What is an entry visa? What is an e-visa? Visa application guide for foreigners: documents and procedures for visa application. Visa exemption for foreigners.
Learn about entry visas for foreigners
1. What is a visa? What is a visa? What is an e-visa?
Entry visa (also known as entry visa) is a type of document issued by a competent authority of Vietnam, allowing foreigners to enter Vietnam for the purpose of tourism, investment, visiting relatives, etc.
Currently, according to the law, in addition to the form of visa issuance directly at the competent authority, entry visas are also issued online, also known as electronic visa registration (E-visa) at the Vietnam Immigration Electronic Information Portal.
2. Types of visas to enter Vietnam for foreigners
According to the Vietnam Immigration Law, there are 21 types of entry visas, typically: NG1, NG2, LV1, LV2, DT, LS, DN, NN…
There are many ways to classify visas, but if classified by purpose of entry, they include the following types:
- Tourist Visa (DL);
- Student Visa (DH);
- Electronic Visa (EV);
- Visiting visa (VR, TT);
- Diplomatic visa (NG1, NG2, NG3);
- Investment visa (DT1, DT2, DT3, DT4);
- Work and business visas (LD1, LD2, DN…).
3. Visa validity/entry visa
The duration of entry visas for foreigners ranges from 1 month to 5 years, depending on the type of registration, for example:
- Tourist visa not exceeding 3 months;
- Visiting visa for a period of less than 6 months or no more than 12 months;
- Investment visa for less than 5 years…
If foreigners plan to work or study in Vietnam for a long time, they should consider applying for a temporary residence card (long-term visa) from the beginning to avoid having to renew their visa multiple times later.
You can read more in the article “Distinguishing and comparing visas and temporary residence cards for foreigners” to better understand the difference between short-term visas (visas) and long-term visas (temporary residence cards), or other information such as:
>> Regulations on temporary residence cards for foreigners;
>> Visa extension procedures for foreigners.
Application for entry visa for foreigners – Download form
To apply for a visa for a foreigner, the agency, organization or individual inviting or sponsoring a foreigner to enter Vietnam needs to prepare the following 2 sets of documents:
- Application for entry guarantee letter for foreigners;
- Visa application for foreigners.
Details of each profile are as follows:
1. Application for entry guarantee letter for foreigners
An entry guarantee letter for foreigners (entry letter) is a document allowing foreigners to enter Vietnam.
To put it simply, to enter Vietnam, foreigners must have an entry visa. And to have an entry visa, foreigners need an entry permit.
Note:
Foreigners in the following cases do not need an entry permit:
- Valid temporary/permanent residence card;
- Valid 5-year visa exemption certificate;
- Valid multiple entry Vietnam visa;
- Foreigners who apply for NG1, NG2, NG3, NG4 visas;
- Foreigners entering Vietnam with Vietnam electronic visa (E-visa);
- Foreigners entering Vietnam under unilateral or bilateral visa exemption;
- APEC card is still valid and shows Vietnam as one of the countries allowed to enter for work.
Depending on each case, the application for entry visa to Vietnam will be different. Specifically as follows:
➤ In case an organization or agency invites or sponsors a foreigner to enter the country
For this case, the file will include the following components:
Details of the application for entry permit for foreigners include:
- Official dispatch requesting review and inspection of foreign personnel entering the country – form NA2 (*);
- Notarized copy of foreigner’s passport;
- Notarized copy of business registration certificate/investment certificate;
- Document introducing the seal and signature of the authorized person of the organization – form number NA16;
- Flight information on entry: flight number, itinerary and international port of entry;
- Letter of introduction with ID card/CCCD/passport of the person sent by the organization or agency to do procedures at the immigration office.
FREE DOWNLOAD:
>> Form NA2 – Official dispatch requesting review and inspection of foreign personnel entering the country;
>> Form NA16 – Document introducing the seal and signature of the authorized person of the organization.
(*): The official dispatch must clearly state that the place to receive the visa is the Vietnamese Embassy or Consulate abroad or at the international border gate of Vietnam.
➤ In case Vietnamese citizens or foreigners with permanent/temporary residence cards in Vietnam sponsor relatives to enter the country
In this case, relatives need to prepare documents with the following papers:
Profile details include:
- Application for sponsorship of foreign relatives to enter the country – form NA3;
- Notarized copy of passport of foreigners needing to enter Vietnam;
- Notarized copy of permanent/temporary residence card if the sponsor is a foreigner;
- Notarized copy of ID card/CCCD/passport if the sponsor is a Vietnamese citizen;
- Documents proving family relationships such as: birth certificate, marriage certificate…
>> FREE DOWNLOAD: Form NA3 – Application for sponsorship of foreign relatives.
2. Visa application for foreigners
Depending on the purpose of the foreigner applying for a visa to Vietnam, the visa application will be regulated differently. However, the application will basically include the following documents:
Details of the application documents for entry visa for foreigners include:
- Vietnam visa application form – form NA1;
- Entry permit for foreigners;
- Passport (valid for at least 6 months) or international travel document;
- Documents proving the purpose of entry of foreigners according to regulations (documents proving investment, work permit, etc.).
>> FREE DOWNLOAD: Form NA1 – Visa application form for foreigners.
Procedures for applying for entry visa for foreigners
There are 2 ways to apply for an entry visa for foreigners to enter Vietnam:
- Method 1: Apply for an entry visa for foreigners by submitting the application directly to the Immigration Department;
- Method 2: Register for an online visa for foreigners (electronic visa).
Online Accounting will guide you in detail on each visa application method for your easy reference and implementation.
1. Procedures for applying for entry visa for foreigners in person
The process of applying for an entry visa for foreigners by submitting an application directly includes the following steps:
Step 1: Apply for a letter of guarantee for entry for foreigners
➤ Prepare documents
Depending on the case where the foreigner is sponsored by an agency, organization or relative, you prepare a corresponding set of documents as fdiinvietnam.com shared in the section “Application for issuance of an entry sponsorship letter for foreigners”.
➤ Agency receiving documents
You submit your application at one of the two headquarters of the Immigration Department – Ministry of Public Security:
- In Hanoi: 44-46 Tran Phu Street, Ba Dinh, Hanoi;
- In Ho Chi Minh City: 333-335-337 Nguyen Trai, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City.
Note: Currently, Da Nang does not accept visa applications. If needed, you must submit your visa application in Hanoi.
➤ Time limit for processing procedures
- No more than 5 working days: For foreigners receiving visas at Vietnamese Embassy/Consulates abroad;
- No more than 3 working days: For foreigners receiving visas at international border gates (*);
- Within 12 hours: Applicable in case a foreigner attends a funeral of a relative or a seriously ill relative or enters Vietnam to handle an emergency as prescribed.
➤ Results received:
- Entry approval letter from the Vietnam Immigration Department;
- The Immigration Department notifies the Vietnamese Embassy/Consulate abroad or the immigration management agency at the border gates about allowing foreigners to enter the country.
(*) In this case, the sponsoring agency or individual must send an entry permit via email in advance for the foreigner to present at the international border gate.
Step 2: Submit visa application
➤ In case of applying for a Vietnamese visa abroad
- After receiving the official letter approving the entry of a foreigner, the organization or individual inviting or sponsoring the foreigner to enter Vietnam shall notify the foreigner to go to the Vietnamese Embassy/Consulate abroad to apply for a visa;
- Time limit for processing application: Within 3 working days from the date of receiving notification from the immigration authority, the Vietnamese Embassy/Consulate abroad will issue visa to foreigners.
➤ In case of applying for a visa at an international border gate
Foreigners submit visa applications at international border gates and pay the prescribed fees. For details on the application components, please refer to the section “Application for visa for foreigners”.
After receiving the application, the immigration control unit will check and compare it with the notification of the immigration authority and issue a visa right at the international border gate if the application is valid.
2. Procedures for applying for an online visa for foreigners (electronic visa)
In addition to applying for a visa directly, foreigners can also apply for an online visa, also known as an electronic visa (E-visa).
Details of the steps to register for an electronic visa for foreigners entering Vietnam are as follows:
➤ Step 1 : Access the electronic visa information page at the Vietnam Immigration Portal;
- After logging in, foreigners upload portrait photos, passport personal information pages and enter the required information;
- After completing the information entry step, the system will issue an electronic file code to the foreigner.
➤ Step 2: Pay the e-visa fee (25 USD/e-visa) after receiving the electronic application code;
➤ Step 3: Get results:
- Within 3 working days (from the date of receipt of complete information and fees), the immigration authority will notify the result;
- If the application is approved, foreigners use the electronic application code to check and print an electronic visa to enter Vietnam.
>> See more: Documents and procedures for granting temporary residence cards to foreigners.
4 conditions for granting entry visas to foreigners entering Vietnam
➤ Conditions for granting entry visas to foreigners entering Vietnam
To be granted a visa to enter Vietnam, foreigners must meet the following 4 conditions:
- Have a passport or valid international travel documents as prescribed;
- Not in the cases of not being allowed to enter the country according to the 2014 Immigration Law;
- Must have a sponsoring agency, organization or individual in Vietnam (except for those applying for NG1, NG2, NG3, NG4 visas);
- Documents proving the purpose of entry of foreigners (depending on each case), such as:
- Work permit as prescribed by the Labor Law if applying for a work visa;
- Documents proving investment as prescribed by the Investment Law if applying for an investment visa;
- Practice license according to the Law on Lawyers if applying for a lawyer practice visa;
- Acceptance letter from the school/educational institution in Vietnam if applying for a student visa…
➤ Form of visa issuance for entry
Currently, there are 3 forms of entry visa, including:
- Electronic visa (E-visa): Valid for one or more entries with a duration of no more than 90 days (*);
- Separate visas are only issued in the following 4 cases:
- International travel documents;
- Passport has run out of visa pages;
- For diplomatic, defense and security reasons;
- Passport of a country that has no diplomatic relations with Vietnam.
- Issued with passport (pasted directly onto each page of passport).
(*): The duration and number of entries will be clearly stated on the issued visa.
➤ Visa exemption for foreigners
Vietnam exempts entry visas for foreigners if they fall into one of the following 5 cases:
- According to international treaties of which Vietnam is a member;
- Use permanent and temporary residence cards according to the provisions of law;
- The Government decides to unilaterally exempt visas for a limited period of time for each country;
- Visa exemption for Vietnamese people residing abroad and their spouses and children (who are foreigners);
- Entering border economic zones, coastal economic zones decided by the Government when meeting sufficient conditions or special administrative-economic units.
>> See more: Procedures for applying for visa exemption for foreigners
Visa fees for foreigners
Pursuant to Circular No. 62/2023/TT-BTC amending and supplementing a number of articles of Circular 25/2021/TT-BTC (effective from October 3, 2023), visa fees for foreigners are prescribed as follows:
| STT | Visa type | Fees payable |
| 1 | Visa is valid for 1 time | 25 USD/piece |
| 2 | Multiple entry visa, valid for no more than 90 days | 50 USD/piece |
| 3 | Multiple entry visa, valid for 90 – 180 days | 95 USD/piece |
| 4 | Multiple entry visa, valid for over 180 days – 1 year | 135 USD/piece |
| 5 | Multiple entry visa, valid for 1 – 2 years | 145 USD/piece |
| 6 | Multiple entry visa, valid for 2 – 5 years | 155 USD/piece |
| 7 | Visa issued to people under 14 years old (regardless of duration) | 25 USD/piece |
Visa service for foreigners at fdiinvietnam.com
If you need to apply for a visa for foreigners to enter Vietnam, you can refer to the visa application service for foreigners of Online Accounting with a cost from 2,000,000 VND.
Within 5 – 7 working days, fdiinvietnam.com will complete all visa application procedures for foreigners on your behalf and deliver the results to your location upon request.
With a team of highly qualified staff with many years of experience, fdiinvietnam.com is committed to helping you get a visa in the shortest time without having to spend time or effort to learn or go to the competent authority to carry out the procedure.
To know more about visa services for foreigners, you can call the hotline below for free advice and support.
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Questions about visa application procedures for foreigners
1. What is an entry visa?
Vietnam entry visa (also known as entry visa) is a type of document issued by a competent authority of Vietnam, allowing foreigners to enter Vietnam for the purpose of tourism, investment, visiting relatives…
2. What documents are required to apply for a visa for foreigners?
Depending on the purpose of the foreigner applying for a visa to Vietnam, the visa application will be regulated differently. But basically, it includes documents such as: application form for a Vietnam visa, passport/valid international travel document, entry application letter for foreigners…
>> See details: Visa application for foreigners.
3. How long is the visa valid for?
Depending on the type of registration, the entry visa is valid from 1 month to 5 years (tourist visa not exceeding 3 months, family visit visa is valid for less than 6 months or not exceeding 12 months, investment visa is valid for less than 5 years…)
4. What is an E-visa?
E-visa is an electronic visa or electronic visa. E-visa is issued through electronic transactions at the Vietnam Immigration Electronic Portal.
You can see instructions on how to apply for an E-visa in the section “Online visa application procedures for foreigners”.
5. Procedures for applying for entry visa for foreigners to Vietnam?
There are 2 ways to apply for an entry visa for foreigners to enter Vietnam:
- Method 1: Apply for an entry visa for foreigners by submitting the application directly to the Immigration Department;
- Method 2: Register for an online visa for foreigners (electronic visa).
>> See details: Procedures for applying for entry visa for foreigners.