In case of application through the embassy, you will have to fill up a form and submit documents such as your original Malian passport, one recent passport size photograph and a self-addressed envelope at the embassy along with the duly filled form. 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 require five working days to process your documents. After the documents are processed, you will be sent a fully stamped Visa. However, there are a number of issues with this procedure. You will have to incur huge expenses in order to travel to a foreign location. In case you are applying for Visa by correspondence, you will have to send in your original Malian passport by postal mail. If there is misplacement or loss of mail in transit, you stand to lose your original passport!
An easier alternative to this method is the Visa on Arrival procedure. To apply for Visa on Arrival, you will have to get in touch with a reliable travel agent in Vietnam. You can easily apply online and fill in your details such as your name, occupation, purpose of travel, duration of stay. While filling the purpose of travel, you will have to choose from options such as business, tourist and transit. A business Visa offers a validity of one month, three months and six months. A tourist Visa offers a validity of one month and a transit Visa offers a validity of less than five days.
Once you have filled the form, submit it for processing. Online application forms are usually processed in two working days. After the form is processed, you will be issued a letter of approval. This letter of approval can be collected by your travel agent on your behalf and have it sent to you.
On reaching Vietnam, you can submit this letter of approval at the Visa on Arrival counter at the airport along with the Visa stamping fees to collect your Visa on Arrival.
It is to be noted that the Visa on Arrival facility is extended to only those who arrive in Vietnam by air.
