09 August 2014
Vietnam has been one of the top spots on our travel list, but we had not yet ventured into this beautiful country due to the required visa administration. This time, however, we braved the “administration” and found that we had actually made a mountain out of a mole hill; the procedure was simple.
So, to encourage you other travellers not to resist the call of Vietnamese beef Pho and endless sandy beaches, here is the procedure for the VOA (Visa on Arrival) for 30 days single-entry to Vietnam via airport, as experienced at August 2014 (in Hanoi):
Before you leave (gave it two weeks just to be safe, took 48 hours):
- Apply for the Visa Letter through an online agent There are so many and it was daunting not knowing who was ‘reputable’, but from what we have read, it is safe to go with almost any online agent as they all do the same thing.
- Receive the letter (via email), print and retain for arrival in Vietnam. We printed two copies each, in colour just to be safe, but found we didn’t need it in the end. We also received the visa application forms via email and printed these out too (saved us a bit of time, but there were forms easily available at the desk on arrival too).
When you arrive in Vietnam (airport):
- Proceed to the ’Visa on Arrival’ desk (there should be a long line of foreigners waiting there to show you the way). Do not stand in the long line of foreigners. Proceed to the ‘front’ of the desk on the other side (which looks like you may be heading out of the airport).
- Hand in your passport, photos and completed form.
- Wait in the long line (or rather ‘crowd’) on the ‘back’ of the desk.
- Collection. When your passport has been processed (at random), your name will be called by an automated voice (and face and passport will probably appear on a tiny tv screen). Pick up your passport at the desk and pay the $45 (USA) fee. They did not have change, so be prepared (as we were) to give an exact amount to save yourself the trouble of changing money with other tourists.
- Proceed to the immigration desk and continue with the standard procedure.
NOTES:
- There are other visas available (airport, land crossing) for single or multiple entry, 30 or 90 days etc Check which one you need and ensure that you apply for the right one when you contact the agent as different rules apply.
- Double check that the details given to the agent are the same as appear on the visa letter. We made a typo and picked it up quickly enough to ask the agent to change it.
- The online agent we used was Vietnam Visa Service. Service fee was $14 payable on application. Our visa letter was sent to us within 48 hours.
- Your name may appear with a whole lot of other names in the letter (the agents often process the visa requests in bulk). This is normal.
- Using this process, you do not have to send your passport in to the agent or embassy.
**Please note: This post is written from the perspective of South African passport holders and may not apply to other nationalities.**