Tourist Visas for Vietnam

[aaron2020 11,651]

Hi All,

What's the best and/or cheapest ways to get tourist visas for a 6 weeks visit to Vietnam?

I've used a travel agent in the past who arranged for my visas. This time, I purchased my airline tickets online.

Flying from San Diego to SGN on January 27, 2013.

[shennings 0]

I have always just emailed to Consular in Washington at the Vietnam Embassy for the current fee amount. Then fill the application out online, print, express mail my passport with a certified check for the correct amount and include a return addressed/ prepaid express mail envelope. I can mail on Monday and have my Visa on Thursday of the same week.

http://vietnamembassy-usa.org/services

Steve

[ScottThuy 140]

since you are married, just get the visa exemption... its cheap and lasts a long time

[aaron2020 11,651]

since you are married, just get the visa exemption... its cheap and lasts a long time

Doesn't one of us have to be a Vietnamese national (citizen?) to qualify for the visa exemption?

Neither of us are Vietnamese nationals. I am a former South Vietnamese citizen who left in 1975, so I don't know if Vietnam still recognize me as a Vietnamese national.

[huongkhin 9]

Doesn't one of us have to be a Vietnamese national (citizen?) to qualify for the visa exemption?

Neither of us are Vietnamese nationals. I am a former South Vietnamese citizen who left in 1975, so I don't know if Vietnam still recognize me as a Vietnamese national.

You can reclaim your Vietnamese citizenship as long as you have any documents to prove that you were born or lived in Vietnam before. You must do this before 1/7/2014.

http://www.vietnamconsulate-sf.org/hoi-dap/724459_viet_kieu_my_xin_tro_lai_quoc_tich_viet_nam.aspx

When we took the trip to Malaysia earlier this year. I used my Vietnamese passport to enter Vietnam without showing them my US passport (I didn't have to). When my gf showed them her passport which has the US visa, they gave her a hard time before letting her go.

I was able to renew my passport in Danang for 200.000 VND. Pretty cheap for a 10 years passport.

[ScottThuy 140]

As far as VN is concerned, you are always a VN citizen until you formally go through the process there renouncing citizenship. where is she from?

[huongkhin 9]

As far as VN is concerned, you are always a VN citizen until you formally go through the process there renouncing citizenship.

+1 Yup. I heard even when you come in with a US passport and a VN visa. Unless you renounce your Vietnamese citizenship, they treat you as their own citizen if you commit a crime. This apply to people who fled the country too.

[jmhull 2]

You can reclaim your Vietnamese citizenship as long as you have any documents to prove that you were born or lived in Vietnam before. You must do this before 1/7/2014.

http://www.vietnamconsulate-sf.org/hoi-dap/724459_viet_kieu_my_xin_tro_lai_quoc_tich_viet_nam.aspx

When we took the trip to Malaysia earlier this year. I used my Vietnamese passport to enter Vietnam without showing them my US passport (I didn't have to). When my gf showed them her passport which has the US visa, they gave her a hard time before letting her go.

I was able to renew my passport in Danang for 200.000 VND. Pretty cheap for a 10 years passport.

The link you gave is for Viet Kieu, those who lost their Vietnamese citizenship, wanting to reclaim it. What is being discussed in this thread is who can and how to get a visa exemption to Viet Nam.

If you are (i) a Viet Kieu who doesn't have Vietnamese citizenship anymore or (ii) spouse or child of a Vietnamese citizen or a Viet Kieu (who is) currently living in Vietnam or abroad, then you can apply for a visa exemption at the VN Embassy or Consulate abroad (or at immigration offices in Vietnam)

As a Viet Kieu (with no Vietnamese citizenship), you can present any of those documents listed in item d., part 2 from the link here - http://www.vietnamconsulate-sf.org/thu-tuc-lanh-su/mien-thi-thuc-5-nam/. The instruction on this link is unfortunately only in Vietnamese.

Edited October 25, 2012 by jmhull

[jmhull 2]

Doesn't one of us have to be a Vietnamese national (citizen?) to qualify for the visa exemption?

Neither of us are Vietnamese nationals. I am a former South Vietnamese citizen who left in 1975, so I don't know if Vietnam still recognize me as a Vietnamese national.

You don't need to be recognized by the Vietnamese Gov. as a Vietnamese national to get a visa exemption - in fact, if you're recognized as a Vietnamese national, then you won't need a visa exemption (well just a Vietnamese passport is needed for traveling to VN).

To get a visa exemption, you'll just need to make an application and present a document that shows your past VN nationality. Check out the link here http://www.vietnamconsulate-sf.org/thu-tuc-lanh-su/mien-thi-thuc-5-nam/; they accept birth certificate and id card etc. issued by the South VN Government prior to 1975.

Edited October 25, 2012 by jmhull

[huongkhin 9]

As a Viet Kieu (with no Vietnamese citizenship), you can present any of those documents listed in item d., part 2 from the link here - http://www.vietnamco...hi-thuc-5-nam/. The instruction on this link is unfortunately only in Vietnamese.

Visa Exemption for Viet Kieu is not really a visa exemption. It's more like a 5 year multiple entries visa for $40.

Their definition of Viet Kieu is pretty mixed up. If you are a Vietnamese origin, you must renounce your current citizenship when you want to claim Vietnamese citizenship.

However, you fled the country or become a citizen of another country but you didn't officially renounced your Vietnamese citizenship, the govt still considers you a Vietnamese Citizen and you have dual citizenship. The US won't issue visa for its citizens residing abroad but Vietnam does. It all comes down to the money. You can have a valid Vietnamese passport and still can apply for a Vietnam visa.

I think it's better to just get a passport because when you enter Vietnam using a Vietnamese passport: you can stay as long as you want, the passport is valid for 10 years, it's cheap to renew in Vietnam, you can buy airplane ticket and book hotels at the rates for locals.

[jmhull 2]

Visa Exemption for Viet Kieu is not really a visa exemption. It's more like a 5 year multiple entries visa for $40.

It is in fact a visa exemption, for both VK and non-Vietnamese nationals, it says so clearly on the page/stamp. VN GoV doesn't issue 5 yr visa. The difference is that with this visa exemption, you (VK or not) have a 90-day limit stay for each entry; if it is a 5yr multiple entries visa, then you can stay up to five years at a time, which is not the case.

However, you fled the country or become a citizen of another country but you didn't officially renounced your Vietnamese citizenship, the govt still considers you a Vietnamese Citizen and you have dual citizenship.

That's true.

The US won't issue visa for its citizens residing abroad but Vietnam does. It all comes down to the money. You can have a valid Vietnamese passport and still can apply for a Vietnam visa.

I think it's better to just get a passport because when you enter Vietnam using a Vietnamese passport: you can stay as long as you want, the passport is valid for 10 years, it's cheap to renew in Vietnam, you can buy airplane ticket and book hotels at the rates for locals.

Edited October 26, 2012 by jmhull

[jmhull 2]

Visa Exemption for Viet Kieu is not really a visa exemption. It's more like a 5 year multiple entries visa for $40.

It is in fact a visa exemption, for both VK and non-Vietnamese nationals, it says so clearly on the page/stamp. VN GoV doesn't issue 5 yr visa. The difference is that with this visa exemption, you (VK or not) have a 90-day limit stay for each entry; if it is a 5yr multiple entries visa, then you can stay up to five years at a time, which is not the case.

However, you fled the country or become a citizen of another country but you didn't officially renounced your Vietnamese citizenship, the govt still considers you a Vietnamese Citizen and you have dual citizenship.

That's true.

The US won't issue visa for its citizens residing abroad but Vietnam does. It all comes down to the money. You can have a valid Vietnamese passport and still can apply for a Vietnam visa.

Well true and not true. This is only true in the case that you hold a dual citizenship (Vietnamese + XXX citizenship), and that you have a Vietnamese passport. There is NO way that you can apply for a Vietnam visa, using your Vietnamese passport. But you CAN though, in case you use your foreign passport and not mention anything about your VN passport. My family members have made so many US-VN trips and that's the case. But think about it, why would you want to use your US passport and apply and pay for a visa when you could just use your VN passport, if you still have one, to travel to VN?

I think it's better to just get a passport because when you enter Vietnam using a Vietnamese passport: you can stay as long as you want, the passport is valid for 10 years, it's cheap to renew in Vietnam, you can buy airplane ticket and book hotels at the rates for locals.

That's true, even though not everyone wants to go through all the hassles of keeping their Vietnamese passports. Plus nowadays airplane tickets and hotel are priced the same for Vietnamese and non-Vietnamese nationals.

Edited October 26, 2012 by jmhull