What do I need to do to obtain my travel visa to go to Vietnam?

Question

I am a US citizen and I've been to a few sites including the Vietnam embassy website and I'm still unclear about how much I pay, how long it takes and I find it weird that they want me to send my actual passport to get my visa. Is there somewhere that accepts a photo copy of my passport... It's taken me 3 months to get it I dont want to lose it now... thanks for you help folks...

Answer 1

you send you passport to the embassy in dc THEY AFIXX THE VISA RIGHT TO A PASSPORT PAGE! if you send by overnight dhl or fed ex w/ a paid return envelope youcan get it back in less than 2 weeks. contact them [ the embassy ] by phone or print out your own aplication off their web site. if you like YOU CAN GET A visa right at the sai gon air port ,about 20 min wait. ive done it both ways  MANY TIMES... its around $85us..but check the web site

   it is good to make photo copies of yopur visa and passport to carry around w/ you BUT ALL hotels in viet nam will REQUIRE you leave your passport at the desk!

Answer 2

EMAIL ME AND I'LL HELP YOU TO OBTAIN ONE.

Don't do landing visa .. it's a pain in the butt.. Lots of my customers complains about picking up their visa at the airport.. and it's NOT 25 bucks like they indicated.. Your price is 2x of the US nationality BORN Vietnam.

[e-mail]

BY THE WAY... You can't get on the PLANE to VN w/o an approval VISA.. Unless you fly to THAILAND, LAO, CAMBODIA required VISA @ the airport.. That will be a waste of time & $$$ to fly to the 3rd country by that way.

Answer 3

We used our local Vietnamese Travel Agent.  They have an arrangement with the Vietnamese Embassy and they didn't mail our passport, they  faxed it.  We received our Visa very quick.  A private person can't do this and have to mail their passport in.

We have mail ours in before and had no problems getting it back. If you do mail yours I would email the Embassy for the latest price for the Visa.  Cheers and have a good time.

Answer 4

I know it's a drag...just think though; 40 years ago, all we needed was a draft order

Answer 5

Most countries which require visas will require you to forward your passport to the nearest embassy or consulate in order to be processed.  There is a VN embassy in DC, a consulate in SF and their UN mission in NY *(but it may not do visas).

Otherwise go to Asia first and get one there.

Be warned - the APEC summit is coming up and there are reports of them not issuing visas to foreign independent travellers.

Answer 6

Simply go to VisasInternationl.com      that is where I got mine 4 differant times.

  it costs 80 bucks.

Answer 7

The Vietnam Visa costs USD 25 to most nationalities. You don't need to send your actual passport if you apply through a travel agent. The visa process is very simple, your agent submits your data to the Vietnam Immigration office in Vietnam and in three days they get a visa approval number, your agent sends you a copy of the approval by fax or email, you show this visa approval codes at the airline check in counters. At the port of entry in Vietnam you go to 'Landing Visa' counter fill up the visa application form, pay the visa fee and get the visa stamps on your passport.

I case you prefer to get the visa stamps in the US, your visa approval number will be sent to your desired Vietnam embassy office in the US and you can pay the fee and have your passport stamped.

If you enter from Laos, Cambodia or China overland, you can do the visa formality at the border immigration office.

Gist: If you want to get visa approval number now and the visa stamps on arrival you better do it through an agent. If you want the visa stamps in your country without a pre apprroval visa number you have to send your passport. To the best of my knowledge they do not issue visa approval numbers to individuals. An agent has to be there.

PS: There is a group of volunteers in Hanoi who help getting the visa approval number for free and even welcomes you at the airport and help you with the immigration formulities. I am in touch with them for my own visa. Check for my experience or stay in touch at yahoo messenger my nick is 'fram531'. I'll be there in feb 2007 and will be celebrating the Tet Festivals (Chinese new year) in Hanoi.

Answer 8

If you don't wish to work with the Vietnam embassy folks in DC or San Fran, there are 3rd party companies that can help such as:

http://www.vietnamstay.com/service/

Answer 9

Yes you need to.Vietnam is some of the many countries required visa. You should apply the visa asap, it take a while for approval.

Glad you going there, cuz as a vietnamese i advise you to bring a camera to witness the chaotic traffic in vietnam-only abt 40% of the street have traffic light. Have fun and remember to try out all the nice food-especially dog meat.