Traveling to Vietnam on Business

Vietnam is fast becoming one of the most vibrant business centers in Asia. With many multi-national companies doing business there and many more considering setting up shop, it is no wonder so many businessmen and women visit Vietnam every year.

To the uninitiated, traveling to Vietnam can be somewhat frightening – not in terms of personal safety but in terms of perceived hassle and inconvenience. If you have never traveled outside your home country, or just traveled to Europe, you might not understand some of the entry requirements needed for travel to Vietnam.

For instance, business travelers to Vietnam must have a valid passport, and the expiration date of that passport must not be more than six months from the date of travel. Business travelers whose passports expire before then will need to make arrangements to have the document renewed well in advance of their trip. It is far easier – and less expensive – to renew your passport when you have plenty of time to spare.

In addition to the valid passport, those traveling to Vietnam on business will need to have some additional documentation to prove the legitimacy of their trip. That documentation consists of either a Vietnam visa, a visa exemption document from a Vietnamese embassy or consulate, or a written approval letter for a visa. Travelers must have this documentation upon arrival at the airport, so it is important to make arrangements with a quality travel agency before you leave home.

Many business travelers find the best route is to arrange for an approval letter which can be picked up at the airport upon arrival in Vietnam. Having that approval letter arranged ahead of time can make the entire trip easier, faster, and ultimately more productive. Once the approval letter has been arranged, all the business traveler needs to do is pick it up at the airport. With that document, and the passport, in hand, the businessman or woman can simply head over to customs, present their documents and be on their way.

While having an approval letter waiting for you at the airport will make your business trip easier, it is important to choose your travel agency with care. Not all travel agencies understand the somewhat unique entry requirements of Vietnam, and those inexperienced agents could make a mistake that could force you to delay – or even cancel – your important business meetings.

When obtaining travel documents for a business trip to Vietnam, it is important to work with a travel agency that fully understands the entry requirements of the country, and one that has plenty of experience helping visitors to Vietnam get into the country with a minimum of hassle. Working with an experienced travel agency is one of the most important tips for business travelers to keep in mind. Doing business in Vietnam can be very profitable for you and your company. The last thing you want is to have a problem with your paperwork delay your business dealings.

Vietnam Visa service for Frequently Traveling Members

Whether you travel to Vietnam once in a lifetime or once a month, you need to make sure that your paperwork and documentation are in order before you head out to the airport. Traveling to a foreign country is costly, and it can be complicated as well. Understanding the passport, visa and other documentation requirements of the country you are traveling to is one of the best ways to make sure your trip comes off without a hitch.

Understanding the visa and other entry requirements is important no matter where you travel, but it can be especially critical for travel to Vietnam. Whether you are traveling on business or just for fun, you will need to have a valid passport whose expiration date is more than six months away. If you have been meaning to have your passport renewed, it is a good idea to get that taken care of before you start planning the rest of your trip.

In addition to the valid passport, you will need to obtain either a Vietnam visa, a visa exemption document, which can be obtained from a Vietnamese embassy or consulate, or a written approval letter for a visa. Having this documentation on hand will make the entire entry process, and the whole trip, run a lot more smoothly.

No matter when you are planning to travel to Vietnam, or for what reason, it is important to work only with a high quality, reputable travel agency. There are a lot of travel agencies out there, but not all of them have experience dealing with the specific entry requirements for a country like Vietnam. If you choose an agent who lacks these skills, you could end up at the airport in Vietnam without the paperwork you need to enter the country.

Working with a reliable travel agent is one of the best ways to ensure a smooth process and a happy productive trip to Vietnam. A quality travel agency with plenty of experience in Vietnam will be able to walk you through the process step by step and help you get the paperwork and documentation you need to get through the airport and be on your way.

If you expect to be a frequent traveler to Vietnam, you can work with us and enjoy a significant discount off of our regular prices. When you sign up for our frequency program, you can save 18 percent off of our regular prices for our services, and that can be a significant savings.

Vietnam visa extension

What is Vietnam visa extension?
Vietnam visa extension helps travelers continue staying in Vietnam after their visas expire without exiting Vietnam to apply for a new one again.

When do I need to extend my Vietnam visa?
You’d better extend/renew your visa at least 1 week (for 3 months visa, preferably 2 weeks) before your visa expiration date.

Which documents will I need?
Only your original passport, remember that your passport must have 2 blank pages at maximum.
Which type of visa can be extended?
For tourist and business Vietnam visa, the extension/renewal is only applicable for 1 month or 3 months (single/multiple entry).
For diplomatic, official visas, or/and other types of visa, it should be applied through the official agencies or government or business sponsor or contact the Vietnam Immigration Department in person.

How to extend my Vietnam visa?
With the aim of getting more and more opportunities to support our valued clients, we have developed visa extension/renewal services for those who have been in Vietnam. To extend/renew your visa, you are kindly advised to follow the following steps:
Step 1. Please send us your scan of your passport and the page containing your current Vietnam visa . Then we will send it to Vietnam Immigration Department to check your information before extending/renewing your visa.
Step 2. We will inform you about the visa extension fee and whether your visa can be extended/renewed as visa extension varies for each case.
Step 3. For those who are in Hanoi, please bring your original passport to our office:
In case, you are in Ho Chi Minh City, please let us know your current address so that our staff will come in person to pick up your passport.
Step 4. Wait some days to get your passport back together with your new stamped visa.
How long does it take?
The processing time takes from 5 to 10 days, depends on your type of Vietnam visa.

Vietnam immigration policy for Processing Vietnam visa

Foreigners, who stay in Vietnam more than 1 year and want to ask for a temporary residence card, are suggested to send the temporary residence card to the Vietnam Immigration Office or Police Immigration Management of Cities/Provinces under Central authority.

Procedures provided for asking to issue visa, extending, supplementing, visa modifying and asking for temporary residence certificate:

Foreigners would like to ask to issue, extend, supplement, modify visa and temporary residence certificate do need submit records to the Vietnam Immigration Office or Police Immigration Management of Cities/Provinces under Central authority.

If asking to issue visa, extending, supplementing, modifying visa, asking for temporary residence certificate are for tourism, the Vietnam international tourism companies -behalf of customers – will be responsible for dealing with Vietnam Immigration Office or Police Immigration Management of Cities/Provinces under Central authority.

If extending, supplementing, modifying visa, asking for temporary residence certificate are for the individuals such as: family visit, marriage, child adoption, treatment ... the application must be confirmed by the ward, commune or shelter agencies which has jurisdiction.

Procedure provided for asking to issue visa in case of losing passport:

In case your passport is lost in Vietnam, you do need immediately report to the ward, commune where your passport was lost or contact the diplomatic representatives, your Embassy or Consulate in Vietnam to ask for a new passport or other documents that can be used as a valid passport. And then, you should apply for the new Vietnam visa.

Procedures provided for staying purpose conversion:

Foreigners who want to convert their purpose of staying in Vietnam must be approved by agencies, organizations or individuals as a guarantee to complete all the procedures in Vietnam Immigration Office or Police Immigration Management of Cities/Provinces under Central authority (where the agencies, organizations or individuals guarantee).

Procedures for temporary residence card:

Foreigners staying in Vietnam more than 1 year who would like to ask for a temporary residence card are suggested to send the temporary residence card to the Vietnam Immigration Office or Management immigration police Cities/ provinces of Central authority.

Vietnam Embassy in Albania

Are you looking for location of Vietnam embassy in Albania ?
There is currently no Vietnam Embassy or Vietnam Consulate in Albania. Nevertheless, you can also apply for your Vietnam visa by contacting a Vietnam Embassy or Vietnam Consulate in a neighbouring country.
We always try our best to give you the most up-to-date information about the Vietnam representative office in Albania. 

ALBANIA
Complete Name: Republic of Albania
Native Name: Shqipëria
ISO-Code: ALB
Capital: Tiranë
Principal Cities : Tiranë, Durrës, Vlorë, Elbasan, Shkodër, Korçë, Fier, Berat, Kavajë, Lushnjë

Types of visa to Vietnam

Vietnam Tourist visa: (short staying time) It's what you need to enter Vietnam! Available one-month single-entry visa (stay in Vietnam maximum one month). Tourist visa may be extended one time for 30 days after your Visa arrival in Vietnam. If you plan to spend more than one month in Vietnam, or if you plan to exit Vietnam and re-enter from Cambodia, Laos or China, you will need a one-month or three-month multiple-entry visa with the approval from local agents.

Vietnam Business Visa: Business visa is usually valid for three or six months, allow single entry or multiple entries and the right to work. Getting a business visa has now become cheap and easy, although prices are about double those of a tourist visa. It is generally easier to apply for a business visa once in Vietnam, after having arrived on a tourist visa.

Student visas: A student visa is usually arranged after your arrival. It's acceptable to enter Vietnam on a tourist visa, enroll in a Vietnamese language course and then apply at the immigration police for a change in status. In reality, the easiest way to do it is to contact a travel company and have them help you make the application.

Visa Extensions: If you've got the dollars, they've got the rubber stamp. Tourist-visa extensions cost as little US$10, but it is easier to pay more and sort this out through a travel agency. Getting the stamp yourself can be a bureaucratic nightmare. The procedure takes two or three days and you can only extend one time for 30 days. In theory you should be able to extend your visa in any provincial capital. In practice it goes smoothest in major cities, such as HCMC, Hanoi, Danang and Hue, which cater to mass tourism.

Re-Entry Visas: It's possible to enter Cambodia, Laos or any other country from Vietnam and then re- enter without having to apply for another visa. However, you must apply for a re-entry visa before you leave Vietnam. If you do not have a re-entry visa, you will have to go through the whole Vietnamese visa nonsense again. Re-entry visas are easiest to arrange in Hanoi or HCMC, but you will almost certainly have to ask a travel agent to do the paperwork for you. Travel agents charge about US$25 for this service and can complete the procedure in a day or two.

Visa Exemption Agreements between Vietnam and other countries

Vietnam has signed agreements on Vietnam visa exemption with 55 countries (56 agreements), of which 54 agreements has entered into effect while 2 agreements has not been in force. The Exemption of visa includes exemption of visa for entry, exit and transit. The duration of stay subject to visa exemption begins from the date of entry.
Besides, Vietnam has unilaterally exempt visa for the following people

1. Officials and staff of ASEAN Secretariat are exempted from visa by Vietnam with the stay duration not exceeding 30 days, whether they bear any passports.

(Circular No.04/2002/TTLT/BCA-BNG dated January 29, 2002 guiding the implementation of Decree No.21/2001/NĐ-CP dated May 28, 2001 on concrete provisions for implementing the Ordinance of entry, exit and residence of foreigners in Vietnam.)

2. Since July 1, 2004, citizens of Japan and citizens of the Republic of Korea, whether they bear any passports have been exempted from visa for entry into or exit from Vietnam, with the stay duration not exceeding 15 days, provided that the following conditions are satisfied:

- They bear appropriate passports issued by competent authorities of Japan or the Republic of Korea and still valid for up to 3 months from the date of their entry;

- They have tickets for boarding transportation means to return or travel to another country;

- They are not in the list of persons not permitted to enter Vietnam.

(In fact, it is mainly granted to bearers of ordinary passports because Japan and the Republic of Korea already entered into agreement with Vietnam on exemption of visa for bearers of diplomatic passports or official passports.)

(Decision No. 09/2004/QĐ-BNG dated June 30, 2004 by the Minister of Foreign Affairs promulgating Temporary Regulations on exemption of visa for citizens of Japan and citizens of the Republic of Korea.)

3. Since May 1, 2005, citizens of Denmark, Norway, Finland and Sweden, whether they bear any passports and their entry is for any purposes, have been exempted from visa upon their entry into or exit from Vietnam with the stay duration not exceeding 15 days, provided that the following conditions are satisfied:

- They bear appropriate passports issued by competent authorities of the country of which they are citizens and their passports are still valid for up to 3 months from the date of their entry;

- They have tickets for boarding transportation means to return or travel to another country;

- They are not in the list of persons not permitted to enter Vietnam.

(Decision No. 808/2005/QĐ-BNG dated April 13, 2005 by the Minister of Foreign Affairs promulgating Regulations on exemption of visa for citizens of Denmark, Norway, Finland and Sweden.)

4. Since January 1, 2009, citizens of Russia, whether they bear any passports and their entry is for any purposes, have been exempted from visa upon their entry into or exit from Vietnam with the stay duration not exceeding 15 days, provided that the following conditions are satisfied:

- They bear appropriate passports issued by competent authorities of the country of which they are citizens and their passports are still valid for up to 3 months from the date of their entry;

- They have tickets for boarding transportation means to return or travel to another country;

- They are not in the list of persons not permitted to enter Vietnam.

(Decision No. 3207/2008/QĐ-BNG dated December 10, 2008 by the Minister of Foreign Affairs promulgating Regulations on exemption of visa for citizens of the Federation of Russia bearing ordinary passports./.)

Avoid mistake when applying for a visa arrival to Vietnam

Many people can take mistakes in applying for a visa arrival to Vietnam :
We have listed here a few mistakes that travelers may usually make to help you avoid the same things when you apply for a visa on arrival to Vietnam.

1 - No visa on arrival without applying online: many people believe that they can get a visa directly at Vietnam airport without applying online. That is wrong, you can not until the visa is approved. So, you will need to apply online for an approval letter in order to pick up your visa at Vietnam airport.
2 - Visa on arrival at the border: Visa on arrival works for air travel only. So, if you do not enter Vietnam by air, just make sure you have the visa in advance.
3 - Spelling/Typo mistakes: Many travelers fill in the Application form with wrong detail as: full name on passport, passport number or date of birth. Normally, many people think it is not important but in some cases, your application can be refused by the airline at the departure airport. So, make sure that you entered everything correctly and carefully.
4 - Arrival date: Many people think that the visa validity will start from the date they enter Vietnam, not from the date they provide, however, it is not. The visa validity will commence from the date you provide in advance, not from the date you will enter the country. So, just make sure that you make a clear plan of when to enter before ordering a visa to Vietnam.
5 - Visa extension: many travelers think that it is easy to extend a visa once they are in Vietnam, however, in fact, it is not that easy, and extending a visa may be a costly and time consuming process. So, if possible, just apply for a 3 month visa in advance instead of a 1 month one to save money on visa extension.

Vietnam visa procedure

Most visitors to Vietnam need a visa to enter the country. Visas are exempted for the citizens of the countries, which have signed a bilateral or unilateral visa exemption agreement with Vietnam, tourist visa may be valid for 15 to 30 days. 
Tourist visa can only be obtained in Vietnam embassy, consulates abroad. Otherwise, you can get a visa at the border gates if you are invitees of some Vietnamese competent organs or you are travelling on a package tour organized by Vietnamese travel companies. To apply for a visa, the requirements are as follows: 

• Entry permit form (which can vary from one Vietnamese embassies or consulate abroad to another) - There are two categories of this form: for foreigners and for Vietnamese overseas.
• Two photos (4cmx6cm or 3cmx4cm)
• Original passport
• Visa fee.

You should send your application and photos to a Vietnamese embassy or consulate abroad, which is most convenient to you. On your requirement, the reply will be returned by post (you must provide stamped envelopes with your name and address).

It is easier to get your visa from a Vietnamese travel agency. The nehossary information to the travel agency include:

• Full name
• Birthday and place of birth
• Nationality
• Job
• Number of your passport
• Entry and exit dates
• Country you plan to receive your entry visa from the Vietnamese embassies or consulates
• 
  

Vietnamese overseas are required to provide more information:

• Year and reason to leave Vietnam
• Leave Vietnam by means
• Full names and addresses of relations in Vietnam

Getting Vietnam visa in Laos?

How to get a Vietnamese visa from Vientiane, Laos.

1. Visit Vietnamese embassy in Vientiane, Laos

It is pretty easy to get a Vietnamese visa in Vientiane, Laos through Vietnamese embassy. As many comments from travelers, the Vietnam embassy in Vientiane is pretty good. However, the fee is quite expensive, the price is around USD 50(~477,455 Lao Kip), and it may take 3 days to process.

Address: Thatluang Rd., Vientiane, LAO PDR
Phone: (856) 2141 3409; 2141 3409; 2141 4602;
Consular Section:2141 3400
+ Fax (856) 2141 3379; 2141 4601
+ Email dsqvn@laotel.com & lao.dsqvn@mofa.gov.vn

You can also get visa to Vietnam through travel agencies, and the price is much cheaper ranging from 25-65 USD.

Note: Currency exchange rate Monday, December 24, 2007: 1 US Dollar = 9,549.10 Lao Kip (LAK)

2. Getting visa on arrival from Laos

If you travel to Vietnam by air from Laos, visa on arrival is also a convenient method to get your Vietnamese visa online. Our service fee is 25$ US/person and take 2 working days to get it approved.

Getting Vietnam visa in Bangkok, Thailand

 How to get a Vietnamese visa from Bangkok, Thailand.

1. Visit Vietnamese embassy in Bang Kok
83/1 Wireless Road, Lumpini, Pathumwan, Bangkok 10330
+ Tel. 66 (0) 2 251 5836-8
+ Fax. 66 (0) 2 251 7203
E-mail: vnemb.th@mofa.gov.vn

Office hours: Monday – Friday: 08.00-11.30 Hrs. and 13.30-16.30 Hrs.

You are required to provide 1-2 passport size photos and the cost was about 1500 Baht. Normal process takes around 2-3 days, if you need an express one (1 working day), then you have to pay a little bit more.

2. Getting visa on arrival

If you travel to Vietnam by air from Thailand, visa on arrival is also a convenient method to get your Vietnamese visa online. Our service fee is 8$ US/person and take 2 working days to get it approved

.

Visa exemption accord signed with El Salvador

An agreement on visa exemption for diplomatic and official passport holders from Vietnam and El Salvador was signed in Hanoi on March 31 as the outcome of talks between the two foreign ministers.

During the talks, Pham Gia Khiem, who doubles as Deputy Prime Minister, and his El Salvador guest, Hugo Martinez Bonilla, reached consensus that the two countries should further tap potential in consumer goods production, agriculture, science-technology, culture, healthcare, education-training and telecommunication to scale up the current modest economic relations.

The two foreign ministers also agreed upon mutual assistance in expanding relations of El Salvador with other countries in Southeast Asia and of Vietnam with Central America .

The duo pointed out the need to speed up negotiations and sign a number of accords of cooperation soon in order to lay foundations for a legal framework on bilateral relations, especially in economics, trade and investment.

They said measures should be taken to encourage and create favourable conditions for businesses from both to take a foothold in each other’s markets and establish direct partnerships.

Host and guest shared a view on promoting the exchange of delegations at all levels to deepen political relations, increase mutual understanding and work out measures for cooperative efficiency.

They also agreed that the two countries should continue with close coordination of action and mutual assistance in international organisations and multilateral forums such as the United Nations, the World Trade Organisation and the Forum of East Asia and Latin America Cooperation (FEALAC).

The two foreign ministers highlighted close relations, with the guest’s invitation for Khiem to visit El Salvador and the host accepting the invitation with pleasure.

The talks concluded with the signing of a memorandum of understanding on establishing a reference mechanism between the two foreign ministries, in addition to the visa exemption agreement.

Vietnam visa tips

1. Tourist visas give holders the permission to enter and exit Vietnam at airports in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh and Danang city or through any of twelve border gates of Vietnam, three of which are with Cambodia and China, and six with Laos.

2. The privilege of visiting Vietnam without the possession of Vietnam Visa is only granted to residents of several nations. - Most citizens of ASEAN countries do not need Vietnam entry visa to visit Vietnam within 30 days. - Citizens of Japan, Korea & Scandinavians (Denmark, Sweden, Norway and Finland passport owners) do not need visa to Vietnam to enter Vietnam within 15 days. - Citizens of other nationalities are obliged to get Vietnam Visa before departure (Vietnam entry visa issued by Vietnamese embassies or consulates in advance of departure ) or pre-approved Vietnam Visa (visa issued on arrival at Vietnam International Airports) supplied before arriving in Vietnam.

3. Tourist visas are applicable to a single 30-day visit only. In case you want to stay longer, from 1 to 3 months, you will need to apply for business visa.

4. You can obtain a visa on arrival with a Vietnamese travel agent. You will need to provide details of your passport beforehand and they will confirm with you the issuance of your visa at the arriving airport. Cambodia is the best nation in Asia to get a Vietnam visa. It costs about US$30 and you can have everything done in the same day. Another place, which is also popular, is Bangkok where a lot of agents provide cheap packages with visa thrown in and an airline ticket.

5. If you plan to spend more than a month in Vietnam, If you wish to stay for more than a month in Vietnam or if you want to leave Vietnam and enter again from Laos or Cambodia, you will need to have a three-month multiple-Visa. In Cambodia, the fee is about US$95 but this is not available in all Vietnamese embassies.
6. Personal appearance can affect how you receive reception from the airport immigration. From our experiences, if you dress in shabby clothing or shorts, look filthy or bristly, you can should anticipate troubles. Try your best to look 'respectable'.

VIETNAM VISA EXEMPTION INFORMATION:
1. No Vietnam entry visa needed for traveling for less than 30 days: Residents of Myanmar, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Philippines, Indonesia, Brunei, Cambodia and Laos.

2. No Vietnam visa needed for traveling for less than 15 days: Residents of Denmark , Japan, Sweden, Norway, South Korea and Finland.
3. No Vietnam visa needed for traveling for less than 90 days or several visits within 6 months: Residents of France possessing valid official or diplomatic passports.
4. No Vietnam visa needed for traveling for less than 60 days: Residemts of Chile holding valid official or diplomatic passports.
5. No Vietnam Visa needed for traveling for less than 60 days: APEC Business Travel Card (ABTC) Holders from Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) member economies.
6. No Vietnam Visa needed for traveling to Phu Quoc Island, Vietnam: The application of Vietnam entry visa can be exempted in case Vietnamese and international residents holding foreign passports enter Vietnam through international border gates and subsequently travel to Phu Quoc Island and stay there for less than 15 days. Their passports must have the validity of at least 45 days. Upon their arrival at Phu Quoc Island, if visitors want to travel to other areas or remain in the island for more than 15 days, the immigration department will take responsibility for the issuance of visa right on the spot.