If you are planning to visit Vietnam and spend even a few days there you will need to first obtain a Vietnam visa. These Vietnam visas are issued on basis of how much time you want during your stay there which obviously depends on your intended activity while in that country. There could be as many activities to conduct as there are visitors to Vietnam, but generally all these activities lie in the following three categories for which visas are issued:
- Tourism activity – needs a tourist visa
- Business activity – needs a business visa
- Official or diplomatic activities – needs official and diplomatic visa
The tourism visa exists in two: single and multiple entries. It is valid for 30 days. If however you intend to stay in Vietnam for more than the allotted 30 days you will need to extend but only once for another 30 days.
The business visa can also be issued to you if you are planning to visit Vietnam on business purpose. All you need to do is find a sponsor and their approval letter. Business visa is valid for up to 3 months and allows you multiple entries to Vietnam.
For the official/diplomatic visa, on needs to be on official or governmental missions. One encouraging feature in this kind of visa is that there are no service charges implied on it. However, you first have to submit an official letter to the Vietnam immigration department before you are considered a chance.
There is also a special kind of visa for visitors to Vietnam, which is the Visa on Arrival. This kind of visa is intended for air travelers who are on a rush trip to Vietnam hence it takes a maximum of 48 working hours to have one allowed to travel to Vietnam, whereas the conventional visas take up to 15 working days to go through.
The visa on arrival is applied for online via websites of approved travel agents and once an application is successfully submitted by an individual, the visa is obtained at any of the three international airports in Vietnam: Da Nang, Tan Son Nhat & Noi Bai. As soon as an application for the visa on arrival is submitted to the travel agent and then forwarded to the Vietnam immigration department for further processing, a letter of approval will be sent to the applicant via email, if the application goes through successfully.
With the letter of approval you can enter Vietnam and head straight to the visa on arrival office, which is available in all three international airports in Vietnam and obtain your Vietnam visa from there. Details indicated in the letter of approval include the set date on which you are allowed to enter Vietnam and the departure day which is the date on which you are expected to leave the country.
In order to obtain the visa on arrival, you are required to ensure you meet the following requirements:
- A passport that is valid at least for 6 months from the date you apply
- You must have a two way flight ticket with dates of travel
- Pay all applicable service fee
However, it is important to note that the visa on arrival is only availed to limited number of countries. Therefore, before you press ahead to apply for the Vietnam visa, ensure you check to confirm that your country is among the shortlisted else your application might not go through even after having undergone all the necessary steps in applying for a visa on arrival.