Nov. 28 – The Vietnamese government has relaxed previous visa application requirements whereby foreigners had to apply at Vietnamese embassies and consulates in their country of origin to obtain single or multiple-entry visas. Now, Vietnam has outsourced the process to a number of select companies who can quickly process visa applications online.
Through such companies, foreigners can be issued single and multi-entry visas with a processing fee payable via PayPal. The online application typically takes 24-48 hours to process, or can be fast tracked in as little as 1 hour. Visa approval letters are then issued to each applicant via E-mail. Upon arrival to Vietnam, with the provision of the visa approval letter, passport, immigration form and two passport-sized photographs, an official visa is stamped into your passport. A visa fee of US$25 (single-entry) or US$50 (multi-entry) must be paid in cash at the airport to Vietnam immigration. One such company offering these services is Vietnam Visa Corp.
Also, under a new ruling from the Vietnamese Ministry of Finance (Circular No. 190/2012/TT-BTC), visa application fees are expected to increase from January 1, 2013. The fee for applying for a single-entry visa will increase from US$25 to US$45, while a 6-month multi-entry visa will increase in cost from US$50 to US$95. These changes will be applicable to all foreign nationals and overseas Vietnamese who are applying for Vietnam visas and temporary residence cards. See the below table for further details.
Dezan Shira & Associates is a specialist foreign direct investment practice, providing corporate establishment, business advisory, tax advisory and compliance, accounting, payroll, due diligence and financial review services to multinationals investing in emerging Asia. Since its establishment in 1992, the firm has grown into one of Asia’s most versatile full-service consultancies with operational offices across China, Hong Kong, India, Singapore and Vietnam as well as liaison offices in Italy and the United States.
For further details or to contact the firm, please email vietnam@dezshira.com, visit www.dezshira.com, or download the company brochure.
You can stay up to date with the latest business and investment trends across Vietnam by subscribing to The Vietnam Advantage, our complimentary update service featuring news, commentary, guides, and multimedia resources.
Related Reading
An Introduction to Doing Business in Vietnam
This new 32-page report touches on everything you need to know about doing business in Vietnam, and is now available as a complimentary PDF download on the Asia Briefing Bookstore!
Obtaining Foreign Work Permits in Vietnam
