Vietnam considers introducing visas on arrival

Recently, Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh urged relevant agencies to prioritize measures to boost tourism in Vietnam. In order to boost tourism, the PM is considering introducing visas on arrival and extending the period of stay to 36 months with the possibility of multiple entries. Now, tourists from 13 countries can enter without a visa for up to 45 days. They are Belarus, the UK, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Germany, Italy, Japan, Norway, Russia, Spain, Sweden, South Korea and the UK. From August 2023, Vietnam will introduce e-visas for citizens of all countries, extending their stay from 30 to 90 days with the possibility of multiple entries. In addition, citizens of countries granted unilateral visa exemptions now benefit from extended stays in Vietnam, increasing from 15 to 45 days.

According to local media reports, the Tourism Board has analyzed the criteria for expanding the list of countries that benefit from visa-free travel in Vietnam. These criteria include a significant number of foreign tourists with growth potential, the possibility of high spending and more. As a result, 33 more countries are now visa-free, including the remaining 20 EU countries (Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Croatia, and the Czech Republic), as well as Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Israel, Kuwait, New Zealand, Israel, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Switzerland, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, and the United States.

Discussions are underway on the possibility of introducing short-term visa exemptions (6 to 12 months) for tourists from high-spending countries, as well as experimenting with long-term multiple-entry visas (12 to 36 months). These measures are seen as a way to attract premium travelers, especially wealthy retirees from key regions such as Europe, Northeast Asia, North America, India and certain Middle Eastern countries.