During the May 9-13 official visit of Nepal’s Prime Minister Khadga Prasad Sharma Oli to Vietnam, an agreement on visa exemption for diplomatic and official passport holders was signed. They also agreed to start a direct flight between the two countries in the near future. A joint statement released after PM Oli’s meeting with his Vietnamese counterpart Nguyen Xuan Phuc said that the direct flight service would bolster bilateral relations in trade, business and investment. It would also boost tourism development, the statement said. Nepal, a landlocked country in South Asia, welcomed 1.17 million visitors in 2018, up 24.77 percent over the previous year, while Vietnam received 15.6 million visitors, a 20 percent increase. Vietnam is among countries with the strictest visa policy in Asia. It only offers visa waivers to visitors from 22 countries and territories including ASEAN co-members. The country has tried to relax its entrance formalities with an e-visa policy … [Read more...] about Vietnam, Nepal ink visa exemption pact, direct flights loom
Vietnam 5 year visa exemption
Vietnam extends e-visa policy for foreign tourists until 2021
The Vietnamese government has approved a two-year extension of the pilot e-visa issuance program for foreigners visiting the country. The policy was launched on February 1, 2017, allowing citizens from 40 countries to apply for electronic visas. These countries included major tourism markets of China, Japan, South Korea, the U.S, the U.K, Germany and Sweden. Last year, visitors from six countries, Australia, India, Canada, the Netherlands, New Zealand and the U.A.E were added to the list. The e-visa application scheme was scheduled to expire next February, but has been extended now. As of August 31 this year, more than 241,000 foreign tourists have entered Vietnam with e-visas, according to Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT). The policy allows foreigners to apply for a 30-day, single-entry e-visa for holidays or business trips by paying a $25 application fee online. Applicants are required to complete a form available on two separate websites (one in … [Read more...] about Vietnam extends e-visa policy for foreign tourists until 2021
Extended visa exemption to increase Western European guests
(VEN) - The 15-day visa exemption policy for visitors from the UK, France, Germany, Spain, and Italy was extended by three years commencing July 1. This is expected to increase the number of high-spending, long-stay visitors to Vietnam. Vietnam has become an increasingly attractive destination for Western European visitors Western European market development According to Minister-Chairman of the Government Office Mai Tien Dung, the open-door visa policy aligned with enhanced tourism promotion has contributed to maintaining Vietnam’s growth rate of foreign visitors at nearly 30 percent annually. Minister Dung noted that the government would consider proposals from the Vietnam Tourism Association concerning the extension of the period of stay in Vietnam from 15 to 30 days and the expansion of exemptions for more countries. Western Europe is a desirable tourist market with its stable economy and high-spending, long-stay visitors. According to Hoang Nhan Chinh, Secretary … [Read more...] about Extended visa exemption to increase Western European guests
Vietnam continues visa exemptions for five European countries
Vietnam will renew visa exemptions for a three-year period for the citizens of five Western European countries, including the UK, France, Germany, Spain and Italy. Vietnam welcomed approximately 1.5 million Western European visitors in 2017 - Illustrative image The decision was approved by Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc at the regular Government meeting on May 3. Accordingly, citizens from the five aforementioned countries will continue to enjoy visa exemptions to enter Vietnam up to 2020 after the expiration of the visa-free policy in June this year. The PM said that Vietnam should continue to expand its visa-exemption policy as the country has unilaterally offered visa exemptions for citizens from only 24 countries, including nine ASEAN countries. According to Minister-Chairman of the Government Office Mai Tien Dung, the open-door visa policy aligned with enhanced tourism promotion has contributed to maintaining Vietnam's growth rate of foreign visitors at nearly 30 … [Read more...] about Vietnam continues visa exemptions for five European countries
Vietnam to extend visa exemption for Western citizens
Minister and Chairman of the Government Office Mai Tien Dung yesterday evening said that Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has agreed to proposals to continue extending the visa exemption policy for three more years, from July 1, 2018 to June 30, 2020, for citizens of France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and the UK. Currently, the policy will expire in a year. The 2015 start of the policy set off a swift rise in the number of tourists from these five countries. Illustration photo: theguardian.com Under the new policy, the duration of stay will remain 15 days from the date they receive the entry permit. A resolution on the move is expected to be enacted this week. Earlier, the ministries of Defence, Public Security, Culture, Sports and Tourism, and Foreign Affairs, as well as the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT) sent proposals to the prime minister to continue extending the visa exemption policy for citizens from these five nations. This will be the third time the … [Read more...] about Vietnam to extend visa exemption for Western citizens