Paulo59

Does anyone know what documents besides your passport and the application form you need to send in to get your Vietnamese VISA? Do you need to send flight itinerary and hotel info?
Also, what is the current fee in the U.S. ? When I click on the fee page on their website it is blank.

And how much in advance can you get it? In other words does it expire like many others within 90 days of issue?

Thanks.

Bisbee

You'll also need to send a passport photo. If you send an itinerary, you can request the dates your visa is issued based on the dates on your itinerary starts. The visa starts ticking from the issue date listed on the visa. They won't care what hotel you're staying at.

Last I remember the cost was around $65.

rhkkmk

i think it is two photos??

rhkkmk

i sent mine in about a month to month and 1/2 in advance....they are impossible to talk to on the telephone....don't they have a place in LA that you could go to??

Paulo59

Thanks. It's so odd but the website does not clearly say the fee and I have to give them a certified check and do it by mail... Offices are in SF and Washington.
So if anyone knows the exact fee that would be great.
I would think they would just stamp it the day they issue it and then I am stuck if my arrival date is beyond the acceptable time range. So knowing how long it's good for would help too. I'd like to get this all done in advance.
I'm a bit of a worry wart about VISA/Passport things ever since I screwed up on a trip to France eons ago when I did not find out until 3 days before I left that France was requiring VISAS that year. It took the Mayor of Boston interceding to get the VISA before I left. Luckily I had a connection that time.

Kathie

Paulo, the website has never given the price and their responsiveness to emails and phone calls is quite variable. I had good luck emailing the SF office, but others did not.

You need to tell the embassy/consulate what day you want your visa to start, and it is then valid for 30 days. So if you are arriving in VN october 1, ask that the visa start that day. By the way, if your visa starts October 1, you CANNOT enter before then, even on, say, Sept 30. When I got my visa, I asked for it to start the day before I expected to arrive, just in case.

Paulo59

Thanks Kathie. They have not responded to my email yet. It's been a week. But I will try again. BTW...it's just Paul...the O is part of my last name. Thanks again everyone.

Kathie

Paul, you might also try to call them.

JaneB

I just got one from Embassy in Washington. The price was $65--certified check. You need to print out the application from their web site, fill it out, mail it along with the check and TWO pictures and a return envelope. I got the "loose leaf" visa so I did not need to mail my passport. I received the visa within 10 days.

hartwickds

Why are you getting it in advance when you can just pay $25 at the airport upon arrival and provide them with 2 passport photos?

Kathie

hartwickds, there is no visa on arrival for VN. You must either have a visa in advance (as talked about in this post) or you must have a pre-arranged visa. You get a pre-arranged visa though an agency in VN (you must pay for this, of course), they send you an email confirmation which you must have even to board your flight to VN, and then you pay a $25 "stamping fee" at the airport.

Whoever told you you could just pay $25 on arrival for a VN visa was mistaken.

Paulo59

Thanks Jane.

Paulo59

Jane, forgot to ask did you include a copy of your flight tickets or just overall itinerary?

JaneB

I didn't include either--just followed the instructions on the Visa application form from Vietnam Embassy in Washington.

islandatty

We just applied last week in person at the vietnam consulate in NY. They charged us $75 plus a small fee for the priority mail return. They also scanned photos from our passports so we did not have to present those. If you are in NY, that is a convenient option.

Paulo59

Thanks islandratty. Did you need anything other than the $75, the application, passport photos and your passport?

Paulo59

Just an update. It was quite simple. I just did it all by mail through the SanFran Vietnam consulate. Just completed their one page VISA application and included the check for $65 and a return express mail envelope. They processed it quickly. I had it back within one week. No other documents or info were required.

travelmom13

Paul-

did you have to send in your actual passport to the SF branch to get your visa? I live 45 min from SF and would rather not go in person...but just mail it instead. However, sending in my passport scares me!

I have about 1.5 months before we leave. What do you think?

Thanks

Craig

tm13 - They attach the visa to your passport so you have to mail (or bring) it in.

We are also going to Vietnam - 2-1/2 months from now.

zinfanatic

My husband and I just applied in person for a Vietnamese Visa in SF. After trying for several days to reach them by phone to find out the price, I reached them the day before we had planned to go in. I was told that a DOUBLE ENTRY VISA was $95 per person. I had a cashiers check [required] made out for that amount x 2 only to be told ,when we arrived,that the visa was $115 per person. I then told the clerk that we were told just the day before that the fee was $95! She said "ok" and gave us the receipt and we picked our visas up three days later.
Two points- evidentally the fees have gone up in 2009 and their employees were not giving the correct information!