Getting a visa is now easy and simple, thanks to the Vietnam visa on arrival program. Vietnam is without a doubt, a beautiful tourist destination that attracts millions of international visitors all year round. Unfortunately, there are some visitors who either give up or cancel their vacation trips on their first time due to reasons related to complications of getting visa.
Going by statistical data of tourist visit in the final nine months of year 2012, there was a 13% growth which represents a new figure of 4, 853, 155 visitor count in total including the increment. The number could be a bigger figure had the Vietnam government made the visa on arrival procedure known to visa applicants.
Just in case you were one of the aspiring visitors to Vietnam, you may want to try out the new service of acquiring Vietnam visa, which is the visa on arrival service.
Unlike before when all visitors to Vietnam had to desperately rely on their local Vietnam embassies in their countries to apply from and acquire their Vietnam visas, you don’t necessarily have to line up at the Vietnam embassy in order to get your visa applied in person and processed. This way you can apply for your Vietnam visa from any place around the globe provided you have internet access. Additionally, you can still board a plane to Vietnam simply by producing your hardcopy print of the letter of approval, which usually is sent to you by email in softcopy from the Vietnam immigration department but via the visa application agency you applied with.
The visa on arrival service is arranged for you by the travel agency you apply with online. Firstly, you get to visit the website of your agent and fill up the visa application form they avail to you. This way you will have designated to them the task of forwarding and following up on your visa processing. After about 48 working hours you will receive a softcopy letter of approval, indicating that your visa application procedure via your travel agency has gone through. You then have to print your letter of approval to hardcopy and present it upon boarding a plane to Vietnam. This letter of approval is first sent to the agent by the immigration department of Vietnam, who then relays it to you via email. The travel agent, will in exchange of their service charge you a slight service fee.
On arrival to Vietnam, you will have to visit the visa on arrival office at any of the three international airports in Vietnam and present the hardcopy print of the letter of approval. Other documents you will be required to present include your passport and two of your most recent passport photos. Finally, you will pay a slight visa stamping fee to have your Vietnam visa stamped on your passport.
In addition to the visa on arrival, which is fast and convenient, there is the urgent visa otherwise known as an express visa, which takes as little as 24hours to process whereas the visa on arrival takes 2 days. Due to the urgency given in processing this rush visa you will pay higher service fees compared to what visa on arrival service costs.
Both visa on arrival and express visa are available and can be applied even on Saturday, Sunday and Public holidays. Simply get to sample out the best travel agencies from which you will choose the best to apply your visa with. Remember you need a valid passport that you must have taken at least six months and two of your most recent passport photos taken within the last six months before you apply for the visa.
That is all you need to know before applying for the visa on arrival or even the Vietnam express visa, both of which are applied for online.