Visa procedure and customs

VISA

Most visitors to Vietnam need a visa to enter the country. Visas are exempted for the citizens of the countries, which have signed a bilateral or unilateral visa exemption agreement with Vietnam, tourist visa may be valid for 15 to 30 days.

Foreign-issued permanent residence certificate (PRC) with the validity of at least six months since the date of entrance. 

Visa exemption paper (VEP) is granted by Vietnamese appropriate authorities.

Citizens of Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia and Laos holding valid ordinary passports are exempt from visa requirements and are allowed to stay for not more than 30 days; Philippines is allowed to stay for not more than 21 days.

By February 2011, citizens of China, Kyrgyzstan, North Korea, and Rumaniaholding valid ordinary passports for official mission. Citizens of 60 countries holding valid diplomatic or official passports are exempt from visa requirements including:  Argentina, Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Belarus, Brazil, Brunei, Bulgaria, Cambodia, Chile, China, Croatia, Cuba, Czech Republic, Dominica, Ecuador, France, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Malaysia, Mexico, Moldova, Mongolia, Montenegro, Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar, Nicaragua, North Korea, Pakistan, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Singapore, Slovakia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sri Lanka, Switzerland, Thailand, Tunisia, Turkey, Ukraine, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Venezuela.

Visa with 30-day validity is exempted for officials from ASEAN secretariat holding different kinds of passports.

Citizens of Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland, Japan, South Korea and Russia holding different kinds of passports are exempt from visa requirements and are allowed to stay for not more than 15 days.

Tourist visa is valid in 30 days.

Visa is issued at the Vietnamese diplomatic offices or consulates in foreign countries. Visa is possibly issued at the border gates to those who have written invitations by a Vietnamese competent agencies or tourists in the tours organized by Vietnamese international travel companies.

Application files for visa: the entrance application (printed form); two 4x6 cm photos; passport and fee for the visa issuance.

Customs procedures in Vietnam are quick and simple. To enter and exit Vietnam, visitors are required to fulfill the entrance and exit procedures in the form (in Vietnamese or in English languages).

Luggage exceeds duty free concessions

Luggage sent before or after trips

Professional equipment temporarily imported and re-exported or vice versa;

Addictive medicines

Other medicines exceed 30 USD in value

Foreign currency exceeds 7,000 USD (seven thousand US dollars) or its equivalence other foreign currency, or over 15,000,000 VND (fifteen million Viet Nam Dong) in cash.

Visa exemption:

Vietnamese people that hold foreign passports and foreigners who are their husbands, wives and children are exempt from visa requirements to enter Vietnam and are allowed to stay for not more than 90 days. In order to be granted visa exemption certificates at Vietnamese representative offices abroad, overseas Vietnamese need conditions:

Those who expect to stay more than 90 days must apply for visa according to current stipulations before their entrance.

Bilateral visa exemption agreement

Unilateral visa exemption

Others who want to enter Vietnam must be provided with a visa.

Visa extension: Served by all international travel companies.

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CUSTOMS

Luggage of people on entry (including clothes, personal belongings with reasonable quantity in service of the trip's purpose) must be declared in case as follow:

* Goods prohibited to import: weapons, ammunition, explosives, military technical equipment, drugs, toxic chemicals, debauched and reactionary products, firecrackers of all kinds, toys with negative impacts on the dignity education, social security and safety, cigarettes beyond the stipulated quantity, etc.

* Goods prohibited to export: weapons, ammunition, explosives, military technical equipment, antiques, drugs, toxic chemicals, wild animals, rare and precious animals and plants, documents related to the national security, etc. A quantity over 300g of gold must be declared and be permitted by the State Bank.

* Duty free concessions for the baggage of arriving passengers:

- For liquor: Liquor at 22º and above: 1.5 litres; Liquor below 22º: 2.0 litres; Alcoholic beverage: 3.0 litres.

- For cigarettes and cigars: - Cigarettes: 400 pieces; - Cigar: 100 pieces; - Tobacco: 500 g

- For tea, coffee: - Tea: 5kg; Coffee: 3kg

- For Clothes, personal belongings: With reasonable quantity in service of the trip's purpose

- Articles other than those mentioned at items above (outside the list of goods banned from import or subject to conditional import): Total value not exceeds 5,000,000 VND.

Note: Foreigners on entry carry luggage, which exceeds the duty-free quotas, presents and gifts with the total value not exceeding VND 1,000,000 (one million) shall be exempt from taxes.