crellston

Just looking into getting a visa for our May visit to Vietnam and thought I would check out the current situation. The Vietnamese government have introduced a new eVisa service for citizens of quite a few countries including the UK and US but not Australia or New Zealand??

I checked on TA and it seems there have been a few glitchs with using the website and with immigration officials not knowing what to do when people arrived with the new eVisa - par for the course! Apparently the process is improving and going more smoothly

It seems the only visa available is a 30 day single entry visa for which the charge is $25.

I wil probably use this service in the next few weeks and will report back but if anyone tries it in the meantime it would be good to know how it goes.

The website https://immigration.gov.vn

khtodd

I am curious about this - my wife and I will be heading back to Vietnam in late June/early July from the US. In the past, we've gotten our visas in advance at the consulate in NY (it's only a few blocks away from us) so we could avoid the VOA line that I gather can be quite long in HCMC.

The visa in advance is painless - fill out the form online, then print it out, attach a photo, drop it off and then pick it up 3 days later... then, head directly to immigration off the plane. But, I just called the consulate, and the price is now $80....

I can't seem to find much information about this new eVisa service. With it, do you still need to go to the VOA desk? Logically, it shouldn't be necessary as you have already paid the US$25 stamping fee (for a 30 day single entry tourist) - but it doesn't say, explicitly, what happens...

I'd love to hear how it goes!

lizcdn2

Hi - I used the online Vietnam E-Visa service when I went to Vietnam in January and it was very convenient. The fee was $80US for a 30 day tourist visa, including a $25 fast check-in fee because I was arriving in HCMC at midnight and didn't want to wind up in a long line at that hour. I filled out the application on-line, paid using my credit card and then just had to bring a copy of the paperwork with me. I even forgot to bring a passport photo, but they had a photo taking service at the airport that operates 24/7 and was very reasonably priced. A person met me at the customs desk and took care of all of the details for me and I was on my way within less than 10 minutes. Awesome service!

crellston

Khtodd. I am about too bit the bullet and apply for our visas this weekend for our arrival I late may. Will let you know how it goes.

Apparently you just print off your eVisa and go straight to immigration, no photo, no payment.

I think the process referred to by lizcdn2 is the VOA process.

There is a recent thread here https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/ShowTo...Minh_City.html

I think one or two people reported issue checking in with certain airlines who didn't recognise the ne eVisa but those shoul all be sorted by now. I had a similar problems whe I was one of the first to use the 15 day visa free option for EU citizens a coupe of years ago but got through in the end

khtodd

crellston - I agree - lizcdn2 must have been talking about the VOA since the eVisa wasn't instituted until February. I had also heard about airlines not recognizing the eVisa, so I called the EVA office in NY (my typical goto airline to Asia) and the agent assured me that everyone at the airport knows all about the eVisa and won't give me a problem.

I was a bit nervous that I'd have to wait on the VOA line with the eVisa, but it does seem that once you get it, you go straight through to passport control - I just wish they explicitly said that on the eVisa site....

I was planning on applying for my eVisa this weekend also... I'll post my findings as well.

crellston

Just completed the process of applying for eVisas. The whole process, for two visas, took around 20 mins in total. All pretty straightforward. Payment of the visa fee of $25 US (plus 96 cents admin fee!) was done via payoo.vn using a credit card.

The process required uploading a passport photo and a photo of the detail page of the passport. Had a few problems loading one of the photos but this was remedied by reducing the file size - it should be < 1028kb .

Immediately on submitting the payment I got an email confirming payment and that the order was being processed. The visas should be issued within three days and rather than emailing them to me I have to check on the site using the code provided and then print off the visa.

khtodd

I just did it too... very easy. I just hope it's accepted just as easily at immigration! My one big fear is having to stand on the VOA line when I have to go through immigration, get bags, then go to the other terminal, re-check in bags on the local airline, to make a connection.

Hopefully, you'll report back from your experience at the airport in May before I leave for my trip at the end of June! haha!

crellston

I will make a point of reporting back!

crellston

Our visas were approved this morning, around 36 hours after applying. A quick, painless and cheap process!

khtodd

Yes, ours were approved yesterday also. Now, hopefully there will be no problems at immigration trying to use them!

Governator

I'm confused.

Is the site listed in this thread the official site,

https://immigration.gov.vn

or is this the official site?

https://visa.mofa.gov.vn/_layouts/re...ationForm.aspx

The first site has a fee of $25 is that a service fee on top of the Visa fee?

The second site doesn't show a fee.

What is the fee, coming from U.S. ?

crellston

https://immigration.gov.vn/ , the site that I originally listed, is the correct official government site. The visa fee is $25 (US) plus 95 cents admin fee.

This is the fee for a single entry 30 day visa which applie to US passport holders and any other nationality listed on that site. There is nothing further to pay on arrival.

No idea what the second site you posted is! Probably a fake site, of which there are many in Vietnam.

Hnh6

The 2nd website is where you fill out the application to be printed and snail-mailed to the consulate. It is how it used to be done before eVisa came along. If you are doing the old method, then just email the various consulates asking them for the fee amount. Then send your application to the one that actually replies. But the eVisa seems so much cheaper, unless you want to stay longer than 30 days.

crellston

We arrived in Ho Chi Minh City yesterday evening using the eVisa sourced as above. The process was exceptional smooth and we were through immigration far quicker than just about any other Asian airport I can recall!

We produced our eVisa letter and passports at the immigration counter (approx 30 kiosks open, many with queues of less than 5 people) . The whole process took less than 5 mins. There seemed to be quite a queue at the "VOA" counter to pay stomping fees etc.

Kathie

Thanks for reporting back, Crellston. The new eVisa does sound much easier and more efficient.

jacketwatch

And a lot more reasonable too.

Thank you Crellston.

khtodd

Thanks for the report crellston - I hope to get the same treatment when we get there at the end of June! Have a great trip!

khtodd

Yes, we had a great experience with the new EVisa system... I imagine that over time, it will put the VOA companies out of business - or at least they'll stop dealing with VOAs...

ThuN

Thank you Crellston and Khtodd for all the information about EVISA for Vietnam. Do we need to bring the passport photo with us? and the photo is 2X2 US standard passport size is it OK?

crellston

No you don't need to bring a photo.