Passengers at Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi (Photo: VNA) Hanoi (VNS/VNA) - Vietnam’s new immigration law includes a new type ofvisa for foreigners who come to Vietnam to conduct activities as part ofinternational agreements Vietnam has signed.
The change is expected to facilitate the implementation of new agreements that Vietnamhas signed such as the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) and the EU-VietnamInvestment Protection Agreement (EVIPA), said Colonel Tran Van Du, deputy headof the Immigration Department under Ministry of Public Security.
The department last week held a session to explain immigration laws todiplomatic missions and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in Vietnam.
Vietnam will issue visas with validity from six to 12 months for foreigners whoenter to promote services and establish commercial presence according tointernational agreements.
The amendment to the law on entry, exit, transit and residence of foreigners inVietnam came into force this month.
“Strategic foreign investors who contribute capital of 100 billion VND (4.4million USD) or more in Vietnam are granted an up-to-five-year visa andtemporary residence cards for at most 10 years. This will attract more foreigninvestment in the country,” Du said.
The outdated immigration law regulated that all certified foreign investors in Vietnamcould obtain a five-year-visa regardless of their investment capital. The newlaw issues a visa with a duration of at most 12 months and does not granttemporary residence cards to foreign investors that invest less than 3 billion VND(130,400 USD).
The outdated law also required citizens from 13 countries entering Vietnamunder the visa waiver scheme to wait for at least 30 days to return and the newlaw has removed this regulation, creating conditions for foreign visitors toreturn anytime.
Countries from which citizens do not have to apply for visas to enter Vietnaminclude Belarus, Denmark, Japan, Norway, Italy, Finland, France, Russia, theRepublic of Korea, Spain, Sweden, Germany and the UK.
Chika Tsujimoto, head of political section, Japanese Embassy in Vietnam said:“The removal of this regulation will create conditions for Japanesebusinesspeople to come to Vietnam on short-term trips. Japanese businesspeoplehave interests in making investment in Vietnam. Vietnam is not only an attractivedestination for Japanese investors but also acts as a linkage between Japan andother neighbouring countries.”
“I believe that the new immigration law for foreigners will attract not onlyJapanese investment in Vietnam but also tourists and students,” she told Viet NamNews.
Marko Lovrekovic, managing co-director of Vietnam Union of FriendshipOrganisations-NGO Resource Centre, said the law on entry, exit, transit andresidence of foreigners in Vietnam is important for foreign NGOs as well as thebusiness sector in Vietnam.
“The Vietnamese Government has tried to constantly make amendments. The new lawhas extended the length and validity of visas and permits, which makes mucheasier for the implementation of foreign NGOs’ projects,” he said.
Colonel Tran Van Du from the Immigration Department said thanks to the two-yeare-visa pilot in 2018 and 2019, the number of foreign visitors to Vietnamincreased. That’s why the immigration agency decided to extend the list ofcountries eligible for e-visas to 80 countries.
“We will study to continue to extend the list in the time to come,” Du said.
“Vietnam will open automated border gates for Vietnamese citizens andforeigners who hold temporary and permanent residence cards in Vietnam.
“The automated border gates are not new in the world but are definitely new to Vietnam,”he added.
Foreigners who entered the country under visa waiver programmes, e-visas ortourism visas after March 1 will be automatically given stay permit extensionsuntil July 31 free of charge due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We will propose the continuous extension depending on practical situations ifinternational flight routes have not been resumed,” Du said.
Passport changes
The new law on exit and entry of Vietnamese citizens approved by the NationalAssembly last November officially took effect this month with several changesthat facilitate the travel of Vietnamese citizens.
Vietnamese citizens from 14 years old can choose to be issued a passportembedded with electronic chips or a passport without electronic chips. Thechips contain information of the passport holder and a digital signature of theissuing authority.
Hoang Thi Le Hang, Vietnam country director of Union Aid Abroad – APHEDA, anAustralian NGO, said the electronic chip-embedded passports will facilitateVietnamese citizens while travelling overseas. The electronic chips also helptackle fake passports.
Colonel Tran Van Du advised Vietnamese citizens travelling abroad for adefinite period to visit relatives or on holidays to bring personalidentification cards.
Identification cards are one of the necessary documents Vietnamese citizensmust submit in case they lose their regular passports overseas and wish toreturn immediately. They can visit Vietnamese representative offices locatedoverseas to be issued regular passports under shortened procedures, he said./.
VNA
