Five European Countries continue to enjoy Vietnam visa exemption till 2020
This is a good news for citizens from 5 European countries. At a press conference on May 3rd, the government has announced that visitors from Germany, Italy, Spain, France and the United Kingdom are continuously eligible to Vietnam visa exemption starting from July 1st, 2018 until 2020.
Thanks to the new visa policy, Vietnam has witnessed the jump in the number of European visitors from 720,000 tourists in 2015 to 1.5 million in 2017. Earlier this year, the HCM Tourism Association has formulated and submitted a proposal concerning the continuation of the visa exemption program. The proposal urged the government to extend the duration of visa exemption for five countries above to5-year period until 2023. It also suggested that citizens from Australia, New Zealand, Canada, India, Austria, Netherlands, and Belgium are subject to the removal of visa procedure.
The pilot program of visa exemption for citizens from those five countries was first launched in 2015 and ended in 2016. The program used to be renewed annually until the last attempt in May to extend the exemption period to 3 years. After the nod of Vietnamese government to this new policy, citizens from the five European countries can continue visiting Vietnam without visa requirements and enjoy the country’s landscapes and culture.
Still, Vietnam belongs to the list of countries with strict visa policy in Asia. The nation only offers visa exemption to citizens from 24 countries, including 9 ASEAN countries. Whereas their co-members in ASEAN have more open visa policies. Indonesia, for example, offers visa exemption to over 160 countries and Thailand grants visa-free for 61 countries. The extension of visa exemption policy is a new step of Vietnam government to raise the number of foreign tourists, thus enhancing the development of the tourism industry.
Vietnam government has also tried to relax its visa policy by the introduction of E-visa. Citizens from 46 countries are now eligible to apply for E-visa with a grant of maximum 30 days of stay and one single entry only. Visa on arrival with its convenience and easy procedure also a highlight in Vietnam visa policy.
In case you plan to visit Vietnam longer than your exemption validity, you should apply for a Vietnam visa. In which Vietnam visa on arrival is most recommended for travelers who take plane to Vietnam. Simply, you just need to submit your Vietnam visa request online, pay for service fee to get Vietnam visa approval letter, get on plane, fly into Vietnam and stamp your Vietnam visa at Vietnam airport.
Some notices about Vietnamvisa exemption
- Citizens from Belarus, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Norway, Russia, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, and United Kingdom are not allowed to issue two visa-free visits in a row. A minimum gap of 30 days between two visits is required. Visitors must also present their onward ticket.
- Visa exemption is only available for British citizens in the United Kingdom.
- Citizens of North Korea, China, and Cuba with passports for public affairs are subject to visa exemption.
- Citizens with diplomatic or official passports of Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Angola, Argentina, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Belarus, Brazil, Bulgaria, Chile, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Côte d'Ivoire, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, France, Germany, Hungary, India, Iraq, Italy, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Mexico, Moldova, Mongolia, Montenegro, Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar, Nicaragua, North Korea, Pakistan, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Seychelles, Singapore, Slovenia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Tanzania, Tunisia, Turkey, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, Uruguay, Venezuela, and holders of diplomatic passports only of Czech Republic, Estonia, Israel, Malta, Poland, Slovakia, Switzerland and Uzbekistan are granted with visa exemption.
- Citizens with diplomatic and service passports from Bolivia, Namibia, and Cameroon do not need a visa, however, the effective date is not yet decided.
- All foreign visitors and Vietnamese citizens with foreign passports do not require a visa to visit Phu Quoc Island. Visitors can stay less than 30 days if they present a valid passport for the next 6 months and a round-trip air ticket to and from Phu Quoc/ Vietnam. The onward destination must be a different country. Visitors must come to Phu Quoc directly from airports in Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh or a third country. At the moment, Phu Quoc remains the only island in Vietnam granting visa exemption for all nationalities.
For any questions about Vietnam visa exemption or any other assistance for your holiday in Vietnam, feel free to share with us at:
Website: Vietnamvisavoa.com
Email: support@vietnamvisavoa.com
Phone: +84969255515(whatsapp)
