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“We heard that many people have faced difficulty in applying for visas to Vietnam. However, we find that completing Vietnam's visa application procedures online is easy and convenient. We just need to fill in forms,” said travelers from Norway. Being introduced by their friends, Alannah Caulfield Patel and Elin Littmann from Norway chose Vietnam as a destination of their trip to Southeast Asia. Contrary to others’ difficulty in applying for visas to Vietnam, the two Norwegians successfully got the visas in the first registration. They obtained 30-day visas and their first destination in Vietnam was Ho Chi Minh City. They later reached Hoi An City in central Quang Nam Province and Hanoi by coach. Eve, a 65-year-old tourist from Australia, and her husband said they completed procedures online to get 15-day visas to Vietnam. “There was no obstacle. You know, we are old but can complete procedures online ourselves,” Eve said. The friendliness and hospitality of people in Hanoi … [Read more...] about It’s not hard to apply for Vietnam visa but authorities’ response slow: foreign tourists

The co-operation signing ceremony between Visa and SmartPay to provide digital payment solutions to MSMEs. — Photo Courtesy Visa Vietnam Visa has announced a partnership with SmartPay, a leading Vietnamese fintech company, to spread digital payment solutions to Viet Nam’s micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs). Together, Visa said, the two companies will empower MSMEs with essential tools, such as point-of-sales (POS) terminals, that they need to compete in the burgeoning digital payment era. “A lack of infrastructure, especially POS terminals, is becoming a profound challenge for MSMEs to keep up with the digital transformation taking place in Viet Nam. Demand for POS devices in the second quarter of 2022 was about 1.2 million devices, and SmartPay’s goal in the next three years is to provide 325,000 POS devices, or nearly 30 per cent of the total market share,” said Marek Forysiak, SmartPay’s Chairman. “This partnership is part of the broader effort of Visa and … [Read more...] about Visa partners with SmartPay to provide digital payment solutions to MSMEs

International tourists wear Vietnam's signature conical hats. (Photo: VNA) Hanoi (VNS/VNA) - Will Vietnam's tourism see a boost soon? Industry insiders are optimistic about future prospects as the Government weighs up a 90-day e-visa to gain a competitive edge as a leading tourism destination. Travel companies are anticipating that if the decision is finalised in the ongoing National Assembly’s meeting, which started on May 22, the sector could take advantage of the change right from the travelling season starting in September and achieve the goal of eight million foreign tourists for this year. As of the end of April, Vietnam has welcomed nearly 3.7 million international arrivals, reaching nearly half of the goal it has set for 2023. However, these figures hint that Vietnam's tourism rebound is still underway - the 2023 goal is modest compared to the country's record 18 million international arrivals in 2019. Pham Ha, CEO of travel business Lux Group told Vietnam … [Read more...] about Industry insiders anticipate tourism boost as 90-day visa brought to NA meeting

Malaysian home minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said the remaining applications were still being vetted by the police, Free Malaysia Today reported. The premium visa program that allows foreigners to stay in Malaysia for up to 20 years was announced in September last year with the hopes of drawing rich investors to settle in the country, similar to the Golden Visa initiatives in Singapore and Thailand. The government hoped the premium visa program would bring in 200 million ringgit (US$44.8 million) to state coffers this year. To be eligible for the program, foreigners are required to have at least 1 million ringgit in their bank account and are only allowed to withdraw 50% of that amount after a year for the purchase of property or to pay for medical and educational expenses. In addition, they must have an offshore income of 480,000 ringgit a year. Successful applicants are allowed to bring their spouses, children, parents, in-laws and domestic workers as dependents. … [Read more...] about Only two applications for Malaysia’s 20-year visa program approved

He is on an official visit to Japan, where he took part in the 28th International Conference on the Future of Asia in Tokyo on Thursday. During a meeting with Japanese Foreign Minister Hayashi Yoshimasa, he urged the Japanese government to support Vietnamese expats living in the country. He congratulated Japan on its successful organization of the G7 summit and the G7 expanded summit. He wanted it to give priority to Vietnam in the US$75-billion program for construction of high-quality infrastructure in the Indo-Pacific region and the $10-billion Asia Energy Transformation Initiative. He sought new generations of ODA from Japan with greater incentives. Yoshimasa thanked Vietnam for its contribution to the success of the recent G7 expanded summit. Vietnam occupies a leading position in Japan's foreign policy in the region, he said. He assured that Japan would continue to support Vietnam's development, including by providing by ODA in fields where Japan has strengths and … [Read more...] about Vietnam seeks Japanese visa exemption for its nationals

In comments on a draft amendment to the Law on Entry, Exit, Transit and Residence of Foreigners in Vietnam, the board (TAB) encouraged the government to waive visas for up to a month for those entering Vietnam to attend sports tournaments, conferences and tourism fairs, the Vietnam News Agency reported. TAB also backed a clause in the draft amendment extending the validity of e-visas from 30 days to a maximum of three months. The stipulation would also allow for multiple-entry e-visas, in order to attract international tourists. The board has also stated that it wants to triple to 45 days the duration of visa-free stays for tourists from certain countries who now enjoy a 15-day waiver. "Applying for a visa at international border gates prompts additional visa fees and causes trouble for international tourists, especially solo travelers," said a TAB statement. TAB also suggested the government grant five-year visas to foreign individuals who buy residential real estate in … [Read more...] about Vietnam advised to waive visa for wealthy travelers

The Ministry of Public Security submitted the relevant amendments to the Law on Entry, Exit, Transit and Residence of Foreigners in Vietnam to the National Assembly on Saturday. Members will discuss these changes on June 2 and vote on it on the last day of the ongoing session on June 24. Lawmakers have expressed support for the proposals on visa relaxation, saying issuing multiple-entry e-visas would reduce the administrative burden and save time and money. "A three-month e-visa will meet foreign visitors’ demand to stay longer to explore investment opportunities," Le Tan Toi, head of the NA Committee for Defense and Security Committee, said. Lawmakers also supported the proposed tripling to 45 days of the duration of visa-free stays for tourists from certain countries who now enjoy a 15-day waiver, and expand the list of eligible countries for e-visa issuance. Vietnam offers e-visas to citizens of 80 countries and territories . It waives visa for citizens from 25 … [Read more...] about Lawmakers set to vote on extending e-visa validity to three months

The Vietnamese government has formally requested the National Assembly (NA), the legislative body responsible for creating laws, to grant approval for extending the validity of visitor e-visas for foreigners entering Vietnam from one month to three months. General To Lam, Minister of Public Security, officially submitted the proposal for amendments to a number of articles in the Law on Foreigners’ Entry in, Exit from, Transit through, and Residence in Vietnam to the NA on Saturday, the sixth working day of its fifth plenary session. Under the proposed amendments, Vietnam would extend the validity of e-visas granted to foreigners entering the country to three months from no more than 30 days for single entry or multiple entries. Besides, the Southeast Asian country would grant e-visas to citizens from all countries and territories, expanding the eligibility beyond specific nations. Furthermore, foreign visitors hailing from countries and regions eligible for Vietnam's … [Read more...] about Vietnamese gov’t seeks legislative approval for 3-month e-visa validity

Foreign visitors now enjoy only 30 days of stay in Vietnam, while the durations in other Southeast Asian countries are 45-90 days. National legislators have proposed that e-visa validity for foreign visitors should be extended to 60-90 days, higher than the average of 45-90 days in other regional nations. Visitors at the Thang Long Imperial Citadel in Hanoi. Photo: Cong Hung/The Hanoi Times A single foreign visitor can now live in Vietnam for a maximum of 30 days. The amended law on immigration, migration, residency, and layover for foreigners may enable the individual to stay in the country for 45 days. The projected cap is moderate compared to other nations in Southeast Asia, such as Thailand, Indonesia, Singapore, the Philippines, and Myanmar, deputy Ha Phuoc Thang from Ho Chi Minh City said at a National Assembly's group discussion session on May 27. "If the validity is capped at 60-90 days, that will undoubtedly boost tourist, economic, and … [Read more...] about E-visa expiry should be in 60-90 days: Lawmakers

Illustrative image (Source: VNA) Hanoi (VNA) – Vietnam should take more actions, including the facilitation of immigration procedures, in an effort to make itself a top destination for international tourists, the Tourism Advisory Board (TAB) has suggested. The board said it supports amending e-visa granting for citizens of all countries and territories, and prolonging the duration of e-visas granted to foreigners entering Vietnam from 30 days to a maximum of three months with single and multiple entries applicable. The support was voiced as the Government plans to raise a proposal on the draft law amending and supplementing a number of articles of the Law on Exit and Entry of Vietnamese Citizens and the Law on Entry , Exit, Transit and Residence of Foreigners in Vietnam to the ongoing 15th National Assembly on May 27, The board also proposed extending the duration of temporary residence permits at border gates for unilateral visa-exempt entry visitors from 15 … [Read more...] about Tourism Advisory Board raises visa proposals