Vietnam's history, its stunning landscape peppered with hills and beaches, its breathtaking coastline, and bustling cities that are a storehouse of relics and display a fine mingling of the old world and the new, and its ever-growing culinary scene, make it a destination ideal for a leisurely travel, to soak up its history and culture, and the sights and smells. But in order to be able to travel to this gorgeous Asian country with Laos and Cambodia to the west, China to the north, and the South China Sea to its south and east, you would need a Vietnam visa. The Vietnam visa is a foremost document needed to travel to its beautiful country, experience its hiking trails, sunny beaches and a thriving street scene. Indian travellers have now opened up to travelling to this destination, and you have backpackers, solo travellers, group of friends, honeymooning couples and large families with children travelling to Vietnam, and even combining it with a trip to nearby Cambodia and Laos. But before you go ahead and plan your Vietnam vacation, you need to first get your Vietnam visa online, and ready the necessary documents required to procure it.
| Vietnam Tourist Pre approved visa on arrival visa fees | ||
|---|---|---|
| Visa type | Processing time | Visa fee* |
| 1 Month Single Entry | Normal-2 working days | 1820 |
| Urgent-1 working day | 2570 | |
| Super urgent-4 working Hours | 3350 | |
| 3 Months Single Entry | Normal-2 working days | 2450 |
| Urgent-1 working day | 3150 | |
| Super urgent-4 working Hours | 3900 | |
| 1 Month Multiple Entry | Normal-2 working days | 2200 |
| Urgent-1 working day | 2850 | |
| Super urgent-4 working Hours | 3600 | |
| 3 Months multiple Entry | Normal-2 working days | 5600 |
| Urgent-1 working day | 6250 | |
| Super urgent-4 working Hours | 7000 | |
How to Apply Vietnam Visa for Indians
Every Indian citizen travelling to Vietnam needs a visa. But an advantage Indians have is the facility of availing a Vietnam visa on arrival or VOA. You can ready this document ahead of travelling to Vietnam. But before you can get your Vietnam visa application processed, you need to make sure your passport has a minimum of 6 month validity beyond your stay in Vietnam. You can procure a Vietnam eVisa online with the help of an online agent like Trip Alive. The Vietnam visa on arrival is granted to any Indian passport holder who is visiting Vietnam for the purposes of business or tourism. This scores over the traditionally undertaken method of heading to the Vietnam embassy or local consulate to get your visa processed as it is done entirely online, without the need to send your original passports anywhere for processing. It is fast, requires the filling up of an online application form and paying the visa fee along with the agent's commission online through your OTA's payment gateway, and get your visa approval letter in quick time. You need to produce this letter upon landing at one of the international airports in Vietnam whether in Ho Chi Minh City, Da Nang or Hanoi, and get your visa stamp at the airport without any hassle. Though you are required to fill up a little form that mentions your passport details. It could save you some time if you fill up this form in advance by downloading from the Vietnam visa website. Without this you wouldn't get the necessary visa stamp on your passport. But if you are opting for a Vietnam eVisa, then the entire procedure can be achieved online. Your visa is a short-term 30 day visa, is a single-entry visa, and the purpose of your visit could be both business or tourism. After paying the visa fee, you get your eVisa which is sent by your agent to your email id and then you can simply arrive at an international airport in Vietnam, produce the eVisa print-out, your passport and exit the airport.
Vietnam eVisa on Arrival
The Vietnam eVisa is typically a single-entry visa affording you a stay of 30 days in the country. The Vietnam eVisa for Indians is an electronic document, basically a electronic visa approval letter which expedites the process of getting your documents processed and exiting the airport. Such a visa is granted only for tourism and business purposes and mandates that your passport has at least 6 months validity beyond your duration of stay in Vietnam. The Visa on Arrival, however, entails a set of formalities you need to go through at the airport, but they barely take time and an OTA would guide you accordingly with the process.
Vietnam Visa Types
Before going ahead for a Vietnam eVisa apply online, you need to be aware of the various eVisas you can apply for. Each of these visas are pre-approved and electronically granted and fall under the category of eVisa on arrival. Among the most popular categories are:
Tourist visa: This category of visa is issued to those foreign nationals visiting Vietnam for the purposes of tourism only, and not for conducting any business. A Vietnam tourist visa can further be divided into multiple categories depending on validity and number of entries.
The visa fee and processing time for each of these visas are different. But post the COVID first wave, new regulations came into effect starting 1 July 2020 where holders of a tourist visa to Vietnam can stay in the country for only 30 days, even those opting for a 3 month single or multiple entry visa. They are granted a 30 day temporary residence stamp, with the possibility of extending your visa in Vietnam should you wish to remain in the country for longer. You can apply for these visas through three methods, either directly through the Vietnam embassy by getting it done in person, by opting for a Vietnam visa on arrival where you can get your approval letter and showing it at the airport to secure a visa stamp, or by going ahead with the most popular method of getting a Vietnam eVisa which is provided for 30 days and is a single-entry visa.
Business visa: This is the second most popular type of visa to Vietnam. The easiest one to get is the business eVisa which is the same as a tourist eVisa, is granted online, can be applied through an agent, is a single-entry visa and entails a stay of 30 days. And there is no hassle once you arrive with your business eVisa at the airport as all your documentation is already complete. But there are two other business visas which you can only apply by taking the embassy route.
DN1 visa: This visa is granted to foreigners who work with other companies or organisation that have a legal status as per laws of Vietnam.
DN2 visa: This visa is granted to foreigners who visit Vietnam in order to offer services, to set up a commercial establishment, or discharge duties under international treaties to which Vietnam is a member.
But just like the tourist visa for Vietnam, a business visa too can be further divided into the below categories:
If you want to get a business eVisa that offers a single-entry, you can reach out to your OTA. Your OTA can even help you with the other varieties of business visas which fall in the pre-approved visa on arrival category, where you are granted a visa approval letter, and all you are left to do is a brief set of formalities at the airport including filling a form and paying the visa stamp fee, post which you can exit the airport.
Documents Required for getting a Vietnam Business Visa
Here are the set of documents you need to ready in order to get a business visa to Vietnam:
How to get a Vietnam Business Visa
You can opt for a Vietnam visa on arrival. This is a highly recommended way of getting the visa as it requires no sponsor letter from the local company in Vietnam when you file your application. In order to get a business visa on arrival you do not need to travel anywhere. It is your sponsor company located in Vietnam that needs to complete the procedure by securing an online form providing information about you and your travel details, outside of that they also need to provide the support documents required for getting a business visa. If the procedure has been successfully completed, you will get a a visa letter through email mentioning a date and time, and you need to get your visa stamped on your arrival at a Vietnam airport on that stipulated date. The other route is to go through the Vietnam embassy in your country where you need to fill up the application form, attach all your papers in originals, appear for an interview, and then get the visa granted to you. But currently owing to the outbreak of COVID-19, the process of acquiring a business visa has become a bit complicated since the main document you need to procure in order to get the visa is a Vietnam Entry Permit.
Tourist Visa
This visa is granted to foreigners whose purpose of travelling to Vietnam is tourism alone. A Vietnam tourist visa and further be divided into:
But post the outbreak of COVID-19 worldwide, Vietnam has restricted the validity of all tourist visa to a total of up to 30 days, regardless of the category of visa you opt for. Though you have the option of extending your visa locally from within Vietnam. You can get a Vietnam visa by adopting one of the many routes. You could reach out to the Vietnam embassy in your country and fill up the application form, present your documents and get your visa in person, or you can opt for an eVisa where you need to get in touch with an OTA who will conduct the procedure on your behalf and charge a commission from you, aside from granting you the eVisa directly to your email id. The third alternative is to get a pre-approved Vietnam visa on arrival where too you have to reach out to an OTA, help them with a set of documents and they will get you the visa approval letter which you need to produce at the time of arrival in Vietnam, along with a set of other documents and a visa application form, pay the stamp fee in cash and then quickly exit the airport.
Documents required for getting a Vietnam tourist or business eVisa
You need to submit the below documents in order for your OTA to process your approval letter:
How to get a Vietnam Tourist or Business eVisa
Once all your documents are ready, you can get in touch with an OTA. Then submit all the documents online and pay the visa fee which includes the fee charged by the Vietnam government and the agent's commission. Trip Alive charges INR 2250 for a tourist/business eVisa. Further Trip Alive team will pick up your documents and go through their authenticity, and then fill up your visa application form on your behalf and forward your papers to the Vietnam high commission for processing. You can expect to get your eVisa sent to your registered email id directly by Trip Alive within 3 to 4 working days.
Student visa: This category of visa is granted to those foreign nationals who intend to attend university in Vietnam. This kind of visa is typically organised only upon your arrival in Vietnam. You would first need to enter Vietnam using a regular tourist visa, proceeding which you need to apply for a change in your visa status at the Immigration Office once you have enrolled into your course. You can take help from an agency to get you a Vietnam student visa.
Work visa: This visa is issued to foreigners who come to work, as in do a job, in Vietnam like teaching among others. There are two categories of this visa:
LD1: This visa is granted to foreigners who come to work in Vietnam with work permit exemption certificate.
LD2: This visa is granted to foreigners who need to have work permit to pick up a job in Vietnam.
This kind of visa is valid for a maximum of 2 years. In case you wish to extend your stay, you need to apply for an LD temporary residence card that is valid for up to 2 years. For the same you need to ask the local company in Vietnam for whom you are going to work to apply for an LD visa approval letter at the Vietnam Immigration Department, and then you can get your visa stamped at Vietnam mission in foreign countries, or any port of entry on your arrival to Vietnam, and this would depend on the type of visa approval letter you are given.
Documents Required for getting a Vietnam Work Visa
You need to ready an array of documents ahead of applying for a Vietnam work visa.
How to get a Vietnam work visa
In order to get a Vietnam work visa, you need to put in a request with the local company in Vietnam for whom you are going to work, asking them to apply on your behalf for an LD visa approval letter at the Vietnam Immigration Department. Following this, you would need to get your visa stamped at the Vietnam mission in foreign countries or at your port of entry in Vietnam. This would solely depend on the type of visa approval letter issued to you. Your work visa is processed by the Vietnam Immigration Department typically in 5 working days since receipt of all necessary documents.
What is a Vietnam Work Permit
A work permit is an official certificate which is issued by the Department of Labor, Invalid and Social Affairs to let its holder to work in Vietnam legally. This document cannot be applied directly by the foreign worker, and they would need the assistance of their future employers or a service centre in Vietnam. You need to have a Vietnam work permit in order to apply for a temporary residence card or a Vietnam work visa.
Investor visa: This visa is granted to foreign investors in Vietnam. These are the various categories:
DT1: This is granted to foreign investors in Vietnam and also to representatives of foreign companies investing in Vietnam with a capital contribution of a minimum of VND100 billion. Such a visa is valid for up to 5 years.
DT2: This is granted to foreign investors or representatives of a foreign organisation investing anywhere under VND100 billion. This visa too is valid for up to 5 years.
DT3: This category of visa is granted to a foreign investor in Vietnam or a representative of a foreign company who would make a capital contribution of under VND50 billion. This visa is valid for up to 3 years.
DT4: This category of visa is granted to foreign investors or representatives of foreign companies in Vietnam investing with a capital contribution of less than VND3 billion. The validity of such a visa is 1 year.
Diplomatic visa: A Vietnamese diplomatic visa is granted to the members of a delegating travelling to the country at an invitation from highly ranked government officials, to consulate personnel in Vietnam, and even to those who work with consulate members or visit them for a short duration. The diplomatic visa does not involve a visa fee, and to get this type of visa the applicant needs to submit a formal letter from the local government agency, foreign embassy or consulate to the concerned agency in the applicant's home country. A diplomatic visa is valid for up to 1 year.
How to Apply for a Vietnam Diplomatic Visa?
The procedure for applying for a Vietnam diplomatic visa requires the applicant to submit an official letter which could be from a local government agency, consulate or foreign embassy, or the concerned agency in the applicant's home country. A Vietnam diplomatic visa comes with a validity of up to 1 year.
E-visa to Vietnam, validity and fee for Indians
If you are planning a really short trip, either for the purposes of business or tourism, you can apply for a eVisa to Vietnam which is electronically granted, and all procedures are concluded online too. The Vietnam eVisa application is filled up by the OTA you reach out to; you could explore Trip Alive who is an expert at Vietnam eVisas. This tourist or business eVisa is a single-entry visa, allows you to stay in the country for a total of 30 days, with the Vietnam eVisa processing time being approximately 3 to 4 working days from the time the completed forms along with your papers have been submitted to the Vietnam high commission. The approvals of the eVisa too comes in online, and your OTA merely forwards you the same to your registered email id. The Vietnam eVisa fees for Indians, whether tourist or business, when applied through Trip Alive is INR 2250, and this includes the visa fee payable to the Vietnam government and Trip Alive commission.
How to Apply for Vietnam eVisa Online
It is a very simple procedure, and you can apply Vietnam eVisa online. The government of Vietnam offers you the facility of applying for a eVisa which is a short-term visa valid for up to 30 days, and permits only a single entry. The entire online visa apply Vietnam procedure in this case can be accomplished online, where you need to send scanned copies of original documents like the front and back covers of the passport with a minimum of 6 month validity beyond your duration of stay in Vietnam, proof of accommodation on all days of your stay in Vietnam, confirmed return air tickets, your recent coloured passport-size photograph in a white background among others. Once you upload these documents on your OTA's website, you then need to head to their payment gateway and pay the visa fee, following which your agent will pick up your documents, check their authenticity, fill up the eVisa Vietnam application form on your behalf and forward the same to the high commission for processing. The agent usually takes around 3 to 4 working days to get the approval letter or your eVisa from the embassy and sends you the same to your email id. A Vietnam eVisa online for Indians is actually a rather easy process, and doesn't require an extensive range of documents. But you need to first decide whether you would like to opt for an eVisa or a pre-approved visa on arrival. Both of which can be provided by your OTA. While a Vietnam eVisa is a complete document and doesn't require you to undergo any special formalities at the airport other than displaying your eVisa, passport and getting a go ahead from the immigration. The pre-approved visa on arrival, on the other hand, is a slightly different procedure.
What is a pre-approved Vietnam Visa on Arrival
It is quite similar to the process of getting a eVisa, but there are multiple categories within it, and it entails reaching out to an OTA who would fill up an online visa application form on your behalf and grant you a visa approval letter from the embassy. You need to carry this visa approval letter to the immigration, and this can be used at one of the international airports of Vietnam like the ones in Hanoi, Da Nang and Ho Chi Minh City. But before getting the sticker or stamp on your passport, you need to fill up a form which your agent can help you with, or one you can download from the Vietnam official visa website. This along with your original passport that has a validity of a minimum of 6 months beyond your duration of stay in Vietnam, two recent passport-size photographs, the visa approval letter which you have already procured with the help of your OTA, and the visa stamp fee which you need to pay in cash and has to be in the local currency Vietnamese Dong or US Dollars. The fee is $25 per person for a single-entry visa, and $50 per person for a multiple-entry visa. Within the pre-approved visa on arrival you can choose between:
The visa fee is different for each kind of visa, and so is the processing time.
Apply for Vietnam eVisa online with Trip Alive
If you are an Indian citizen and wish to travel to Vietnam for a short stay either for the purposes of business or tourism, the best and the easiest thing to get is an eVisa. This is a single-entry visa, granted electronically and is valid for up to 30 days. In order to get this visa you can visit the Trip Alive website, choose the visa type, and upload necessary documents like proof of accommodation, confirmed return air tickets, front and back covers of the passport provided the passport has at least 6 months validity which goes beyond your duration of stay in Vietnam, and a recent coloured passport-size photograph. Then you need to pay the visa fee which is INR 2250 through the payment gateway. After this you can expect the Trip Alive team to pick up your documents, go through them and fill up the visa application form on your behalf and then send the same to the Vietnam high commission for processing. Within 3 to 4 working days you can expect to get your eVisa, sent directly by Trip Alive to your registered email id.
Apply for pre-approved Vietnam visa on arrival with Trip Alive
Depending on which category of visa on arrival you want, whether 1 month single-entry visa, 1 month multiple-entry visa, 3 months single-entry visa or 3 months multiple-entry visa, you need to inform Trip Alive of the same, and submit scanned copies of the first and last pages of your passport as long as it has at least 6 months validity on your date of arrival from Vietnam, and the arrival and departure dates of your trip, and the entry and exit points/airports. After submitting these, you need to pay the fee and agent's commission. Trip Alive will then fill up your online application form, and send your papers. The visa approval letter is then sent to your email id, the time taken depends on which visa you have opted for and its processing time. You can further get a stamp on your visa at the port of entry airport by showing your visa approval letter among a couple of other documents. The visa stamp fee needs to be paid directly at the airport in cash, either in Vietnamese Dong or USD.
Vietnam eVisa Documents Validity
The Vietnam eVisa validity is 30 days. This visa is a single-entry visa and can be obtained for the purposes of business or tourism, facilitating a stay of up to 30 days. The validity of Indian eVisa is 30 days, but if you opt for a pre-approved visa on arrival, then the validity will differ. You have the choice of opting for a 1 month single-entry visa whether for business or tourism, or opt for a 1 month multiple-entry visa. Those looking at longer stays can opt for a 3 month single-entry visa, or a 3 month multiple-entry visa. The processing time of these visa on arrivals depends on whether you seek one in the normal, urgent or super urgent category. The normal category visa approval letter is provided in 2 working days, the visa approval letter in an urgent category is provided in 1 working day, whereas a visa approval letter in the super urgent category is provided in 4 working hours. The visa fee would depend on the type of visa and which category you opt for whether normal, urgent or super urgent. The Vietnam tourist eVisa validity, however, cannot be extended beyond 30 days. The Vietnam business visa validity will depend on whether you opt for a eVisa or a pre-approved visa on arrival. For eVisa it is merely 30 days, but for a VOA you it can be anywhere between 1 and 3 months, depending on your preference of visa and whether you opt for a single or multiple-entry visa.
Vietnam Visa post-COVID Mandatory Documents
Following the outbreak of the Coronavirus worldwide, certain travel restrictions have been imposed by the government of Vietnam upon those entering the country.
- Vietnam has reduced the centralised quarantine period for the fully vaccinated foreigners arriving there from the previous 14 days to 7 days.
- You need to show a negative RT-PCR report done within 72 hours ahead of your scheduled departure to the officials on arrival at an airport in Vietnam. Post this you need to undergo a 7 day quarantine at a hotel or your chosen place of stay, at your own expense.
- Those who have been infected with COVID-19 and can furnish recovery certificates within the past six months can also get their quarantine period reduced.
- Ho Chi Minh City has extended its social distancing measures in which period most non-essential businesses are banned from operating and even public transport like taxis and buses would remain suspended. It has discouraged a gathering of more than 2 people, and people are advised to stay at home, unless there is an emergency.
- These strict measures are being followed across Hoi An, Da Nang and Hanoi.
- Flight operations on the Ho Chi Minh City route has been reduced.
- You are required to wear mask at all times during your travels within the country and practise social distancing. You might find major eating out and shopping districts across Da Nang, Hanoi, Hoi An and Ho Chi Minh City partially functioning with plenty of restrictions.
Vietnam eVisa Document Requirements and Processing Time
The Vietnam eVisa requirements for Indians is a very simple process. You need to get in touch with an OTA and file all your documents and then make the visa payment online. The OTA further does your documentation including filling up the visa application form and then sending it to the embassy for processing. The Vietnam eVisa processing time is 3 to 4 working days. The Vietnam eVisa requirements include a set of documents whose scanned copies you need to upload on your OTA's website. These include:
Vietnam Pre-Approved Visa on Arrival Document Requirements/Processing Time
If you wish to get a pre-approved visa on arrival, you need to submit just a few basic details post which your trusted OTA forwards your papers to the embassy, who in return grants you a visa approval letter. It should be noted that this is merely an approval letter and not a eVisa document. You will have to further get your visa stamps in person from the immigration at the airport. The letter only simplifies the process of getting a visa at the airport, which involves a quick set of documents you need to submit and pay the stamp fee, and you are granted your visa to enter Vietnam. The documents you need to submit include:
Once you provide with this information, you can opt for the following visas:
Visa type: 1 month single-entry visa
Processing time: Normal visa is 2 working days, urgent visa is 1 working day and super urgent visa is 4 working hours.
Visa type: 3 months single-entry visa
Processing time: Normal visa is 2 working days, urgent visa is 1 working day and super urgent visa is 4 working hours.
Visa type: 1 month multiple-entry visa
Processing time: Normal visa is 2 working days, urgent visa is 1 working day and super urgent visa is 4 working hours.
Visa type: 3 months multiple-entry visa
Processing time: Normal visa is 2 working days, urgent visa is 1 working day and super urgent visa is 4 working hours.
Visa Stamping Procedure for Pre-Approved Vietnam Visa on Arrival
Once you arrive at either the Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City or Da Nang international airport with a visa approval letter, you need to go through the following procedure in order to get a visa on arrival and eventually exit the airport.
Vietnam eVisa fee for Indians
The Vietnam eVisa fees for Indians is something you need to pay through the payment gateway of your OTA. The Vietnam eVisa fee> is a sum you need to pay for both tourist and business eVisas, and you can easily get it done through Trip Alive which specialises in Vietnam visas. The Vietnam eVisa price while inclusive of the agent commission is the same for both tourist and business travellers. The Vietnam eVisa cost is INR 2250 which includes the visa fee charged by the Vietnam high commission and Trip Alive commission to help you procure the same.
Vietnam pre-approved visa on arrival fee for Indians
But in case you wish to get a visa approval letter beforehand and then eventually pick up your visa from the immigration at the airport. Here are the various fee slabs, depending on the category of visa.
Visa type: 1 month single-entry visa
Visa fee: Normal visa is INR 1820, urgent visa is INR 2570, and super urgent visa is INR 3350
Visa type: 3 months single-entry visa
Visa fee: Normal visa is INR 2450, urgent visa is INR 3150, and super urgent visa is INR 3900
Visa type: 1 month multiple-entry visa
Visa fee: Normal visa is INR 2200, urgent visa is INR 2850, and super urgent visa is INR 3600
Visa type: 3 months multiple-entry visa
Visa fee: Normal visa is INR 5600, urgent visa is INR 6250, and super urgent visa is INR 7000
Benefits of a Vietnam eVisa, or a pre-approved Vietnam Visa on Arrival
There are plenty of benefits of availing this option:
FAQs on Vietnam eVisa or Vietnam Visa On Arrival:
Q. What are the documents required for getting a Vietnam eVisa?
Q. For how long is a Vietnam eVisa valid?
Q. What is the processing time and fee for a Vietnam eVisa?
Q. How is a pre-approved Vietnam visa on arrival different from a Vietnam eVisa?
Q. How can I apply for a pre-approved Vietnam visa on arrival?
Q. Are there any restrictions currently on getting a Vietnam visa?
Q. Aside from my Vietnam eVisa what other documents do I need to carry to the airport?
Q. After getting my tourist eVisa is there any mandatory quarantine requirement in Vietnam?
Q. What are the documents needed for getting a Vietnam eVisa?
Q. How long do I need to wait to get my Vietnam eVisa and what is the fee payable?
