HÀ NỘI — The Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed on Thursday that the e-visa system, available to citizens of 80 countries, is now in operation again as the country fully reopened to international tourists from March 15, 2022.

Vietnam Immigration Department's online visa application/permission process was halted in early March 2020 when the country secured the border for most foreign visitors, due to the response to the COVID pandemic.

List of Countries that allowed E-visa issuing (30 epoch duration) are: Andorra, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Brunei Darussalam, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, China (contains Hong Kong and Macau SAR passport holders, unreliable or de facto for Chinese e-visa holders), Colombia, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Fiji, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, India, Ireland, Italy, Paint, Kazakhstan, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Malta, Marshall Peninsula, Mexico, Micronesia, Moldova, Monaco, Mongolia, Montenegro, Myanmar, Nauru, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Palau, Panama, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Korea, Romania, Russia, Salomons Enclaves, San Marino, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Timor Leste, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland , United States of America, Uruguay, Vanuatu, Venezuela and Western Samoa.

Visa-free tactics for citizens from 13 countries have been restored to pre-pandemic levels, especially for Germany, France, Italy, Spain, UK, Russia, Japan, South Korea, Denmark, and Switzerland. Sweden, Norway, Finland and Belarus.

According to the Ministry of Health's new COVID-19 guidelines for unfamiliar entries (Dispatch No. 1265), travelers entering Vietnam by air need to provide confirmation of negative COVID-19 test results. (within 72 hours of exit if using RT-PCR/RT-LAMP Interpreter, or within 24 hours if rapid antigen condition is used).

Travelers entering by land, metro or sea, may receive an additional pre-entry COVID-19 test for travelers by air, if their stay in Vietnam short.

Vietnamese visa (Việt Nam Visa) is a kind of travel documents granted by Vietnamese competent authorities, providing permission to travel to and enter Vietnam.

An electronic visa (E-visa) is one of visa types issued to foreigners by Vietnamese Immigration Department via electronic system. Vietnam E-visa is valid for maximum of 30 days, single entry.

Evisa can help you save your time when check in or check out Vietnam by very quick from all ports such as airplane, ship, even road. You can easy to visit Vietnam from Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, China by train, ferry or bus. It would be good to leave your informations such as your entry date, entry port,  scan your passport and photo, then post them when you apply. After two working days, you will have evisa Vietnam. Evisa has a code for check when you are arrive Vietnam, just show it, therefore you will quickly complete immigration procedures.

Eligible countries- Citizens from the following countries are eligible for Vietnam’s E-Visa program:

Ports of entry

E-visa holders can enter and exit Vietnam through any checkpoint in international checkpoints as below:

International airports

1.Noi Bai international airport in Hanoi city

2.Tan Son Nhat international airport in Ho Chi Minh city

3.Cam Ranh international airport in Nha Trang city

4.Da Nang international airport in Da Nang city

5.Cat Bi international airport in Hai Phong city

6.Can Tho international airport in Can Tho city

7.Phu Quoc international airport in Phu Quoc island

8.Phu Bai international airport in Hue city

Border land-crossing

1.Mong Cai border gate in Quang Ninh Province (border with China)

2.Friendship or Huu Nghi border gate in Lang Son province (border with China)

3.Lao Cai border gate in Lao Cai province (border with China)

4.Nam Can border gate in Nghe An province (border with Laos)

5.Cau Treo border gate in Ha Tinh province (border with Laos)

6.Cha Lo border gate in Quang Binh province (border with Laos)

7.Lao Bao border gate in Quang Binh province (border with Laos)

8.Bo Y border gate in Kon Tum province (border with Cambodia & Laos)

9.Moc Bai border gate in Tay Ninh province (border with Cambodia)

10.Xa Mat border gate in Tay Ninh province (border with Cambodia)

11.Tinh Bien border gate in An Giang province (border with Cambodia)

12.Song Tien border gate in Tien Giang province (border with Cambodia)

13.Ha Tien border gate in Kien Giang province (border with Cambodia)

14.Tay Trang border gate in Dien Bien province (border with Laos)

15.Na Meo border gate in Thanh Hoa province (border with Laos)

16.La Lay border gate in Quang Tri province (border with Laos)

Sea Ports

1.Hon Gai port in Quang Ninh province

2.Hai Phong port in Hai Phong province

3.Nha Trang port in Nha Trang city (Khanh Hoa provice)

4.Da Nang port in Da Nang city

5.Quy Nhon port in Quy Nhon city (Binh Dinh province)

6.Vung Tau port in Vung Tau city (Ba Ria Vung Tau province)

7.Ho Chi Minh port in Ho Chi Minh city

8.Chan May port in Thua Thien Hue province

9.Duong Dong port in Phu Quoc island (Kien Giang province).

Requirements to apply for an e-visa:

- All e-visa applicants must live outside Vietnam.

- Hold a valid passport which must be valid at least six (6) months after arrival to Vietnam.

- Have an email address for communicating & receiving their e-visa.

- Scan passport and a digital photo are required to complete the online form.

What is the difference between Vietnam visa on arrival and Vietnam E-Visa?

Before travelling to Vietnam, you are searching information about Vietnam, include visa with some questions in your mind, such as What is an E-Visa? What is the difference between a visa on arrival and an E-Visa? Which one is better? How do you know which one you need? You are possibly trying to know that Evisa or visa on arrival is best for you. We would like to explain the difference between the two and show the pros and cons of each one.

At the present, Evisa or visa on arrival is option for visitors who wish to arrive Vietnam. In order to apply either one you are required to have more than 6 months valid passport. Please sure that citizens of most countries need to have a visa to visit Vietnam and should have one before boarding the plane. 

Pros and Cons of the Vietnam E-Visa

One of the main advantages of the Vietnam E-Visa is that you can attach your passport and fill an online form with all of your personal and travel details. The Vietnam E-Visa application should be done online. Therefore, having Internet connection with a tablet, mobile or computer is need.

If you finish the online E-Visa form for Vietnam, it includes stamp fee that you do not need to pay when arrival at the airport. Most applications are processed from one to two working days.

Once approved, the E-Visa will have a 30-day validity to travel within the country. You will be able to use the electronic visa to arrive Vietnam through 28 different ports of entry.

Nevertheless, some of the disadvantages of an E-Visa for Vietnam are that only 81 countries are adequate to get it. An online visa is non-extendable and it is a single entry visa. Travelers should also consider that if the application is negated, they cannot get a compensation from the government of Vietnam. 

To apply for an E-Visa for Vietnam you need:

A digital passport photo, in which you are strongly advised not to wear glasses, scarves, hat, etc. Addition, both ears must be shown. Review all the eVisa photo requirements here.

A digital scan of the passport photo page. It can be in color or black and white but the info should be readable.

A credit or debit card to pay for the visa service fee. 

When filling the Vietnam E-Visa form you should provide exactly your port of entry and your exit point, especial when you choose road or ship port. Your passport should have a minimum validity of six months from the expected date of arrival in Vietnam and must have two blank pages at least.

When E-Visa is approved, you should print a copy to show at the airport. With your electronic visa you can pass over the visa on arrival line and head straight to border control where the immigration officers will stamp your passport. 

Advantages and Drawbacks of the Visa-on-Arrival

The visa on arrival has certain advantages worth considering. It is serviceable to all travelers landing by air and there are types of duration available. Travelers can select a 30-day stay or a 60-day stay. American citizens can apply for a one-year stay visa upon arrival in Vietnam. The processing time takes two working days and the visa can be extended.

On the other hand, there are some drawbacks about the Vietnam visa on arrival. The total price of this type of visa is not the same. Moreover, it is available only at six Vietnam international airports. The visa-on-arrival needs more paperwork than the electronic visa.

To acquire this visa, you demand to have a digital passport photo, with the same requirements as those for the E-Visa. You as well need a debit or credit card to pay for the visa service fee.

There are a few things you need to notice before you apply for a visa on arrival. You will necessity to print your Approval Letter and prepare already two photos of yourself. Upon arrival you should exhibit the Approval Letter and the photos at the immigration office located at the airport earlier getting in the regular immigration line.

You will need to have $25 (single entry) or $50 ( multiple entries) in cash to pay an additional “stamping fee” at the airport, as well as the fee of the visa. You can use USD, Euro or Vietnamese Dong.  ATMS are outside the Customs area, so you will not be able to take out money to pay for the fee.

If you need to obtain the visa-on-arrival, you still essential to finish an online form with your private unit and passport information and pay a fee for service by a debit or credit card.

The E-Visa speeds up the action of pick up a visa and makes approach in Vietnam a better experience. Before applying, please check that you suitable the E-Visa requirements.

No visa required for travel in Phu Quoc Island Vietnam for 30 days. There are two ways to visit Phu Quoc Island: by plane or farry. Some countries have flight direct to Phu Quoc International airport such as from Kuala Lumpur or Singapore. 

If you come from one country that no direct flight, please contact the airplane before departure to ask about Vietnam visa.

Phu Quoc is the largest island in Vietnam, is a part of Kien Giang Province as Phu Quoc District. The best months to visit here are from December until April. The rains don’t start coming down hard until June, but April and May are too hot.

Phu Quoc has an exquisite beach called “Bai Sao”. Bai Sao with smooth and white sand, clean seawater has attracted to lots of tourists. Imagine that you’re laying in seaside with fresh air and here the sound of the waves, so great! Phu Quoc has some small islands called “hòn” like Hòn Dăm Ngang, Hòn Mây Rút and Hòn Móng tay…… You can visit these small islands and you can try snorkeling to see lots of beautiful coral reef in the ocean. There is many kind of reef there, you can find lots of new thing. The aroma and smoke from seafood stalls make visitors want to stop

 Phu Quoc has a spectacular variety of seafood, cooked in many tasty styles. Among these sea food items, sea urchin- fat and nutritious meat is a must-try here. The chefs grilled sea urchins then topped with melted lard, peanuts, and chopped green onions. At night market you should try palmyra juice,  palmyra sweet soup or Steamed Palmyra Sponge Cake as dessert, it is the best food for you with sweet taste and the smell attractive you. Kẹo chỉ (thread sweets) is also the exicted food for tourists surround it to admire the sellers making this dessert. The sugar is spun skillfully until it becomes threads. The threads are placed between two layers of rice pancakes, added with shredded coconut and fruit syrup or coconut milk. Sea food among the stalls of clothes, souvenirs, and peppercorns cooked with fish sauce is a specific in this market.

Vietnam has applied Evisa for citizens of 80 countries in the world.

The Government has just issued Decree 17/2019 amending and supplementing the list of countries with citizens to be granted e-visas and a list of border gates to allow foreigners to enter and exit by electric visas (Evisa). The new Decree takes effect for two years from February 1.2019.

Decree 17 adds citizens of 34 countries to the list, including:  Austria, Belgium, Bosnia and Hercegovina, Croatia, Macedonia, the Principality of Andorra, the Principality of Liechtenstein, Principality of Monaco,  Estonia, Georgia, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Moldova, Montenegro, Iceland,  Cyprus, Qatar, Fiji, Micronesia, Nauru, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Portugal, Marshall Islands, Slovenia, Switzerland, San Marino, Serbia, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, Samoa, Brazil and Mexico. This extension applies an additional e-visa with citizens holding Hong Kong and Macau passports of China (not applicable to citizens bearing electronic ordinary passports). Currently, Vietnam has applied Evisa for citizens of 80 countries in the world.

Moreovers, the Decree 17 adds a list of 5 international border gates that allow foreigners to enter and exit via Evisa, including 3 land border gates, including: Tay Trang international border gate (Dien Bien province); Na Meo international border gate (Thanh Hoa province); La Lay international border gate (Quang Tri province) and 2 sea border gates, including Duong Dong port (Kien Giang province) and Chan May port border gate (Thua Thien-Hue province).

Vietnam has 8 airports, 16 land border gates and 9 sea border gates that allow foreigners to enter and exit by Evisa.

Eligible visitors can register for Evisa, processing time within 2 working days, Evisa valid for single entry, maximum duration of 30 days.

Last year, Vietnam applied visa exemption for three years for visitors from France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the UK. Citizens of those countries can enter Vietnam without visa within 15 days. In case, they want to enter into Vietnam under unilateral visa exemption in the next time have to wait at least 30 days from the last day exited Vietnam.

The most beautiful road of Mu Cang Chai is from the Than Uyen district to Mu Cang Chai district and Nghia Lo town. This time I did not come to the rural Mu Cang Chai of Yen Bai province by the route that I’ve usually come; instead, I went from from Lai Chau province to Binh Lu and Tam Duong. From here I took a motorcycle taxi with a cost that is five times higher than regular bus service in order to get to this foggy town, which is located in Hoang Lien Son mountain range. Mu Cang Chai has a magnificent view. National Highway 32, which is operated by China, was named Huu Nghi, is 60 kilometers long. It is extended from Nam Phat to Kim 3-way Intersection, which was built in 1971. This highway is now paved and is surrounded by beautiful white Bauhinia flowers. Another wonderful sight on the highway is the presence of Nam Kim waterfall, which flows from 2985 meter- Pung Lung peak and passes by ten towns of Mu Cang Chai. This creates a beautiful and romantic scenery for Mu Cang Chai. It is foggy throughout the entire winter here at Mu Cang Chai. On average, fog surrounds Mu Cang Chai for about 40 to 60 days. Mu Cang Chai has two blooming seasons. During winter, we can see wild red peach flowers bloom all over the forest, which are called “hoa to day” by the native Hmong that live here. Winter is also the blooming season of white plum flowers, while March is the season of Bauhinia flowers. I am always amazed by the gorgeous white Bauhinia that bloom on several mountain passes such as Pha Din (Dien Bien Phu city), Son La, or Ma (entrance to Moc Chau plateau). But the breathtaking scenery that impresses me the most is the sight of white Bauhinia nearby Nam Kim waterfall. It is worth a trip to come here to see these beautiful flowers and be amazed by the wonder of nature. Another beautiful scenery of Mu Cang Chai, the district of Yen Bai province, which is on the north of Lao Cai and also on the south of Son La, is the sight of green terrace. The dry season begins from November to May while the rainy season (monsoon) begins from June. The native Hmong at Mu Cang Chai created terrace, a type of farming that is made up of many “steps”. Terrace is used to grow crops that need irrigation such as rice crops. The governor of Yen Bai province is now registering this wonderful type of farming to be the cultural heritage of Vietnam. In this 2150 hectare (5313 acre) of terrace, each paddy field is formed in a unique and spectacular way. Another thing that makes the terrace in Mu Cang Chai look magnificent is that it is formed on the slopes of high mountains, in which Nam Kim River flows by. On the opposite of Mo De town (2100-meter-high) is Lao Chai Son village (1776 meter high). A little farther away, there is Hang Gang hamlet. And a little farther down, there is Ta Dong (1900 meter high). Up to Che Tao is La Hang (2050-meter-high) and Phu Ba (2512 meter high). The key features of Mu Cang Chai Beside the beautiful green terrace, the forest here at Mu Cang Chai is also very impressive. There are 30,000 hectares (74132 acre) of old-growth or primary forest. In the old-growth forest, there is a natural reserve, which protects many wild plants and animals. The rarest animals at this natural reserve are the Rufous-necked Hornbill birds (Aceros nipalensis). There are only about 30 of them at Mu Cang Chai and Phu Nat National Park. Other rare animals are the Black Crested Gibbons, which are about 100 of them that live at Muong La (Mu Cang Chai) and they are currently protected by FFI (Fauna and Flora International). One famous local type of fruit is “tao Meo”, or rose apples, with scientific name Docynia indica. The native at Mu Cang Chai said these rose apples grow naturally. Rose apple trees will bear fruits in September. I have eaten rose apples at Sa Pa, a district at Lao Cai province in north-west Vietnam. These apples were so bitter that I had to eat them with salt. However, they have a very distinctive taste that makes me want to eat them again. The wine made from rose apples is delicious. At the love market in Sapa, I saw many native HMong and Dao girls were happy when their partners offered them rose apple wine. It would be pretty interesting to have a sip of wine while listening to “ken la”, an instrument made from leaves. One rose apple tree can produce 500 kilograms of apples each season while there are 2000 hectares (4942 acres) of rose apple trees at Mu Cang Chai. It is obvious to see how abundant rose apples are at this northern district of Vietnam.