#  >  > Travellers Tales in Thailand and Asia >  >  > Vietnam, Nepal and Burma  Travel Forum >  >  Vietnam - Tourist Visa/Exemption

## harrybarracuda

I understand that with a UK passport you no longer need a visa for Vietnam.

Has anyone travelled recently, and can you tell me what the procedure is?

Is it like Cambodia where you can apply for a visa exemption beforehand and pay online? 

If so, what is the official site? I know for Cambodia, there are lots of sites that try and pretend they are official, but there is a good official one that works well.

Just a quick google for Vietnam shows tons of sites using domains like "govt.vn" which is not the official domain.

Many thanks in advance for any help you can give me.

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## katie23

From https myvietnamvisa dot com (cant post link, am on fone)

Citizens of the UK, Italy, Germany, Sweden can now go to Vietnam w/o need for visa & can stay for less than 15 days, starting 1 July 2016. 

I remember reading abt this announcement from the news some months ago bcos I've a German friend who's interested in visiting Vietnam & I relayed the news. 

I haven't tried it though, since as an ASEAN national, I have always been visa exempt to Vn and have visited 3x. 

I noted from that news article that US citizens still need a visa. My thoughts at that time was that they prolly still had ill feeling bcos of the war. They gave 7 European countries visa exempt status, to increase tourism, I think.

Hope this helps.

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## harrybarracuda

Thanks Katie, I know the UK is exempt, but I really need someone who's followed the VOA procedure and can tell me a reliable source of the VOA letter.

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## S Landreth

> I understand that with a UK passport you no longer need a visa for Vietnam.
> 
> Has anyone travelled recently, and can you tell me what the procedure is?


Might help

From my visit: https://teakdoor.com/vietnam-nepal-an...n-da-nang.html (A short holiday in Vietnam (Saigon, Da Nang and Hanoi))




> If youre thinking about visiting Vietnam with your Thai spouse, youll find they will not need a Visa. However you might. Open this site: Vietnam Embassy (When the page opens click on Vietnam Guide then click, Vietnam Visa then click, Vietnam Visa Exemption) to see if youll be required to get a Visa to visit Vietnam.


Really was nothing to it, if I remember right.

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## harrybarracuda

I've just remembered I'm in PP for 10 days next month. I suppose I can just get a Visa at the embassy there.

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## khmen

Embassy of Vietnam

^Link to legit UK Vietnam Embassy - all info on there will be relevant regardless if youre in UK or not.

Katie is correct - currently VOA is available for stays of up to 15 days for UK citizens, though I think you still need to apply for the voa prior to travel, as opposed to Thailand for example where you just get it at tge airport without prior application.

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## katie23

^I was curious and looked at the link. UK & some other European nationals are visa exempt in Vn, starting from 1 July 2016. I think it means you don't need to apply online anymore, you just get stamped in. The visa exemption is good for 15 days, single entry. 

Thais, Filipinos & other ASEAN nationals are visa exempt. No need to apply online, just get stamped in.

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## ChristineLamote

Vietnam Visa fee instructions:
In order to get your Vietnam visa, you should pay two kinds of fees: Service fee and Stamping fee.
1. Service fee: Service fee is the fee you pay to us for doing all the paperwork for you to submit your visa application to the Vietnam Immigration Department for processing their visa approval letters.
- Single entry: from 12USD/pax
- Multi entries: from 14USD/pax 
2. Stamping fee: Stamping fee is the fee you pay directly to Immigration Officers in cash (in USD or VND) (at Immigration Desk/Counter) at your arrival airport in Vietnam to have visa stamped onto your passport. The fee is collected by the Immigration Officers and compulsory for all those who use visa on arrival method.
- Single entry (1 - 3 months): 25 USD/visa
- Multi entries (1 - 3 months): 50USD/visa
(Source: https://www.halong-bay-tours.com/tou...sa-on-arrival/)

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## chilaaogiac12a14

You come to this website for more information Vietnam Embassies' Information In Different Countries | VietnamEmbassy.org

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## OhOh

According to a helpful lady at the Vietnamese visa site a UK passport holder can stay up to 15 days visa free.

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## cyrille

> According to a helpful lady at the Vietnamese visa site a UK passport holder can stay up to 15 days visa free.


First sentence of the thread, started ten months ago...




> I understand that with a UK passport you no longer need a visa for Vietnam.

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## astasinim

I was in Hanoi last month and it wasn`t too much of a drama.

I already had my letter of invitation so had to go straight to counter 1 and hand over my invitation to stay, along with my passport. 15-20 minute queue.

I was then handed another form to fill in and told to await a call from counter 2. Another 15-20 minute wait.

Hand over form from counter 1 and two passport photo`s. Bugger! I knew I`d forget something. "no problem. We`ll do it at the counter for $2". 

Hand over $22 iirc and get a huge full page visa.

Go to the immigration queue and wait about another 30 minutes to get through.

Grab a taxi for around 300-350k in town.

All in all, not too painful.

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## armstrong

Didn't need anything for Ho Chi Minh a few weeks back.   But I did only stay 3 days and had a flight to prove it.

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## OhOh

> First sentence of the thread, started ten months ago...


It may be a helpful up to date, confirmation for those wanting to visit. It is of no concern to you though, you spend your existence following me around. So sad.

My apologies for posting more than the regulation 10 words in a post.  :Roll Eyes (Sarcastic):

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## cyrille

Following you around?

R-ig-h-t.  :Roll Eyes (Sarcastic): 

Be honest...you didn't read the thread, did you?

The two posts above yours are written as updates, if you need guidance.

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## Thaimato

Was just going to book a flight & hotel (HAN area), but just before pushing the "reserve" button, I thought it better to check VN visa exempt status. Seems the 15-day visa-free thing comes to an end 30th June 2017, for Brits.

Cancelled both flight & hotel on the spot - fuque it - was only going for 4 nights, anyway. Can't be arsed with visas and shit, clogging up the valuable pages in my pp. Will go to another place, instead - unless the fuquers get their fingers out and extend the visa-free time period - which apparently is rather expected in many quarters. We'll see.......


So, no "Good Mornin' Vietnam!" - but rather "Goodbye, Vietnam!"   :finger:

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## OhOh

> The two posts above yours are written as updates, if you need guidance.


Which were posted in August 2016. One of which suggested to contact the Vietnam web site. Which I did, and which didn't mention the soon to expire up to 15 day free visa. The chat person on the web site did. Which is what I was looking for, a personal, authoritative, confirmation.

The Vietnam immigration, after a 30 minute queue, said no word to me other than , "here is your visa" and "have a nice holiday". My ASEAN passport holding companion took 10 minutes and had no verbal communication at all. Thai and Vietnamese languages are not widely understood by either. 

I found her eating in the airport cafe, "Just topping up", she said. :Smile:

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## hallelujah

> Was just going to book a flight & hotel (HAN area), but just before pushing the "reserve" button, I thought it better to check VN visa exempt status. Seems the 15-day visa-free thing comes to an end 30th June 2017, for Brits.
> 
> Cancelled both flight & hotel on the spot - fuque it - was only going for 4 nights, anyway. Can't be arsed with visas and shit, clogging up the valuable pages in my pp. Will go to another place, instead - unless the fuquers get their fingers out and extend the visa-free time period - which apparently is rather expected in many quarters. We'll see.......
> 
> 
> So, no "Good Mornin' Vietnam!" - but rather "Goodbye, Vietnam!"


2018.

http://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-adv...y-requirements

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## OhOh

One wonders if a person cannot afford the $25 whether they should be traveling at all.

"
*Step 2:* Pay E-visa fee (25 USD). Your application will be processed in 3 working days; "

https://evisa.xuatnhapcanh.gov.vn/en...i-thuc-dien-tu

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## Thaimato

^^ @ Hallelujah - Thanx mate, much appreciated.   :Smile:

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## capitane

Ain't to clever you brits.

Arriving at an airport in Vietnam just go through immigration and they stamp you in for 15 days. Free of charge and no paperwork.

If you want a different kind of visa on arrival you can apply for them as well , at a desk 30-50 m before immigration. Fill in the form, picture and fee.

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## chassamui

> Ain't to clever you brits.
> 
> Arriving at an airport in Vietnam just go through immigration and they stamp you in for 15 days. Free of charge and no paperwork.


Accepted and admitted. However a short conversation with the Vietnamese authorities reveals that, 'no information is currently available for visa exemptions after 1 July 2017'.

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## harrybarracuda

Arrived on 23rd, handed over passport, stamped straight in.

I had more bother with the monkey brain leaving Bangkok this morning who asked me where my Departure card was. I tried explaining to him that it was in my passport when I gave it to him, he was adamant it wasn't.

Until I pointed to it on the fucking desk in front of him, dim fucker.

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## OhOh

> Arrived on 23rd, handed over passport, stamped straight in.


What did you think of Hanoi, if that's where you visited?




> I had more bother with the monkey brain leaving Bangkok


I had a similar experience, but when arriving at BKK.

Waited in the queue, approached the officer and handed over my passport at the visa stamp page, for his convenience. After a few page turns the officer held up my passport to all behind me and announces, loudly, "Your visa has expired".

Nonplussed I walked around to his side and ask for my passport. I show him my visa extension stamp, on the page which I had opened previously for his "inspection", to assist him.

A stamp, stamp, stamp and was handed my passport. After inspecting the new stamps, a quick thank you from me to him and off to the luggage carousel. No apology to me, or the waiting throng. TIT.  :Smile:

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## harrybarracuda

> Originally Posted by harrybarracuda
> 
> Arrived on 23rd, handed over passport, stamped straight in.
> 
> 
> What did you think of Hanoi, if that's where you visited?


Very different to HCM, the museums are impressive, but the Old City is fucking rammed at weekends, you can barely walk the streets because of these tiny little stools encroaching on the roads (it's mostly closed to traffic at weekends).

Did an overnight on a boat at Halong Bay as well, very relaxing.

Grab Bike is the way to get around, it's everywhere and they even have T-shirts and branded helmets, so obviously the authorities don't give a shit.

I enjoyed it.

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## OhOh

> Very different to HCM, the museums are impressive, but the Old City is fucking rammed at weekends, you can barely walk the streets because of these tiny little stools encroaching on the roads (it's mostly closed to traffic at weekends).  Did an overnight on a boat at Halong Bay as well, very relaxing.


We stayed in Hanoi old city a few days and really enjoyed it. Your right the shopkeepers do force one into the roads. I noticed though that as opposed to Thailand the cars and m/cycles do in fact give way or adjust their speed and direction for crossing people, locals and foreigners.

Every vice you want is offered if you stand still long enough. The m/cycle drivers home in on their targets at a moments notice.

Underwhelmed with Halong bay. Very misty and raining every day. Not that the rain stopped the locals from swimming in the sea. Wrong time of year I presume.

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## harrybarracuda

> Originally Posted by harrybarracuda
> 
> Very different to HCM, the museums are impressive, but the Old City is fucking rammed at weekends, you can barely walk the streets because of these tiny little stools encroaching on the roads (it's mostly closed to traffic at weekends).  Did an overnight on a boat at Halong Bay as well, very relaxing.
> 
> 
> We stayed in Hanoi old city a few days and really enjoyed it. Your right the shopkeepers do force one into the roads. I noticed though that as opposed to Thailand the cars and m/cycles do in fact give way or adjust their speed and direction for crossing people, locals and foreigners.
> 
> Every vice you want is offered if you stand still long enough. The m/cycle drivers home in on their targets at a moments notice.
> 
> Underwhelmed with Halong bay. Very misty and raining every day. Not that the rain stopped the locals from swimming in the sea. Wrong time of year I presume.


Didn't have that problem.

I did the seaplane back, they do a 10 minute circuit of the bay at a few thousand feet before heading inland. Quite spectacular and you really get an idea of just how expansive it is.

Although I was expecting to land at some provincial airport and blow me if we didn't land at Hanoi international!

Fortunately my charabanc awaited and I was in the hotel in 20 minutes.

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## OhOh

Now, a seaplane is a special treat. Glad you enjoyed it.

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## harrybarracuda

> Now, a seaplane is a special treat. Glad you enjoyed it.


I'll post the take off video when the fucking thing has uploaded. Mind you it took longer than I thought  :Smile:

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## harrybarracuda

In fairness I should probably edit it but I can't be arsed.

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## OhOh

You seem to be the only passenger, is that a national security requirement when you fly or daddies plane?

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## harrybarracuda

> You seem to be the only passenger, is that a national security requirement when you fly or daddies plane?


There were two of us; me, a chinkie sat at the back, a Vietnamese bloke who works for the company behind me and the two pilots.

Having said that, it was only a 12 seater cessna.

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