ "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.
  40. ^ "Decree of the Government No. 48-CP on passports and visas". National Database of Legal Documents.
  41. ^ "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.
  42. ^ "vietnam tours". vietnamtour.asia. Retrieved 2 July 2023.
  43. ^ "Ordinance No. 24/2000/PL-UBTVQH10 on Entry, Exit, and Residence of Foreigners in Vietnam". National Database of Legal Documents.
  44. ^ "Law on Entry, Exit, Transit, and Residence of Foreigners in Vietnam". National Database of Legal Documents.
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