Any foreigner or overseas Vietnamese wishing to visit Vietnam must fill out one 1 entry visa application form. The paperwork must be sent to a Vietnamese diplomatic representative office (the embassies), or consulate general of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, in the most convenient country.

This rule may not be applied for citizens of countries with which Vietnam has bilateral agreements for visa exemption. (Please contact the Embassy of Vietnam for more information)

You can go to the Vietnam embassy of your country, or if you are in a hurry, get a visa from a travel agency. For student visas, you can contact local universities. They will handle the procedure to get you a student visa.

REQUIREMENT and PROCEDURE

• Passport of at least 6 months valid.

• Visa application form.

• 2 to 3 of 4*6 inch photo 

• Visa fee: in a range of 50 - 85US$ if applied directly to Embassy or 25-45 US$ if your visa has been pre-approved. This fee depend on Embassy and Type of visa.

The visa application form may vary from Embassy to Embassy, so you need to take the form from Embassy where you will get the visa. Submit this form filled with your original passport, 2 or 3 photo, visa fee. If you apply directly to Embassy, your information then be sent to Hanoi for approval, so it take about 4 to 10 days (depend on the country you apply). In case, the Visa is approved at Immigration Office in Hanoi, it take you only one day.

TOURIST VISA 

The tourist visa is only for single entry and one month stay, but extendable after you enter Vietnam. Diplomatic, Official visas, Business and other type of visa should be applied through the official agencies or government or business sponsor. 

STUDENT VISA

They can be obtained after entering the country with a tourism visa if you ask the university where you take your classes. In this case, you will have to pay tuition in advance and attend classes for a minimum of 10 hours each week.

VISA EXTENSION

Visa extension costs about US$30 but you should probably go to the trave agent to get this taken care of - trying extending your visa through a Vietnamese embassy will probably be more truoble than it's worth.

CUSTOM

• All visitors to Vietnam should fill in declaration forms and show their luggage to Customs officials on request.
• Luggage, personal possessions and goods brought to Vietnam in amounts sufficient for personal use only, and not listed among noncommercial goods not to be imported, are exempt from tax.
• Travelers' luggage as declared at Customs offices on arrival must be shown again at Customs when leaving Vietnam, except for articles which have been consumed or given as gifts.
• Visitors to Vietnam can bring with them unlimited amounts of foreign currency, objects made of gold, silver, precious metals and gemstones or plated with silver or gold, but these must be declared in detail on their customs forms. Travelers can change their money for Vietnamese dong (VND) at the banks, hotels and jewelry shops throughout the country. Foreign currency must be changed into Vietnamese dong for shopping.
• Travelers can take with them unlimited amounts of souvenirs bought with receipts.