Vietnam e-visa for business travelers: how it works

Vietnam e-visa for business travelers is now an online option under a pilot that began on 1 February 2017. You apply on the Immigration Department's e-visa site, pay a fee online, and print the approval. This guide explains who can use it, what it costs, how long you may stay and what to check before you fly. It is general information, not legal advice.

Source: Vietnam News Agency report of 25 January 2017 on Decree 07/2017/ND-CP, as carried by My Hanoi.

What the e-visa is

An e-visa is a visa you request on a website instead of at an embassy. You fill in a form, upload what it asks for, and pay online. If the request is approved, you receive an approval you can print and show on arrival.

The scheme is a pilot. The Government set it up in Decree 07/2017/ND-CP, issued on 25 January 2017, and the pilot started on 1 February 2017. The decree does not require a letter of guarantee or invitation. A pilot can be changed or widened, so treat today's rules as the rules for now and check the official site before each trip.

For a business traveler, the main gain is time. You skip the trip to a consulate and the courier of your passport. You can apply from your desk.

Source: Vietnam News Agency report of 25 January 2017 on Decree 07/2017/ND-CP, as carried by My Hanoi.

Who can apply

The pilot covers citizens of 40 countries. It is not open to every passport. Check your own nationality on the official list before you plan around it. If your country is not listed, you still need the usual route, such as a visa approval letter and a visa from a Vietnamese embassy or consulate.

Some visitors do not need a visa at all because their country has a visa waiver with Vietnam. Look at that first. If you can enter without a visa for the days you need, the e-visa adds nothing.

Source: Vietnam News Agency report of 25 January 2017, as carried by My Hanoi; Wikipedia, Visa policy of Vietnam, version of 5 December 2017.

Fee, stay and entries

The fee is USD 25 per person. You pay it online when you apply. Keep the receipt.

The e-visa is for a single entry, with a stay of up to 30 days. That shape suits a short visit: a few meetings, a factory tour or a conference. It does not suit someone who will leave and come back several times in a month. A traveler who needs repeat entries should ask about a different visa.

• Fee: USD 25.
• Entries: single.
• Stay: up to 30 days.

Choose your entry and exit dates with care. The dates on the e-visa matter, and an error can cause trouble at the border.

Source: Wikipedia, Visa policy of Vietnam, version of 5 December 2017; Vietnam News Agency report of 25 January 2017, as carried by My Hanoi.

Where you can enter

An e-visa is not accepted at every crossing. It is issued for entry and exit through the international border gates listed in Appendix II of the decree. Read that list yourself and match it to your flight or road route.

If you plan to arrive at a gate that is not on the list, use another visa route.

Source: Vietnam News Agency report of 25 January 2017, as carried by My Hanoi.

How to apply

1. Open the official government site. In January 2017 the Immigration Department named xuatnhapcanh.gov.vn and immigration.gov.vn for applications.
2. Fill in the form with your details exactly as they appear in your passport.
3. Upload the files the form asks for.
4. Pay the fee online and save the receipt.
5. Wait for the result. The department said processing takes 3 days.
6. Print the approval and carry it with your passport.

Apply early. Processing takes about 3 days, and a typo can cost you time. The fee set for the pilot is USD 25.

Source: Vietnam News Agency report of 25 January 2017, as carried by My Hanoi.

Business activity and next steps

A visa lets you enter. It does not by itself give you the right to work in Vietnam. A short visit for meetings, talks and site visits is one thing. Taking up paid work or staying to run a project is another, and it brings work permit and residence rules. If your plans go beyond a short visit, speak to a Vietnamese lawyer or your sponsor before you travel.

Before you book, run through this short check:

• Is your nationality on the e-visa list?
• Does one trip of 30 days or less cover your plans?
• Is your entry gate on the decree's list?

If you answer yes to all three, the e-visa can save you days of paperwork. If not, use the embassy route and allow more time.

Source: Vietnam News Agency report of 25 January 2017, as carried by My Hanoi.

Sources

• Vietnam News Agency, "Vietnam to begin granting e-visa in February", 25 January 2017: myhanoi.info/2017/01/vietnam-to-begin-granting-e-visa-in-february/.
• Wikipedia, Visa policy of Vietnam, version of 5 December 2017 (e-visa section).