Vietnam to increase visa cost for Americans
Aug 30th, 2016, 07:47 AM
#21
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I'm going to have 20 hours layover at Noi Bae airport on December 27. I was planning on getting a VOA and visit the Old Quarter in Hanoi. I even reserved a hotel already, good thing I can cancel the reservation without any fee. I not going to pay that much money just for 1 day of food and sight-seeing. I'll just hang out at the airport or get on an earlier flight. Bye Vietnam, nice not knowing you.
Aug 30th, 2016, 10:37 AM
#22
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Maybe if everyone here cancelling or changing their Vietnam travel plans emails the Vietnam Embassy or puts a message on their FB page Vietnam will get the message and reverse this policy. I don't think they thought through the unintended consequences of increasing the visa fees. In every country where they have waived the visa fee entirely visitors from those 15 countries have increased substantially. remember, whatever is taxed more you get less of. Applies here to travel. I had been avoiding Argentina and Chile due to the high reciprocity fees but now that those fees are gone I am planning a vacation to Patagonia for 2017.
Aug 30th, 2016, 02:20 PM
#23
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Maybe it is the US State department to whom you should be addressing your concerns, rather than the Vietnamese. After all they just seem to be charging Americans what the Americans are charging the Vietnamese. It seems from the links provided above that this was done with their agreement. It may even have been done at ambassador level and just maybe, he has overstepped his authority?
Aug 30th, 2016, 05:39 PM
#25
kureiff - I admit I never really got the chance to sit down and pull one together. Got back, got busy with the business and when I sit down to relax with the forums, I get maybe 20 minutes at a time - if I ignore the pile of other stuff for awhile.
I have tried to answer a few questions though if I think anything applies.
But we were not good sightseers.
We wandered aimlessly around Hanoi instead of going to Halong. Ended up at a annual festival at a temple that didn't seem to draw any tourists and saw women wrestling. Got in water fights with the locals in Luang Prabang and ate street food off carts and most every thing was closed for Lao New Year, so not many restaurants to recommend. Thought HoiAn was pretty but really touristy. Spent a part of the time hanging around in the country, having brekkie with the family of a waitress of one of the restaurants in town. (daughter loved her first motorbike ride).
Fun... but I wasn't sure it was very useful stuff we did, generally speaking! And since I wasn't finding enough time to sit down and focus, I just sort of left it, I guess.
I have tried to answer a few questions though if I think anything applies.
But we were not good sightseers.
We wandered aimlessly around Hanoi instead of going to Halong. Ended up at a annual festival at a temple that didn't seem to draw any tourists and saw women wrestling. Got in water fights with the locals in Luang Prabang and ate street food off carts and most every thing was closed for Lao New Year, so not many restaurants to recommend. Thought HoiAn was pretty but really touristy. Spent a part of the time hanging around in the country, having brekkie with the family of a waitress of one of the restaurants in town. (daughter loved her first motorbike ride).
Fun... but I wasn't sure it was very useful stuff we did, generally speaking! And since I wasn't finding enough time to sit down and focus, I just sort of left it, I guess.
Aug 30th, 2016, 08:42 PM
#27
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Maybe VN wants more Chinese visitors and fewer Americans.
I paid US$180 for a 10 year, multiple entry, 60 days per, Chinese visa just 3 months ago.
Could be though that USA retirees could live in VN now, year at a time, without visa runs or VN govt admin headaches.
I paid US$180 for a 10 year, multiple entry, 60 days per, Chinese visa just 3 months ago.
Could be though that USA retirees could live in VN now, year at a time, without visa runs or VN govt admin headaches.
Aug 31st, 2016, 09:30 AM
#28
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CC, thanks! We're not always very good sightseers, either. We like to walk around a lot. But we're not always good at checking off the things to see.
I'm feeling kind of at a loss for spring break ideas. We live in Montana, and I start to need a break from winter by March. This sounded like a somewhat affordable option (combined with some FF miles), but the visa costs are putting it out of my price range.
I'm feeling kind of at a loss for spring break ideas. We live in Montana, and I start to need a break from winter by March. This sounded like a somewhat affordable option (combined with some FF miles), but the visa costs are putting it out of my price range.
Sep 1st, 2016, 10:00 AM
#31
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clive: The US has been charging high visa fees to Vietnamese for years. The cost for the short term VOA stamping fee has been $25 for the last few years. So I don't think reciprocity is the issue. There must be some political reason why Vietnam wants to discourage visits by US citizens, which they have by increasing the cost of a visa five fold overnight with no warning. Obama visited Vietnam in May, encouraging closer ties between the US and Vietnam, encouraging more business and tourism. The whole deal has just collapsed.
I emailed the US Ambassador to Vietnam and have received no reply. Perhaps he's in on the whole money grabbing scheme and has been promised a kick back from the higher fees.
I emailed the US Ambassador to Vietnam and have received no reply. Perhaps he's in on the whole money grabbing scheme and has been promised a kick back from the higher fees.
Sep 1st, 2016, 11:57 AM
#32
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On the San Francisco Consulate web page they have posted the new visa rules:
http://www.vietnamconsulate-sf.org/e...ervices/visas/
Some asked and was told the cost is $185 from SF. Too get the visa from Washington costs either $220 or $240. Either way, that's a deal breaker for me.
http://www.vietnamconsulate-sf.org/e...ervices/visas/
Some asked and was told the cost is $185 from SF. Too get the visa from Washington costs either $220 or $240. Either way, that's a deal breaker for me.
Sep 2nd, 2016, 08:48 AM
#34
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Wow. I called the embassy in DC and consulates in SFO, LA, NYC and Houston and was not able to speak to anyone. I was transferred multiple times to non working numbers and mail boxes that were full. Reminds me of the BLS fiasco for Indian visa apps a few yrs. ago. Finally I called Travisa in Chicago. Yep, got quoted $249.00 for 1 yr. multi entry visa. I wonder what they are thinking. The visa fee is a lot but once there it's relatively cheap at least compared to say Japan, Simgapore or HK. Then again I suppose it's on a par with Cambodia, Laos or perhaps Malaysia or Indonesia. Did VN see increased numbers of US tourists and try to milk that? Hmm.
.
Sep 2nd, 2016, 11:01 AM
#38
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Not just UK passport holders though Kathie, but that 15 day visa exemption's not available at land crossings.
It's all swings and roundabouts though. China costs a UK passport holder £151, and you can only get a 2 year multi entry. That's a complete deal breaker for me. So some you win others you lose, but the world's a big place, just go somewhere else.
Not trying to teach grannie, but a lot of visa fees reflect the amount of work involved in processing an application. I'm not suggesting there's anything other than the minimal work needed to process a US into Vietnam, but it's about reciprocity there must be a reason.
I didn't like paying for a US ESTA when all I was doing was doing an internatonal transit at Houston, but when there is no option what do you do? Either buy it or don't travel.
C'est la vie.
It's all swings and roundabouts though. China costs a UK passport holder £151, and you can only get a 2 year multi entry. That's a complete deal breaker for me. So some you win others you lose, but the world's a big place, just go somewhere else.
Not trying to teach grannie, but a lot of visa fees reflect the amount of work involved in processing an application. I'm not suggesting there's anything other than the minimal work needed to process a US into Vietnam, but it's about reciprocity there must be a reason.
I didn't like paying for a US ESTA when all I was doing was doing an internatonal transit at Houston, but when there is no option what do you do? Either buy it or don't travel.
C'est la vie.
