Anyone who wants to travel to Vietnam would do well to properly prepare themselves. The Asian country still offers the possibility to make use of the visa on arrival. To get this visa, you need to join a queue at the airport in Vietnam. If the application is approved, the passport of the traveller is stamped. For both the application as well as the stamp a fee is charged. The government discourages travellers from making use of the visa on arrival.
We also do not recommend making use of this method. Our advise is to apply for a Vietnam visa before you leave the UK.
A visa for a versatile country
Vietnam is quite the popular destination among European tourists. The country is known for its impressive landscapes and rising cities. Backpackers and families in particular love going there. If you are going to Vietnam with your family, each traveller will need to have their own passport. A child is seen as an individual traveller, meaning he or she must possess their own passport and visa.
If you are travelling to Vietnam, you need to apply for a visa. Having a Vietnam visa is mandatory. To apply for the visa, the passport must be valid for at least 30 days after arrival in Vietnam. Without a Vietnam visa, it is not possible to travel to Vietnam. Starting January 2018, it is possible to apply for a Vietnam e-visa. This can be easily done on your computer.
Travellers wanting to travel to Vietnam therefore won’t need to go to the embassy if they want to get a tourist visa. The visa is sent by-email after approval.
Not recommended: visa on arrival
Those that have been to Vietnam before January 2018 likely experienced the visa on arrival before. Back then, travellers could still get a visa on arrival in Vietnam. This led to massive queues at the airport. The Vietnamese embassy strongly discourages travellers from making further use of this method.
Applying for a Vietnam visa online gives the assurance that you can enter the country when you arrive. If you travel with a visa on arrival, you still run the risk of being sent back home. The Vietnamese government can no longer guarantee that people will be able to enter Vietnam without any issues on a visa on arrival.
There are still visa agencies that say that they can arrange a visa. However, these agencies only provide a so-called letter of approval. This qualifies travellers for the visa on arrival. An approval letter is simply a piece of paper which states that you have been invited to enter the country. This document is not the same as a Vietnam visa. At the airport, you still need to get the actual visa on arrival. If it is granted, a hefty stamping fee is charged. By applying for the Vietnam visa online, you will save a lot of money.
Vietnam visa application
Starting January 2018, it has become very easy to apply for a Vietnam visa online. The visa is issued before the traveller gets on the plane to the country. You won’t need to wait in line for a visa-on-arrival. Furthermore, applying for a Vietnam visa online is a fair bit cheaper. The total cost of a single Vietnam visa is € 54,95 per person.
Apply for a visa for Vietnam
This is both cheaper and easier than using the visa on arrival. British and Irish travellers can make use of this online visa, avoiding the need to visit the Vietnamese embassy to get a paper visa there.
Applying for a Vietnam visa can be done 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and is the best way to acquire a visa. After applying, a scan of the passport and a passport photo need to be uploaded. After the information has been double checked for accuracy, it is forwarded to the Vietnamese authorities for processing.
You already need to possess the visa before travelling to Vietnam. Your passport has to be valid for at least 30 more days after arrival. You cannot have any contagious diseases which might pose a threat to your direct environment, and you cannot have been deported from Vietnam in the past 3 years. There are a limited number of airports and seaports where you can arrive.
Urgent Vietnam visa application
Did you forget to make a Vietnam visa application? Check the option “urgent delivery” in the normal application form. An added fee of € 17,50 is charged for this. The application is processed within 24 hours. 90% of all applications are already approved within 3 days.
Travelling to Vietnam with children
The Vietnamese people are always thrilled when children travel along with their parents to Vietnam. They often receive warm receptions. It is important to know that children need a visa of their own. This means that they also need to have their own passport to enter Vietnam
It is no longer possible to include children in the passports of their parents. It is also wise to go to the airport well in advance when travelling with children. Authorities are instructed to be extra alert in these cases to prevent child abductions.
Please note: this news article about the visa for Vietnam is more than one year old. It might contain outdated information and advice, and no rights can therefore be derived from this article. Are you going on a trip soon and do you wish to do know what rules currently apply? Read all about the up-to-date information about the visa for Vietnam.