If you have tried applying for the Vietnam visa in the past but terminated your plans because of the complexities and hustles involved in getting one, you now have a reason to smile. Good news is that you can apply for your Vietnam visa online and even travel to Vietnam before your visa is out, just that you will need some formal document to verify your plans as having been approved by your local government as well as that of Vietnam. All this success comes about with the introduction of the new service, Vietnam Visa on Arrival.
While the regular Vietnam visa application procedure takes about two weeks to come out so you can travel to Vietnam, the visa on arrival takes two working days to process and you can thereby travel to Vietnam to collect your visa from there. Since travelling to Vietnam on the visa on arrival program entails taking a flight and that requires your formal identification, you will produce a printed version of the letter of approval that is sent to you by email upon verification of the visa application. You then will produce the letter of approval at the visa on arrival office at the Vietnam international airport and pay a slight visa stamping fee to have your Vietnam visa produced and stamped on your passport. Once granted the Vietnam visa, you can definitely travel across Vietnam while your visa is valid.
The Vietnam visa on arrival is applied for online via websites of travel agents that work hand in hand with the Vietnam immigration department. Even as it takes 48 hours on average to have your application for the Vietnam visa on arrival approved, you can speed up the process by applying for emergency service which takes at most 24 hours to get processed. Once acquired the Vietnam visa can be extended if about to expire and that is roughly after 30 days. Check with the visa application agents on how long particular visas are valid.
As you may already know, there are three types of Vietnam visas: the tourist visa, business visa and diplomat visa all which have varying terms. The business visa for example can be extended for up to 30 days beyond the stated expiry date whereas the diplomat visa is acquired free of charge but only upon meeting strict requirements. Be sure to check on advise as for which particular visa is appropriate for you with the visa application agent or alternatively from the Vietnam embassy/consulate.
Most importantly, you can only apply for the visa on arrival program upon meeting the following standards:
- You have a valid passport that you acquired not less than six months ago
- You have two passport photos that you acquired in less than six months ago
- You plan to travel by air to Vietnam.
- Your country is listed among those approved by the Vietnam immigration department for visa on arrival program.
Upon meeting these requirements you may press ahead and apply for your Vietnam visa on arrival.