Visa

Vietnam is concerned about South Korea's rising number of infected cases which have surpassed 2,000. The government of Vietnam will stop granting visas to South Korean nationals from February 29 given an increasing number of people infected with the new coronavirus (Covid-19) in the Northeast Asian country. Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs To Anh Dung at the meeting. Photo: VGP This is a temporary solution for the epidemic control, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs To Anh Dung said at a governmental meeting on Friday morning [February 28]. The government will also quarantine all people coming from South Korea or staying in that country within 14 days before entering Vietnam. Vietnam will also quarantine Iranian and Italian visitors for 14 days. South Korea is the country outside China reporting the highest the number of infections that has passed 2,000, mostly in Daegu city, North Gyeongsang province. Five days ago, South Korean President Moon Jae-in raised the country’s threat alert level to the highest in a four-level scale when the country confirmed 602 cases. Vietnam, meanwhile, has reported no new infected cases over the past 15 days and all 16 infected people have recovered. The country currently quarantines 79 people and supervises 4,939 others who came from epidemic-hit areas and people made contact with them. Stop issuing visas is one of the measures together with suspending flights to and from epidemic-hit zones in South Korea. Late last month, Vietnam also stopped granting visas to Chinese nationals and suspended flights to and from epidemic-stricken areas in China. Trade exchanges at border gates between the two countries have plunged due to epidemic controls. On January 30, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the new coronavirus a global health emergency. As of February 28, the Covid-19 has spread to 54 countries and territories with 83,374 people infected and 2,858 deaths, including 70 deaths …

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Foreigners in Vietnam will be able to apply for their visas online as the administrative service will be added to the country’s National Public Service Portal this year, the Vietnam News Agency reported. The visa service is among the list of 55 public services that will be integrated to the National Public Service Portal in 2021, following the approval of Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc. Eleven of these services are categorized as administrative procedures related to resident management, including the issuance and re-issuance of ID cards, verification of ID numbers, registration of permanent or temporary stay, birth registration, and passport issuance. The remaining 44 are listed as essential online public services in accordance with the United Nations’ E-Government Development Index, namely extension of temporary stay and visa issuance for foreigners in Vietnam, vehicle registration plates, and change of driver licenses among others. The Government Office will work with relevant agencies and localities to study and improve users’ experience, as well as develop a mobile version of the National Public Service Portal. According to current regulations, foreigners in Vietnam are required to register for their visas at one of three headquarters of the Vietnam Immigration Department in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, and central Da Nang City. The National Public Service Portal was launched on December 9, 2019 after nine months of construction and preparations. The portal, at http://dichvucong.gov.vn, consists of six components, namely national database on administrative procedures and the frequently asked questions and answers related to the procedures, on-time login and verification system to connect with ministerial and provincial-level public service portals, e-payment system, opinion section for citizens and enterprises, integrated public services of ministries, agencies and localities, and online supporting services. Like us on Facebook or follow us …

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In line with the global vaccine visa drive, Vietnam’s latest move to complete technical infrastructure for the availability of such a travel document in April is expected to revive industries, heralding strong economic recovery ahead. Opening up consistent flights is vital to Vietnam in terms of investment, tourism, and other areas. Vietnam Ocean Shipping JSC (Vosco) has been working to grasp the new and potential opportunities based on the recovering signals of the international shipping market. According to Bui Viet Hoai, chairman of the company, in recent days the carriage on the Vietnam-Philippines route has risen to $16-17 per tonne for cement, and $9-12 per tonne for clinker on the Vietnam-China route. Moreover, the ship charter market is bustling again as charter fees of a 50,000 deadweight-tonnage vessel rose from $4,000-4,500 per day in May 2020 to $15,000-17,000. Vosco has been facing the most difficulties in the company’s 50-year history, partly because of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Prices for the routes to the Philippines and China fell dramatically in 2020, with cement even dropping to $7 per tonne from $11, and clinker falling from $9-10 per tonne to $5-7. “Our income was not enough to cover expenditures, and our company incurred losses of over $8.13 million in 2020, compared to a profit of $2.13 million in 2019,” Hoai admitted. Hoai admitted that other shipping firms like Vosco are facing the same challenges. “The biggest hurdle is the lack of human resources. But to cope with this issue, they have to travel around the world, and there are no favourable travel conditions yet.” Long-awaited lifebuoy Hoai proposed that the government should allow ship crews to be among the prioritised groups for COVID-19 vaccination and receive vaccine visas, so as to further facilitate their travelling moving forward. It is forecast that the global economy could grow by 4.5 per cent this year, thus increasing demands for …

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