Vietnam visa
 

We are going to Vietnam in January on a tour & just received information about obtaining our visas. The tour company uses a company called GenVisa & the cost is $402 for 2 people. That sounds exorbitant to us. What advice does anyone have about obtaining a visa for Vietnam. We will need one for multiple visits because we go to Cambodia in the middle of our tour. Thanks.

That is exorbitant! Why not get the visa yourselves from your nearest VN Embassy or Consulate? A multi-entry visa should still be under US$100 per person.

A total rip off. If that is what the tour operators are suggesting I would think about using another company. We used https://www.instantvietnamvisa.com/ a couple of times for our visa approval letters. The cost was around $30 for two plus the stamping fees on arrival. Our multiple entry fees are a little more expensive as are the stamping fees ( I Think the SF ISPs around $ 40 but it is all on the link I provided. Usually works out cheaper than a local embassy but it does vary by location. An added bonus is that you don't have to part with you passports for a week or so - always a risk IMO.

crellston, did you have any trouble getting multi-entry visas via your link? Someone here reported not being able to get a multiple entry visa via the approval letter route.

One other question for the OP - will you be returning to VN by air or via a land/water border? Right now, the visa approval letters are not valid at land and water borders, only at airports.

fyi.. crellston is from UK.. maybe different rules..

i am going in nov and have done a visa on arrival which also includes being met at the plane, escorted to VOA, and waiting while their rep does the added paperwork--- all for way less.

There is no embassy or consulate nearby. Does this have to be done in person?
I did check & we will be entering Vietnam in Ho Chi Minh City by air & then will fly from Siem Reap to Hanoi, so that would probably make us eligible for the VOA. rhkkmk, what did you do for the visa on arrival?

If you are a US citizen, a multiple entry visa from the Vietnamese Embassy (without using GenVisa) is $150 per person or $300 for 2 people. Why not just get it yourself and save the GenVisa fee. For my Jan. trip, I am applying for a looseleaf visa since I do not want to send them my passport.

Is a looseleaf visa less expensive & can you get it from the Vietnamese Embassy, also?

We got our multiple entry visa approval letter for visa on arrival from vietnamvisapro.com. I emailed them because a 1 month multiple entry didn't show on the website. We paid $20 pp for a private letter. It took 2 days.

I'm with the last poster [iamles], and reommend doing it all online with vietnamvisapro.com

Very straightforward, and regularly recommended on Trip Advisor by reiable posters.

Doing it through a Vietnamese Embassy or Consulate is always more expensive, and if you have to deal with the postal system you risk losing your passport.

crellston is from the UK - maybe different rules. The only difference is that from 15 July , UK and a number of other countries do not need visa for stays of 15 days or less.

No probably re multiple entry visas, the rules are very straightforward. The organisation I linked to above charge $18.40 pp. the stamping fee paid on arrival ( IN USD CASH) is $65 for 29 days or less or $95 for 30 - 90 days.

NB an extract re choosing the timing correctly
"f you arrive ON the day stated on your approval letter, you will pay a $95 stamping fee. But if you arrive AFTER the day stated on your approval letter, you will only pay $65, as your stay is less than 29 days. For example; Multiple Entry for 01 month – Entry 10th July 2013 – Expiry 10th August 2013. You arrive on 10th July 2013, you will pay $95 for stamping fee. But if you arrive on 11th July 2013, you will only pay $65 as your visa will start on 11th July to 10th August 2013 (stay less than 29 days)."

On this basis two people would get multiple entry one month visas for a total of $166.80. Approx half the figure quoted by shelleyk . It is a really simple and quick process and is the cheapest way to go.

There are many operators offering this service. We have used instanvietnam is twice in the last year and were very pleased. We got the letters within 48 hours. Vietnamvisapro also seems to have yielded good service.

I did meet several people who had got there visas free via there hotel or ta and only paid the stamping fee. Personally, I prefer to take control.

donnap-A looseleaf visa is the same price as a regular visa. You just do not have to send them your passport, only a copy of the first page of your passport. If I were on a tour, I would be hesitant to rely on getting a visa stamped upon entry to Vietnam. If the tour company is doing a group transfer to your hotel, they might not want to wait while you wait to have your visa stamped at the airport. You never know how long that might take. Just a thought.

i went on line and just followed the steps outlined.. it was very simple and the approval came in one day

crellston, very interesting info on the stamping fees. Thanks.

I went to Vietnam a few years back and remember paying somewhere around $100 for a multi-entry tourist visa. You do not need to visit the embassy/consulate in person - or at least I didn't. Rules could have changed.

I used CIBT cibtvisas.com and the process was fairly straightforward. You just mail in your passport, paperwork, and fee and they do the rest. Just make sure you start the process with enough time before your trip or you end up paying rush charges!

The VERY latest...

http://www.thanhniennews.com/travel/...ism-52402.html

Certainly that is good news for those getting their visas from VN embassies and consulates. I expect that the visa approval letter and stamping fees will have to be reduced to remain competitive.

Arrived in Hanoi a couple of ago. As we are UK citizens we, along with citizens of Germany, France, Italy and Spain no longer require visas for stays if less than 15 days. The airport reconstruction seems to have been completed and the arrivals process was quick and straightforward. The whole arrivals area has been improved and it is now a pleasure to arrive!

We just had to show our passport at the desk, get a stamp with out leaving date (no big sticker taking up a whole page) and off we went - 10 mins tops.

Even at the desk for paying the visa approval stamping fees had minimal queue. They really seem to have got their act together at last. I understand that this one year trial is likely to be extended to other countries as tourism numbers to Vitenam have been dropping over the last couple of years.

Word of warning: if using this option it is wise/ essential to have a flight out of the country booked. Air Asia in KL apparently didn't know of the change in the rules and had to make several calls to check that I was telling the truth that I didn't need a visa! They insisted on seeing a confirmation of a return flight which luckily I had on my iPad. That said the guy in Hanoi didn't even ask to see it!

Very interesting... thanks for the info, crellston.

Hey Crellston--a "from afar' welcome back to VN! Home a week, but I almost immediately came down with a stinking cold (20 hour plane and airport will do that!) and haven't had energy to write or do much.
BTW, had you stayedat the Metropole in Hanoi in the past? Or am delusional? It was the last place I stayed prior to leaving. It's fantastic!!!!!! A pleasant surprise, after seeing a few negative reviews here.So if you were considering a big splurge...enjoy!
Ok, enough piggybacking onto the visa question....