You can get your Vietnam visa in different ways these days. In any case you have an arrangement of touring Vietnam, you may seek a visa from the Vietnamese embassy/consulate your particular nation. However, if the Vietnam consulate is not present in your nation, you still have an option on how to apply for your Vietnam visa, which is to get online and start the application procedure to getting the Vietnam visa on arrival. This is the simplest and strongly advised way of applying for your visa. While the regular Vietnam visa is applied for at Vietnam embassies and takes up to fifteen days to go through, it takes only 48 hours for one to be allowed to travel to Vietnam right from when they forward their visa application online with the Visa on Arrival Program.
As opposed to the traditional visa, visa on arrival program is expedited in that it takes a matter of hours to have it cleared and you can thereby travel straight to Vietnam and pick your visa. Additionally, this new service is available on all days of the week regardless of whether it is a working day or a public holiday. What is more interesting is the fact that it is extendable just like the regular visa.
Visa on arrival service costs $25 per every head and is valid for up to 30 days. If your visa is about to expire you can extend it at various offices in Vietnam. The processing time for extending the Vietnam visa on arrival is about 5 to 7 working days. However the procedure can be speeded up but at an added fee. This urgent service will cut down the expected awaiting time to just a day or a few working hours.
There are certain countries with special agreement with Vietnam to give their members special treatment when visiting Vietnam as far as visa requirement is concerned. For instance, members of countries like: Finland, Norway, Denmark, Sweden and Russia will not need a Vietnam visa on their first 15 days of travel to Vietnam. Furthermore, members from countries like Malaysia, Thailand, Philippines, Kingdom of Brunei Darussalam and Indonesia will not need a Vietnam visa on the first 30 days of their visit to Vietnam. On the other hand, members of the following countries: Malaysia, Thailand, Philippines, Kingdom of Brunei Darussalam and Indonesia. Residents of South Korea and Japan are relieved for 15 days, whereas Cambodians will not need a visa in Vietnam for 14 days.
If you had experienced delayed services and technicalities before while applying for the regular Vietnam visa at Vietnam embassy, you now have a chance to experience the new improved service of the Vietnam visa on arrival. All you need is your valid passport and two passport-sized photos that you took most recently.
Note that your passport should first be acquired six months ahead of your visa application date whereas your two passport photos should be ones taken within the last six months. The rest of the application procedure is advised at the visa agent website.