1233 20th Street, NW Suite 400, Washington, DC 20036
Telephone: (202) 861-0737
E-mail: info@vietnamembassy.us, vnconsular@vietnamembassy.us
Applying through the embassy will require you to pay several visits to the embassy. If you are someone who will have to travel a quite a long distance to reach the embassy or are too hard pressed for time to undertake multiple visits, then applying in person would not be advisable. Although the procedure is a bit long drawn, when it comes to applying in person, you will be able to collect your Visa before you depart for Vietnam.
• Apply online for Visa on Arrival
To further ease the process of Visa collection, the Visa on Arrival policy has been put in place. You can apply for Visa on Arrival through a travel agent and collect the document on arrival at the Vietnam airport. This is much easier and faster as you will have to fill up a form online. After processing, a letter of approval will be sent to you. With this approval letter you can easily collect your Visa on Approval.
This Visa on Approval document issued at the airport is as much in worth as a fully stamped Visa document and entitles to you all freedoms and restrictions that an ordinary Visa document would. When applying online, you will have to state your purpose your visit. The duration and kind of Visa you are seeking will determine, the amount of visa processing fees you will have to pay.
For US citizens seeking Visa to Vietnam, it is mandatory that they hold a valid US passport with at least six months validity remaining after the date of arrival in Vietnam. The other documents required for entry and exit purposes include an approval letter for Visa on Arrival or a Visa exemption statement. The Visa exemption statement can be obtained from an embassy prior to travel to Vietnam. For the approval letter, the traveller must contact a travel agent to fill up an online application and collect the approval letter.
Every traveller to Vietnam must pay two fees against Visa obtained – the Visa fees and the Visa processing fees. The fees may vary depending on the duration of stay and kind of Visa obtained. It is to be noted that even if an individual holds a valid Visa, he may still be refused entry into Vietnam as the Vietnamese immigration regulations require any individual obtaining Visa to stick to the activities he has procured the Visa for.
It is to be noted that the Visa on Arrival facility is extended to only those who arrive in Vietnam by air. Those taking land routes are expected to carry all their documents along with them while travelling. If you are taking a cruise ship to Vietnam, you can contact the cruise authorities for information on Visa on Arrival.
