Visa policy

At last week’s tourism recovery conference in Hanoi, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh stated that Vietnam will waive visas for more countries and extend the duration of stay for international tourists to accelerate the recovery of tourism. Better conditions will also be created for airlines to open direct routes to Vietnam. More flexible visa policy finally on cards after multiple gripes, Photo source: freepik.com The prime minister stressed that after Vietnam reopened its tourism market, it failed to attract foreign visitors as expected in 2022. There has been a lack of attractive tourism products and quality remains limited, he said. According to Pham Hai Quynh, director of the Asian Tourism Development Institute, easing visa requirements is a starting point for attracting more tourists to the country. It also encourages travellers to stay longer and explore more. “With improvements in visa openness, Vietnam is likely to woo more tourists and investors to Vietnam. … [Read more...] about More flexible visa policy finally on cards after multiple gripes

Could you shed some light on the visa openness of other countries in the region? Pham Hong Long, dean of Tourism Studies at the University of Social Sciences and Humanities in Hanoi Back in 1996, Malaysia launched a programme to attract retired people with a 10-year visa. Last year, the initiative was renamed My Second Home and now targets anyone 21 years old and above. Malaysia has also introduced a premium visa initiative to attract wealthy foreigners to invest and reside in the country for a period of 20 years. In addition, it currently grants visa exemption to 162 countries. Thanks to its open visa policy, the country received over 7 million tourist arrivals in 2022, double the figure of Vietnam. Elsewhere, Thailand has extended stays to 45 days for citizens from 65 countries, while the Philippines grants visa exemption for 157 countries. Singapore is also known for its attractive visa policies. Citizens from 162 countries are entitled for visa exemption there … [Read more...] about Vietnam should expand visa policy to welcome growth

The Expat Essentials Index, informed by the annual Expat Insider survey by website InterNations (which describes itself as the world's largest online community of expats), found expatriates vexed about the Vietnam's visa policy. For the 2022 edition of the index, InterNations asked 11,970 expats of 177 nationalities living in 181 countries and territories to provide information on various aspects of expat life. To be featured in the Expat Essentials Index, each destination needed a sample size of at least 50 survey participants. In total, 52 countries and territories met this requirement. Vietnam landed in the bottom 10, ranking 46th in the overall index, which included the four subcategories of Digital Life, Admin Topics, Housing, and Language. For the Admin Topics Subcategory, the nation was placed 51st out of 52 destinations. Within this subcategory, 48% of surveyed expats reported that they had difficulties obtaining a visa to move to Vietnam, double the global average of … [Read more...] about Expats unhappy with Vietnam visa policy, survey affirms

Martin Koerner, chairman of EuroCham Vietnam's Tourism and Hospitality Sector Committee, told at a tourism conference Wednesday that Vietnam's visa policy remains complicated and restrictive compared to regional neighbors such as Thailand and Singapore. Thailand already extended its tourist visas to a maximum stay of 45 days for over 50 countries while Vietnam currently exempts only citizens of 25 countries from requiring visas with maximum stays of 15 days. EuroCham has proposed the government expand visa exemptions for more countries, including all European countries, the United States, Australia and New Zealand and prolong the duration of visa-free stays to 30 days. "However, we have seen slow progress in achieving this," Koerner said. "The country needs to implement a tourism development strategy quickly to compete with its regional competitors." Nuno F. Ribeiro, a Portuguese lecturer in hospitality and tourism at RMIT University, also proposed Vietnam waive visas for more … [Read more...] about Foreign experts urge Vietnam to relax visa policies, improve tourism services

Visas, service quality, and technology were all part of discussions on a better-performing tourism sector Photo: Cuong Minh May’s National Assembly session is likely to help push ahead a revamp of the country’s rules on entry and exit for foreign visitors, after the Ministry of Public Security crafts amendments to the current law. The development will be an important basis for the issuance of new regulations related to the visa policy, removing difficulties for the tourism industry, and creating conditions to attract more international visitors this year, according to most observers. Dang Tuan Viet, deputy director of the Ministry of Public Secrutity’s (MoPS) Vietnam Immigration Department, said that the proposal emphasised two major areas related to unilateral visa exemption and electronic visa policy. The MoPS also proposes to expand the number of countries that can issue e-visas from 80 countries to the maximum. The MoPS will also ask to increase the temporary stay … [Read more...] about Visa upgrade at heart of fresh approach to tourism

The e-visa will be valid for single-entry or multiple entries, according to a draft amendment to The Law on Entry, Exit, Transit and Residence of Foreigners in Vietnam, for which the ministry is preparing to collect public opinions. Vietnam currently offers a one-month single-entry e-visa to visitors from 80 countries and territories, including the U.S. and Australia. Under the draft, the ministry also suggested extending the duration of stays for tourists from countries enjoying 15-day visa exemptions to 30 days. Now, visitors from some European countries, Japan and South Korea, Vietnam's top tourism markets, are permitted to stay in the country for no more than 15 days without applying for a tourist visa. The ministry said that since Vietnam reopened its borders in March last year, the number of foreign tourists has remained low, prompting tourism industry insiders to urge visa relaxations to save the tourism industry. On Wednesday, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh told a … [Read more...] about Vietnam considers extending e-visas to three months

Vietnam will add more countries to its visa waiver program, offer a longer visa-free stay, and expand the list of countries eligible for e-visa application, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh told a teleconference on tourism development in 2023 titled ‘Boosting Tourism Recovery and Promoting Growth’ on Wednesday this week. These moves are expected to boost Vietnam’s inbound tourism one year after the country fully reopened its doors to international tourists on March 15 last year. Speaking at the event, Dang Minh Truong, chairman of Sun Group, said that Vietnam is in dire need of breakthrough solutions to prevent the tourist industry from lagging behind. Relevant ministries and departments should weigh up amending and supplementing regulations of the Law on Foreigners’ Entry in, Exit from, Transit through, and Residence in Vietnam, and report them to the prime minister as soon as possible. Besides, it is necessary to extend tourist visa validity for international tourists from 90 … [Read more...] about Vietnam strives to clear visa roadblocks to woo international tourists

Currently Vietnam exempts only citizens of 25 countries from requiring visas. "One of the barriers for foreign tourists to visit Vietnam is its complicated and restrictive visa policy," Mark Koerner, chairman of EuroCham Vietnam’s Tourism and Hospitality Sector Committee, said in a petition submitted to Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh at the annual Vietnam Business Forum on Sunday. The petition collates opinions from leading tourism experts and hospitality and tourism industry insiders. The petition states: "The visa exemption period is too short for many visitors who want to explore the country’s diverse attractions while the e-visa and visa on arrival processes can be time-consuming and inconvenient." Gabor Fluit, chairman of EuroCham, said that beautiful landscape and rich cultural heritage make Vietnam a top destination for tourists. "To make the most of tourism potential, the one-month visa exemption should be extended to all EU countries. Furthermore, the implementation of … [Read more...] about Europe, US investors urge government to expand visa waiver scheme

Phu Quoc Island is an ideal choice for travel and relaxation, with a visa-free policy for international visitors, allowing foreigners to stay up to 30 days without a visa, rich nature and stunning architecture. Favorable visa policy Phu Quoc is currently the destination in Vietnam that enjoys the most favorable visa policy. According to current legal regulations, from July 1, 2020, foreign passport holders traveling to Phu Quoc Island will be entitled to a visa-free stay period of no more than 30 days. Foreigners entering Vietnam through any international border gate of Vietnam and then moving to Phu Quoc Island are exempted from visa requirements following this regulation. Phu Quoc is famous for its beautiful and dreamlike beaches. Phu Quoc is entitled to this visa policy because it is the only island that meets four conditions for visa exemption for foreigners under Vietnamese law. It has an international airport, is an independent space, has … [Read more...] about Visa-free stay for foreign tourists in Phu Quoc is 30 days

Superior visa policy Foreigners can enter Vietnam by air or sea, stay in a transit area and transfer to Phu Quoc to get this visa exemption. This is the only place that meets the conditions required for visa waiver: It has an international airport, has a definite geographical boundary, is separate from the mainland and so having foreigners does not jeopardize Vietnam's defense, security, social order, or safety. Hon Thom, the world's longest cable car, is on the south of Phu Quoc. Photo by Anh Duong Transportation to the place is convenient by air, sea and land, and visitors can enter and exit through three international border gates: Phu Quoc International Airport Border Gate, Ha Tien International Border Gate and Duong Dong Port International Border Gate in Phu Quoc. There are many daily flights to Phu Quoc from India, Korea, Thailand, and Malaysia... Tourists can easily travel by taxi and bus. People who have bought tickets to Sun World Phu Quoc will get … [Read more...] about Phu Quoc, ideal tourist destination with special visa exemption