Vietnam visa exemption is the Vietnamese government allowing foreigners to enter and stay in the Vietnamese territory for a certain period of time without having to apply for a Vietnam visa or pay fees. related to Vietnam visa. The following article LVN Group would like to share with you about visa-free Vietnam.
Vietnam Visa Exemption
1. What is visa-free?
Visa-free (also known as Visa-free, visa-free), is a country that allows foreigners to enter and stay in that country’s territory for a certain period of time without having to do so. visa procedures or pay visa-related fees.
Thus, Vietnam visa exemption is the Vietnamese government’s permission for foreigners to enter and stay in the Vietnamese territory for a certain period of time without having to apply for a Vietnam visa or pay the registration fee. fees related to Vietnam visa.
In order to enter Vietnam under this visa exemption, citizens of eligible countries must ensure:
- Passport valid for at least 6 months from the date of entry into Vietnam; and
- Passport with at least 02 blank pages.
2. List of countries exempted from visa to Vietnam
As of January 2023, Vietnam is exempting visas for citizens of 24 countries (ordinary passports), of which:
- Vietnam exempts bilateral visas for citizens of 12 countries, and
- Vietnam exempts bilateral visas for citizens of 13 countries, including 11 European countries (instead of 5 countries before).
The maximum allowed length of stay and visa-free conditions for each country are specified in the table below.
Important notes about Vietnam visa exemption cases:
- Regulations on the fact that foreigners in the unilateral visa exemption scheme, if the next time they enter Vietnam, they want to use the right of visa exemption, they must wait at least 30 days from the date of exit of their stay in Vietnam. The nearest male under the visa exemption category is removed from July 1, 2020. Thus, citizens of countries under Vietnam visa exemption are always exempted from visa for up to 15 days.
- Holders of British passports abroad – BNO are not eligible for Vietnam visa exemption.
- Visa exemption includes visa exemption for entry, exit and transit.
- The visa-free stay period is counted from the date of entry.
3. Other cases of Vietnam visa exemption
Currently, in addition to the above cases of visa exemption, Vietnam is also exempting visas for the following cases:
- Visa exemption for 30 days for foreigners entering the coastal economic zone under the decision of the Government when fully meeting the following conditions:
- has an international airport;
- have a separate space;
- have definite geographical boundaries, separate from the mainland;
- in line with the socio-economic development policy and without prejudice to the national defense, security and social order and safety of Vietnam.
- Holders of the APEC Business Travel Card (ABTC) with a valid passport are exempt from visa entry and stay in Vietnam for up to 60 days;
4. Vietnam visa exemption extension
Previously, foreign tourists entering Vietnam could still extend their visas to continue staying in Vietnam. However, at present, all cases of entering Vietnam by visa exemption cannot be extended.
Visitors entering Vietnam by visa exemption and want to continue to stay in Vietnam after the visa exemption period can leave Vietnam for neighboring countries or countries in the region such as Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, Singapore… and come back with a new visa waiver. This form is called a visa run.
5. How to Get a 5-Year Visa for Vietnam
You need to follow the two (02) steps below for Vietnam 5 year visa application:
Step 1: Prepare the required documents
The documents required for applying for a Vietnam 5 year visa exemption depend on the subjects of applications, namely:
- Vietnamese overseas; and
- Spouses, children of Vietnamese overseas, or Vietnamese citizens
For Vietnamese overseas:
To apply for 5 years visa exemption for overseas Vietnamese, the applicant needs to prepare:
- 01 5-year Vietnam visa exemption application form (Fill out the form here and print it with a barcode on Letter-sized paper
- Passport or equivalent paper or a residence permit granted by a competent agency in the country of residence valid for at least 6 months following the date of arrival in Vietnam;
- Two photos taken recently (white background, straight face, bare head, no colored glasses);
- One certified copy or copy attached to the originals of one of the following papers:
- birth certificate;
- certificate of Vietnamese citizenship;
- the decision for renunciation of Vietnamese citizenship;
- certificate of loss of Vietnamese citizenship;
- Vietnamese passport (valid or invalid)
- Identity Card (valid or invalid);
- latest voter’s card;
- Family Register Book;
- Documents issued by competent foreign authorities if they can prove that the person in question has original Vietnamese citizenship or of Vietnamese origin.
- In case of not having documents listed at (4), the following materials could be submitted:
- A guarantee issued by an overseas Vietnamese association from the country of residence.
For foreign spouses & children of overseas Vietnamese or Vietnamese citizens:
To apply for Vietnam 5 year visa exemption for foreign spouses and children of overseas Vietnamese or Vietnamese citizens, the applicant will need to prepare:
- A 5 year Vietnam visa exemption application form (prepared as above if you are in any country other than Vietnam, or download and fill out this Applicant Form NA09 if you are in Vietnam);
- Foreign passport valid for at least 6 months following entry date in Vietnam;
- Two photos taken recently (white background, straight face, bare head, no colored glasses;
- One copy attached to originals of one of the following papers which prove the relationship between wives/husbands/children and the Vietnamese overseas/Vietnamese citizens:
- Certificate of Marriage
- Certificate of Birth
- Certificate of relationship with father, mother, children;
- Other valid documents as regulated by the Vietnamese Law.
- Decision of Adoption
Step 2: Submit the documents prepared above to the granting authority:
Agencies competent to grant visa exemption certificates include:
- Overseas Vietnamese diplomatic missions and consulates (see here for their contact details);
- The Vietnam Immigration Department under the Ministry of Public Security (if you are in Vietnam).
Step 3: Receive your original passport and the 5 years visa exemption certificate.
In case you do not know where to start, let us help you. No matter where you are, we can process a Vietnam 5-years visa exemption certificate for you. Spend 1 minute to complete the form below, and we will get back to you shortly.
6. Frequently asked questions
6.1. How to enter Vietnam under visa exemption?
If you are eligible for a visa exemption (except for a 5-year visa), you do not have to do anything in advance. You only need to keep your passport protected and limited to at least 6 months from the warning date and 2 blank pages. Then, when you arrive at the Vietnam border gate, you just need to present your slide show to enter Vietnam.
6.2. How to extend visa exemption for 5 years while in Vietnam?
Please be kindly informed that we can assist you to renew/extend your stay under the Vietnam visa 5 years plan. Kindly send us a scan of your passport (consisting of your personal information page and current visa exemption), and we will get back to you with further details.
6.3. Address of Vietnam Immigration Department
Q. My wife is a Vietnamese and I’m now in Vietnam with her. I want to process my 5 year visa exemption via the Immigration Department. Please let me know its address.
A. Please check here for addresses of Vietnam Immigration Department in Hanoi, Da nang and Ho Chi Minh City:
- In Hanoi: 40A, Hang Bai Street, Hanoi, Vietnam
- In Da Nang: No. 7 Tran Quy Cap, Da Nang city
- In Ho Chi Minh city: No 161 Nguyen Du, Ben Thanh Ward, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City
Their working time is 8:00 AM – 11:00 AM in the morning and 1:30 PM – 4:00 PM in the afternoon from Monday to Friday (except for national holidays).
In case you have no time or don’t want to face any hassle in working directly with them, we can assist you to get your 5 year visa exemption for Vietnam. Feel free to call us at +84.946.583.583.