E-visa tips for foreigners wanting to visit Vietnam
With Vietnam reopening its borders after more than two years and lifting most Covid restrictions, here are some tips for foreigners on getting electronic visas for smooth entry.
Right now, Vietnam is only offering 30-day single-entry e-visa service for citizens from 80 countries and territories.
You can check the list to make sure your country is one of those approved for Vietnam’s e-visa by clicking on this link.
Among the main eligibility conditions for the e-visa are a passport with six months’ validity; a photo in .jpg format of full passport data page; a passport photo in .jpg format; and a valid international credit or debit card.
In order to apply for the e-visa, the first step is to visit the official website for Vietnam’s e-visa application at evisa.xuatnhapcanh.gov.vn and complete an online form.
The form has to be filled with required information from the passport data page and the .jpg images of the page and passport photo have to be uploaded.
All information regarding the trip, including intended date of entry, intended length of stay in Vietnam, intended port of entry and departure, and intended temporary residential address in Vietnam will have to be filled in.
After completing the form and submitting it to the Vietnam Immigration Department, the applicant will receive a verification code, after which $25 has to be paid as e-visa fees.
It takes three working days for the visa to be issued. The visa status can be checked at evisa.xuatnhapcanh.gov.vn/tra-cuu-thi-thuc after entering the registration code, email, and date of birth.
Once the visa is issued, the .pdf file can be downloaded and printed. It is advisable to have two printed copies when traveling.
The e-visa is valid for entry at any of 28 international checkpoints in Vietnam, including eight international airports. For the full list of airports, seaports and border crossings where the e-visa is accepted, please click here.
Mike Burger from the U.S. who visited Vietnam last May, said e-visas in Vietnam is super.
“I used this online facility many times pre-Covid and most recently last May when the country reopened its borders,” he said.
“I found the website to be simple and efficient and the turnaround time for the e-visa was three days. No issues with payment via Visa or Mastercard. Great system in my opinion.”
By Hoang Phong – VnExpress.net – August 6, 2022