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. Although this process allows you to get a fully stamped Visa in hand before your departure to Vietnam, it is time taking and expensive.
If you decide to apply for Visa through correspondence, you will be required to send in all your documents, including your original passport, through postal mail. In this case, you stand to lose your passport if your package is misplaced or lost in transit.
• Apply for Visa on Arrival
Visa on Arrival is easy and convenient and you will not have to submit your original documents anywhere. In order to apply for Visa on Arrival, you will have to get in touch with a reliable travel agent based in Vietnam. You will be asked to fill an online application form on the travel agent’s website. You will have to key in details such as your name, occupation, purpose of stay, duration of stay etc. When filling in the purpose of stay section, you will have to choose from options such as business, tourist and transit. A business Visa comes with validity of one month, three months or six months. A tourist Visa comes with a validity of one month and transit Visa comes with a validity of less than five days.
Once your online application 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 forwarded to you. On reaching Vietnam, you will be required to submit this letter of approval at the Visa on Arrival counter of the airport you arrive in. You will also have to submit the Visa stamping fees along with the letter of approval.
It is to be noted that the Visa on Arrival facility is extended to only those travelers who arrive in Vietnam by air.