Puntland visa policy

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

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

Travel companies are anticipating that if the decision is finalized 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 News: “Open policies like this will be a driving force for tourism. “I believe that with other comprehensive policies, Vietnam can receive eight million foreign visitors within the year 2023.” The visa validity extension has been a long-awaited decision for many travel agencies, as it allows easier, … [Read more...] about Industry insiders anticipate tourism boost as 90-day visa brought to N.A. meeting

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

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

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

Stay up to date with the best news about Vietnam for today. Vietnam monitors super typhoon Mawar Satellite picture of Mawar typhoon approaching the Philippines on the morning of May 27. Photo: PAGASA Vietnam's National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting closely watches super typhoon Mawar, a powerful tropical cyclone , barrelling toward the Philippines. Mawar is the strongest storm ever observed worldwide during May and beats out anything seen globally in 2022. It fits into a pattern of more intense storms in an era earmarked by warming oceans and human-induced climate change. Photo exhibition in HCM City to remember Most Venerable Thich Quang Duc A photo exhibition celebrating the life and legacy of the Most Venerable Thich Quang Duc opened at the Viet Nam Quoc Tu (National Pagoda of Vietnam) in Ho Chi Minh City on May 26. The exhibition features 90 photographs of the monk's life, including the moment of his self-immolation in 1963 and … [Read more...] about Vietnam News Highlights for May 27, 2023

Over 146,000 Chinese tourists arrived in Vietnam this month, up 23% from the previous month, according to a report by the General Statistics Office. Since China began reopening its border in mid-January, the country welcomed a total of 398,000 Chinese arrivals. South Korea continued to be the largest source of tourist arrivals with over 1.3 million in the first five months. The U.S. ranked third with 307,000 arrivals. Vietnam received over 916,000 foreign tourist arrivals in May, down 6.9% from the previous month. In the first five months of this year, the country welcomed 4.6 million international visitors, more than half this year's target of 8 million but just 63% of pre-pandemic levels. In 2019, the year before the onset of the pandemic, China was Vietnam's biggest source of foreign arrivals with 5.5 million arrivals. Earlier, HSBC predicted Vietnam could receive 3 to 4.5 million visitors from China this year, equivalent to 50%-80% of pre-pandemic levels. … [Read more...] about China becomes Vietnam’s second biggest source of tourists

The Vietnamese government issued a resolution on solutions to accelerate tourism recovery and develop tourism sustainably and effectively on Thursday, moving toward turning Vietnam into one of the world’s 30 leading countries with the highest tourism competitiveness. As per the resolution, the government tasks the Ministry of Public Security with completing the immigration policy and creating more favorable conditions for foreign visitors to enter, stay in, and leave the country. Besides, the ministry is also in charge of expanding the list of nations eligible for e-visa application. The government will also propose the lawmaking National Assembly extend the e-visa validity to 90 days from 30 days to lure international tourists, especially those who want to stay long in Vietnam. Besides, many tourism experts and travel firms have put forward numerous measures to woo international travelers to Vietnam. Le Truong Hien Hoa, deputy head of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of … [Read more...] about Vietnam looks to be among 30 most competitive tourism nations worldwide

"After sluggish GDP performance in the first quarter, Vietnam is still not out of the woods yet. In particular, we have not seen the light at the end of the tunnel on the trade front," HSBC analysts said in a recent report. Minister of Planning and Investment Nguyen Chi Dung said that the economy faces a number of challenges, including high inflation and tightened monetary policy globally. But although exports dropped 11.2% and imports fell 13% year-on-year last month, revenue from retail and services grew 11.5%, implying a rise in domestic consumption, data from the ministry showed. Total supply of goods at Ho Chi Minh City’s wholesale market in the five-day national holiday earlier this month rose 5.7% year-on-year, and consumption at supermarkets and malls surged, according to the city’s Department of Industry and Trade. Tourism also showed signs of recovery. Vietnam welcomed around 984,000 international tourists last month, taking the year-to-date figure up … [Read more...] about Retail, services shine amid cloudy economic outlook