Foreigners struggle to apply for new e-visa

Though the government started granting e-visa for all countries starting Aug. 15, some people are struggling with the procedures.

Martin Koerner, head of the tourism working group at the Vietnam Business Forum, told VnExpress International he has received negative feedback from international partners on applying Vietnamese e-visas.

“On average it takes 30-45 minutes to complete an application, while applying for e-visas in other countries only takes 5-7 minutes. For travel agents, it’s too long as spend so much time on it,” Koerner said.

A representative of Germany-based DER Touristik Group, the second-largest tour operator in Europe, said the list of countries eligible for e-visa issuance has not yet been updated, with South Africa still missing, while there is no function to select single or multi-entry.

A foreigner identified as Jago Wu said he was stuck in the payment section while applying for the e-visa.

Kirsten wrote on a Facebook group called Vietnam Travelers, “Does anyone know what ID card number is accepted on the new e-visa form? It won’t let me go any further. This new form requires lots more extra information than the old one.”

However, not everyone is having issues. Bill Dvorak said he successfully applied for his multiple-entry visa and is waiting for approval from competent authorities.

“The system worked well for me. The status is in progress,” he said, adding that he paid a fee of $50 for his multiple-entry visa.

A single-entry visa costs $25, according to the visa application website.

Elsewhere, Terry Marshall applied for an e-visa via an agent and has not experienced any problems.

“We submitted my application on Tuesday morning and by the afternoon I had received my dossier code,” Marhsall said.

Vietnam’s new e-visa is valid for up to 90 days and for multiple entries, more relaxed the the 30-day single-entry visa on offer after the country reopened borders post-Covid in March last year.

Non-nationals can access the e-visa web portal of the Vietnam Immigration Department at https://www.immigration.gov.vn or the National Public Service Portal of the Ministry of Public Security at https://dichvucong.bocongan.gov.vn/ to apply.

By Hoang Phong – VnExpress.net –  August 16, 2023