Vietnam extends list of countries eligible for e-visa by 34 to 80 and extended the scheme to January 31, 2021. The new countries include major source markets in Europe.
Nationals of those countries (see list below) can now apply on the web for a single-entry tourist e-visa with a validity of 30 days for a fee of $25. The e-visa replaces the visa-on-arrival and the conventional embassy visa. It has to be printed out and shown at immigration. The one-page visa sticker that took up an entire page in the passport is thus a thing of the past, at least for short-time travelers.
Payment and delivery of the e-visa is done entirely online and takes three working days. A credit card for payment is obligatory. The e-visa is valid for entry at any of 28 border checkpoints, including eight international airports.
The original legislation that launched the e-visa programme was first announced January 25, 2017 and covered two years with 40 nationalities eligible for the online visa and was later increased to include 46 nationalities. It was identified as pilot project.
Last year Vietnam received a record number of 15.5 million foreign tourists.
The project delivered results in that Vietnam saw roughly 15.5 million international tourist arrivals in 2018, a 19.9-per cent rise over the previous year. A target of 18 million international tourists has been set for 2019.
Countries eligible for e-visas to Vietnam as of February 1, 2019:
Andorra, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Brunei, Bulgaria, Canada, Colombia, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Chile, China (including Hong Kong and Macau passports, but not Chinese e-passports), Denmark, Estonia, Fiji, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, India, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Kazakhstan, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Malta, Marshall Islands, Mexico, Micronesia, Moldova, Monaco, Montenegro, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nauru, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Palau, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Philippines, Qatar, Romania, Russia, Salomon Islands, San Marino, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Timor Leste, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States of America, Uruguay, Vanuatu, Venezuela and Western Samoa.
Via-exempt countries for Vietnam:
90 days: Chile
30 days:Cambodia, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Laos
21 days: Philippines
15 days: UK, France, Italy, Spain, Germany (until June 30, 2021)
Belarus (until June 30, 2020)
Japan, South Korea, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Russia, Finland
14 days: Brunei, Myanmar