All Vietnam destinations are open. No self-isolation is required.
VISA PROCEDURE
Foreigners who enter and exit Viet Nam must have their passport or passport substitutes (hereinafter referred to as passports) and visas issued by competent authorities of Viet Nam, except for these cases of visa exemption.
Visa exemption
Visitors from the following countries may enter visa free, and stay for the indicated number of days.
Asia
Brunei, Myanmar – 14 days.
Japan, South Korea (ROK) – 15 days.
The Philippines – 21 days.
Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand – 30 days.
Europe
Belarus, Denmark, Italy, Finland, France, Germany, Norway, Russia, Spain, Sweden, The United Kingdom – 15 days.
Officers and staff of ASEAN Secretariat Board are exempted from visa with the stay duration not exceeding 30 days, regardless of the types of passports they hold.
Foreigners on entry into Phu Quoc Island, Kien Giang Province are exempted from visa requirements for a maximum stay of 30 days.
To stay beyond this number of days, you may apply for a visa extension upon your arrival in Vietnam.
Visa exemption for overseas Vietnamese residents
Overseas Vietnamese and foreigners who are spouses or children of overseas Vietnamese or Vietnamese citizens are exempt from visa requirements to enter Vietnam and are allowed to stay for a maximum of 6 months if they have passports or international travel documents with the validity of at least 1 year and papers proving eligibility as prescribed.
Visa exemption paper (VEP) is valid for a maximum of 5 years and expires at least 6 months prior to the expiry date of holders passport or international travel document.
Visa requirements
E-visa
Simply apply online for your tourist E-visa. E-visa fee is USD 25, the processing time is 3 working days. You will receive your code by email to print your visa.
Viet Nam has made e-visa issuance to residents of 80 countries in Asia, Europe, America and Oceania. The ports that allowed foreigners enter and exit Viet Nam by e-visa include 8 international airports, 16 landports and 9 seaports. Vietnam e-visa issued to foreigners via electronic system is valid for a maximum of 30 days, single entry.
How to apply for Vietnam’s e-Visa:
Step 1: Prepare the required materials:
One 4×6 passport photo in .jpg format with a white background, without glasses.
One photo in .jpg format of your passport data page.
A passport is valid for at least six months.
Your temporary address in Vietnam and points of entry and exit.
Debit or credit card for payment.
Step 2: Click this link or access https://immigration.gov.vn/ and go to ‘E-visa Issuance’ then click on the link for ‘Outside Vietnam foreigners’.
Step 3: Upload your .jpg images (passport data page and passport photo) and fill out the required fields on the form completely. Submit your form.
Step 4: Pay the e-Visa fee of 25 USD. Copy down the document code provided.
Step 5: Within three working days you should receive news of your e-Visa application via email. If not, you can also run a search for your e-Visa at this link.
Step 6: Use your document code to locate your e-Visa online. Download and print the e-Visa in two copies for extra safety.
TIP: Travellers with an e-Visa can go directly to immigration counters at their point of entry and do not need to queue at Visa on Arrival counters.
Visa on arrival
– Visas are issued by competent authorities of Vietnam in foreign countries. Visa on arrival is possibly issued in some special cases. For more details please visit the website: http://visa.mofa.gov.vn (category ‘Vietnam Visa Information/Visa-on-arrival’).
– Documents for visa application: 1 application form (in provided format) with an attached photo; passport or passport substitute that its validity must be at least 1 month longer than the applied visa validity.
– Tourist visa is valid for up to 3 months
REGULATIONS ON DISEASE PREVENTION ON ENTRY FOR INTERNATIONAL VISITORS TO VIETNAM
Cover payment for COIVID-19 treatment with a minimum liability of USD 10,000;
Self monitor health for 10 days after entry;
Notify health authority if having signs and symptoms of COVID-19;
Official Dispatch No. 2118/BYT-DP on suspending medical declaration requirements for all international visitors from 27th April 2022;
Official Telegram No. 416/CP-TTg on suspension of COVID-19 test requirements before entering Vietnam from 15th May 2022.
Health and safety precautions for travellers
Visitors to Vietnam are encouraged to take sensible precautions against COVID-19 during their trips.
The World Health Organisation outlines these basic practices to keep yourself and your loved ones safe:
- Avoid travelling if you have a fever and cough. If you have a fever, cough, and difficulty breathing, alert health-care services and share with them your recent travel history.
- Maintain social distancing. Stay a metre or more away from others, especially those who are sneezing or coughing, or have a fever.
- Wash your hands regularly with soap and running water. You can also use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer to spray your hands frequently.
- Cover your mouth and nose with tissue when you cough or sneeze. Dispose of dirty tissues immediately and wash your hands after coughing or sneezing.
- Avoid contact with live animals. Wash your hands with soap and water if you touch live animals or animal products in markets.
- Eat only well-cooked food. Make sure your meals, especially animal proteins and dairy products, are thoroughly cooked and prepared in a sanitary environment.
- Discard single-use masks. If you choose to wear a single-use mask, ensure it covers your nose and mouth, avoids touching the mask, and wash your hands after removing it.
CUSTOMS
Luggage of people on entry and exit must be declared to customs in case as follow:
– Luggage exceeding duty free concessions.
– Luggage sent before or after the traveller.
– Professional equipment temporarily imported and re-exported or vice versa.
– Jewellery gold, fine-art gold exceeding 300g.
– Drafts, cheque or precious metals, precious stones with a value of more than VND 300 million.
– Foreign currency with equivalent value exceeding USD 5,000, or over VND 15,000,000 in cash.
Duty free concessions for arriving passengers
– 1.5 litre of liquor above 200 alcohol; 2.0 litre of liquor below 200 alcohol; 3 litre of alcoholic beverage.
– Cigarettes: 200 pieces; cigars: 20 pieces; tobacco: 250g.
– A reasonable quantity of clothes and personal belongings related to the purpose of the trip.
– Articles other than those mentioned above (excluding the list of goods banned for import or subject to conditional import) with total value not exceeding VND 10,000,000.
Note: Foreigners carrying luggage, in excess of duty-free quotas to be given as presents and gifts with a total value not exceeding VND 2,000,000 will be exempt from taxes and vice versa
Value Added Tax (VAT) refund
Objects of application: Foreigners and overseas Vietnamese, except for members of the flight crews and the ship’s crews (hereinafter referred to as foreigners) whose passports or exit and entry permits issued by the foreign authorities are valid and used to enter or exit Viet Nam, to buy goods in Vietnam and to bring goods out of Vietnam through
the tax refund border checkpoints.
VAT-free goods
– Goods purchased at the enterprise selling VAT reclaimable goods, not yet used, still in their original conditions when purchasing and having VAT invoices cum tax refund declaration issued within 60 days prior to the date the foreigner leaves Viet Nam.
– Goods bought from a single shop in one day whose value written on the VAT invoices (including the total payment of several invoices of goods bought from a single shop in one day) is at least VND 2 million.
VAT refund amount: Any foreigner is entitled to a refund that accounts for 85% of the total amount of the VAT of the VAT-free goods that the foreigners take with them when they leave Vietnam through the tax refund border checkpoints.
The tax refund border checkpoints: airports of Noi Bai (Ha Noi), Da Nang (Da Nang City), Cam Ranh (Khanh Hoa Province), Tan Son Nhat (Ho Chi Minh City) and seaports of Da Nang (Da Nang City), Nha Trang (Khanh Hoa Province), Khanh Hoi (Ho Chi Minh City).
Money
The currency of Vietnam is the dong (VND). Traveller’s cheques, foreign currencies are easily exchangeable in banks. Credit cards (Master, Visa, JCB…) are widely used in big cities and tourist centres.
Telephone and Internet
The country code for Vietnam is +84. Mobile phone networks in Vietnam are now very developed with different kinds of subscriptions including a prepaid telephone card. The Internet is available throughout the country.
Tourism seasons
In the North, there are four seasons: spring, summer, autumn and winter. From January to April, there are many ritual ceremonies and folk festivals to highlight the coming of spring. The period from May to September is suitable for sea tourism, and leisure tourism in the mountainous region. From October to December is an ideal time for those who love nature and would like to discover the wild beauty of majestic scents.
The South has a temperate climate with two distinct seasons (rainy and dry seasons). The average annual temperature is approximately 27ºC. There are many types of tourism here such as cultural tourism, ecotourism, marine tourism, “back to the roots” tours, community-based tourism, etc.
The Lunar New Year Festival in Viet Nam (in late January or early February) will allow visitors to enjoy the atmosphere of Tet flower markets, experience and discover customs of the Vietnamese.
Business Hours
Vietnam time: GMT plus 7 hours
All government offices are usually open from 8.00 am to 5.00 pm (with
a one-hour lunch break) from Monday to Friday.
Language
Vietnamese is the official language of the country. Tourist guides speak English, French, Russian, Chinese, Korean and Japanese… are generally available.
Electricity and water supply
A voltage system in Viet Nam is 220 volt. Tap water is already filtered and sterilised but it should be boiled before drinking.
Transportation
Visitors can travel over Vietnam through various provinces and towns by air, rail, road or waterway. Domestic flights are available everyday.
The train between Ho Chi Minh City and Ha Noi stops in different stations and provides an exciting and unforgettable trip. Open buses or luxury buses (limousines) are also good choices. Cabs, motorcycles, and bicycles can easily be rented all over the country. The cyclo, a three-wheeled rickshaw, is perfect for those who wish to move slowly and enjoy a city tour. High-speed ships to the islands belonging to Hai Phong, Quang Ninh or islands of Ly Son (Quang Ngai Province), Phu Quoc (Kien Giang Province), Con Dao (Ba Ria – Vung Tau Province)… are available.
The information above is compiled by the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism. Guidelines may change at any time based on conditions, as determined by the Vietnam government.
