At the embassy, you will have to fill up the Visa application form in English. You will also have to mention the place of collection and submission of the Visa as Vietnam. Along with the duly filled form, you will have to submit one recent passport sized photograph, one self-addressed envelope and your original passport. You must check if your passport has at least six months validity and a few spare pages for stamping. Besides these documents, you will also have to pay the Visa fees, which can be paid to the Embassy of Vietnam by way of money order or cashier’s cheque.
The embassy will take at least five working days to process your documents. Once your documents are processed, you will be issued a fully stamped Visa. It is to be noted that the Visa issued by the embassy is usually for single entry. If you wish for multiple entries, you will have to mention it in your application form and pay additional fees for the same.
Although this process allows you to get a fully stamped Visa before your departure to Vietnam, it is time consuming and expensive. In case you decide to apply for Visa through correspondence, you will have to submit all your documents through postal mail. You risk losing your original passport if your package is misplaced or lost in transit.
Hence, the best option for citizens of Benin is Visa on Arrival. In order to apply for Visa on Arrival, you will have to get in touch with a travel agent based in Vietnam. You will have to fill an online application form on the travel agent’s website. You will have to key in details such as your name, occupation, duration of stay, purpose of visit. While filling in 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 a transit Visa comes with a validity of less than five days.
Once your online application is processed, you will be issued a letter of approval. This letter of approval needs to be submitted at the Visa on Arrival counter of the Vietnamese airport you arrive in. You will also be required to pay the Visa stamping fees along with this letter of approval in order to get your Visa on Arrival.
It is to be noted that the Visa on Arrival facility is extended only to those travelers who arrive in Vietnam by air.
