Citizens from the UK, France, Germany, Spain and Italy will now be able enjoy visa exemptions for stays that last no longer than 15 days.

According to the recently issued Resolution No 46/NQ-CP, the policy will be in effect for one year, starting from July 1 and ending on June 30, 2016, and applies to all types of passports and immigration reasons, as long as they meet the conditions required by Vietnamese law.

The visa exemption is one of many measures proposed by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism in an effort to boost the development of the tourism industry.

Vietnam unilaterally exempts visas for citizens of seven countries – Japan, the Republic of Korea (RoK), Norway, Finland, Denmark, Sweden, Belarus and Russia.

It bilaterally grants 30-day exemptions for citizens from nine out of 10 ASEAN member states.

The visa exemption policy has contributed to an increased number of tourists from Japan, the RoK and Russia in recent years.-VNA