Vietnam’s e-visa system is now seen as one of the most efficient, convenient, and transparent in the region. Fully online registration, no paperwork or interviews, and fast and flexible processing time have improved foreigners’ entry experience, creating a competitive advantage over countries clinging to complicated and costly visa procedures.
VNAT Director General Nguyen Trung Khanh called visa a golden ticket to pulling in crowds, but he is clear that it needs coordinated efforts across multiple sectors to keep the momentum going in this fast-moving global travel scene.
Vietnamese citizens can enter 51 destinations without a visa or only need to apply for an e-visa, a border visa, or an electronic travel authorisation (ETA) out of a total of 199 countries and territories.
Vietnam welcomed 17.6 million international visitors last year, achieving a recovery rate of 98% compared to 2019 (the period preceding the COVID-19 pandemic).
More foreign citizens, particularly Chinese, have used e-visa to enter Vietnam via the Huu Nghi International Border Gate, according to authorities at the border gate in the northern province of Lang Son.
Vietnam’s new visa policy, applicable from August 15, will help the country lure more business travellers from Japan in September, said the Japan External Trade Organisation (JETRO) Chief Representative in Ho Chi Minh City Nobuyuki Matsumoto.
The new visa policy, coming into force on August 15, is believed to open up various opportunities for tourism development, and stakeholders in this industry are taking actions to seize those chances.
The new visa policy, taking effect from August 15, is creating a boost to the attraction of international tourists, but it is just the initial step and more long-term measures are required to make a breakthrough in this regard, according to insiders.
The Law on amendments and supplements to a number of articles of the Law on the Exit and Entry of Vietnamese Citizens, and the Law on Foreigners’ Entry into, Exit from, Transit through, and Residence in Vietnam, which will officially take effect from August 15, is expected to generate “golden opportunities” for the tourism sector to attract international visitors, insiders have said.
The policy of renewing the e-visa with its duration to 90 days for tourists coming to Vietnam is gradually approaching its effective date of August 15, 2023, attracting the attention of the tourism industry both at home and abroad.
Vietnam’s new visa policy may help the country welcome 12 million foreign tourists this year, far surpassing the target of 8 million set previously, said Hoang Nhan Chinh, Secretariat Director of the Vietnam Tourism Advisory Board (TAB).
From August 15, people with Vietnamese e-visas can enter and exit the country any number of times within 90 days, a long-awaited and major overhaul of the country’s visa system that is expected to revive tourism and hospitality, according to industry insiders.
On June 24, the National Assembly approved the law on amendments and supplements to a number of articles in the Law on foreigners’ entry, exit, transit, and residence in Vietnam.
Will Vietnam's tourism see a boost soon? Industry insiders are optimistic about future prospects as the Government weighs up a 90-day e-visa to gain a competitive edge as a leading tourism destination.
E-visa holders might be able to stay in Vietnam for up to 90 days, three times longer than the current 30 days, according to a proposed amended Law on Foreigners’ Entry into, Exit from, Transit Through, and Residence in Vietnam.
