In a major relief to international tourists visiting Vietnam, which has gained pace as a popular tourist destination in recent years, validity of e-visa for tourists is all set to get extended after the Southeast Asian nation’s government gave its nod to extend visa reform measures.
Notably, Vietnam’s lawmakers on June 24 in the National Assembly passed an approval to increase the validity of electronic visas for inbound visitors on recommendation of the government. Effective August 1, the validity of the approved e-visa will be 90 days from the current duration of 30 days.
Also, the proposal includes the mandate to allow multiple entries to tourists instead of single entry visa to propel tourism in the country which has lagged behind its competitor destinations due its stringent visa policies. The move is significantly helpful for Indian tourists as well, who are flocking to Vietnam for leisure tours in large numbers.
The new amendments will also allow citizens of more nations to get visa free entry into Vietnam with extended stay. Nationals of some western European countries, Japan, and South Korea will be able to enter Vietnam without the need for a visa up to 15 days. For certain countries, this validity is 45 days.
The number of foreign visitors for business and leisure came in just below 1.9 million last month from a post-pandemic high of 1.95 million in April, the Japan National Tourism Organisation said. Arrivals were down 31.5% from the level in May 2019, before the coronavirus outbreak. Travellers from China grew 24% to 134,400 in June, though still far below 2019 levels.
Vietnam currently offers e-visas to citizens of 80 countries and territories and citizens of 25 countries can travel to Vietnam without having to apply for a visa, with visitors allowed to stay between 14 and 30 days on average. Currently, Indian tourists visiting Vietnam get electronic tourists visa only for 30 days with one single entry into the country. The same cannot be extended for long stays. The visa reforms will open doors for tourists to stay longer in Vietnam and explore multiple regions of the country. The tourist visa costs USD 25 and visa processing time currently is 3-4 days.
For business purposes, the Vietnam business visa allows 90 days validity with single or multiple entry options. Indian business visitors are also allowed to get the visa on arrival option upon arrival in Vietnam.
Vietnam has received 4.6 million foreign visitors in first five months of 2023 with a target to receive 8 million visitors by the end of this year. The country is yet to reach its pre-pandemic visitor levels and aims full recovery by 2025.
