It is to be kept in mind that in order to apply for Visa through the embassy, you will have to hold a valid and original passport. Your passport must have a validity of at least six months and a few blank pages for stamping purposes. Also, in your application form you will have to mention the place of collection and submission of your Visa as Vietnam.

The embassy will take at least five working days to process your documents. Once the documents are processed, you will be issued a fully stamped Visa. One of the biggest benefits of applying for Visa through the embassy is that you can get hold of a fully stamped Visa before leaving for Vietnam. However, it is too expensive and time consuming. 

If you decide to apply for Visa through correspondence, you will have to send in all documents to the embassy through postal mail. This means that you could lose all your documents if the package is misplaced or lost in transit. 

The easier and more convenient way for Visa application is the Visa on Arrival process. In order to apply for Visa on Arrival, you will have to get in touch with a travel agent based in Vietnam. You will be required to fill up an online application form with details such as your name, occupation, duration of stay, purpose of visit etc. When filling up the purpose of visit section, you will have to choose from options such as business, tourist and transit. A business Visa comes with a validity of one month, three months and six months. A tourist Visa comes with a validity of one month and transit Visa comes with a validity of less than five days. 

Online forms are usually processed in two days, after which you will be issued a letter of approval. This letter of approval can be collected by your agent. On reaching Vietnam, you will be required to produce this letter of approval at the Visa on Arrival counter of the airport you arrive in to collect your Visa on Arrival.