Vietnam: Russians may not need a visa for trips up to 15 days

Visa-free entry

According to a bilateral agreement between our countries, Russians do not require a visa to visit Vietnam for a stay of up to 15 days.

How to register

• upon arrival in Vietnam at any border control point (both at airports and at other border crossing points from neighboring countries), only entry
  and exit stamps are placed in the passport.
• Along with your international passport, you must present a completed migration card
  , including for children.
• additional fees will be charged
  .

Rules for visa-free entry to Vietnam

There are also rules for visa-free crossing of the Vietnamese border:

• the tourist should not be on the list of persons prohibited
  from entering Vietnam by Vietnamese legislation
• a tourist must have a return ticket
  to leave Vietnam to any country within 15 days
• A Russian can enter Vietnam without a visa for up to 15 days only once within 30 days
  .
  A repeated visit to the country without a visa can be carried out no earlier than 30 days after the date of the last departure
  . If this period is less than 30 days, then to visit Vietnam you will need to obtain a visa. If a tourist plans to make 2 entries into the country (excursions with departures to other countries are planned), it is necessary to obtain a visa for the second border crossing. It will no longer be possible to extend your stay in Vietnam, as could be done before by crossing the border to neighboring countries, as new rules have been introduced for visa-free visits to Vietnam.

Visa categories

Depending on the purpose of the trip, Vietnamese issue several categories of visas:

• tourist;
• business;
• other goals.

The permitted period of stay is 1 or 3 months with the possibility of extension. If you are allowed to enter 1 time during the validity period of the visa, then a single-entry permit is issued, and multiple entries are issued - multiple entries.

What is a re-entry visa?

A re-entry visa is required if a visiting citizen received a single-entry visa upon arrival, but during the holiday period there is a need to leave the country, then the previously obtained permission is canceled. But you can still leave and return if you apply for re-entry in advance. To do this, you need to contact one of the Vietnamese travel agencies. As a rule, guests of the country are not denied paper.

However, it is better to use this option as a last resort, since it requires additional time and money. Moreover, when leaving Vietnam again, re-entry must be requested again. Therefore, if you plan to visit neighboring countries (for example, Laos, Cambodia), then it is more economical and expedient to obtain a multiple-entry visa to Russia in advance. Then during the holiday period you can travel to neighboring countries more than once.

Beaches in Vietnam

Electronic visa

Since last year, Vietnamese have been allowed into the country with an e-visa. Until 2021, this project has experimental status, however, an electronic visa can be used at all airports, as well as obtaining a visa on arrival, as well as at sea and land checkpoints.

Staying in the country with an e-visa is allowed for 30 days, 1 entry is provided, the cost of the document is 25 USD.

You can order this type of entry permit on the evisa website. Here you can monitor the readiness of the request. Typically, the period during which the applicant receives the result is no more than 2-3 days.

Electronic visa (E-Visa)

If the period of stay in the country is from 15 to 30 days

, and the tourist is a citizen of one of 40 countries, including Russia, Kazakhstan and Belarus, then you can apply for an electronic visa yourself on the online website.

Conditions for obtaining an electronic visa to Vietnam

• citizen of one of 40 countries, including Russia;
• period of stay in Vietnam no more than 30 days;
• single entry;
• Entry into the country will be carried out through one of the border points: 8 international airports, 13 land crossings and 7 sea ports.

Documents for obtaining an electronic visa (E-Visa) online

• international passport
  ;
• color photograph
  4x6 (without corners and ovals, on a light background and no more than 6 months old).

Cost of e-visa

• 25$
  - paid online.

How to apply for an e-visa to Vietnam online

• in order to obtain an E-Visa, go to the web portal for obtaining an E-Visa electronic visa to Vietnam;
• upload a photo and scan of your passport;
• fill out a short form;
• pay the fee;
• receive your visa by email;
• print it out and use your e-visa at passport control, receiving a permission stamp to enter the country.

The processing time for the application and issuance of a visa is up to 3 working days.

Features of the visa regime of Vietnam with Russia and other countries

Tourism is one of the main sources of government income in Vietnam. For its development, a flexible visa policy is being implemented.

The following features of the visa regime can be highlighted:

1. Residents of many countries are allowed visa-free entry for 14, 15, 21 or 30 days, depending on the state. For Russians, a period of up to 15 days is established.
2. There are several ways to obtain a visa:
   in Russia before departure (at the Vietnamese embassy and consulates);
3. at the airport upon arrival;
4. via the Internet (electronic visa);
5. in Vietnam after arrival (at a travel agency);
6. in any other country (through a consulate or agency).
7. Visa extension allowed.
8. Visa-free entry is possible only once (repeated entry after 30 days).
9. The cost of a visa and confirmation is calculated not per passport, but per person (if a child is included in the parent’s passport, the cost will be 2 times higher).
10. The maximum validity period of a tourist visa is 3 months. A long-term visa for a period of more than 6 months (most often a study or work visa) can only be issued through agencies or visa centers in Russia.
11. There are special rules on the island of Phu Quoc - the visa-free regime here lasts 30 days.
12. Visa-free entry for Russians is permitted subject to presentation of return tickets and filling out a migration card.

Thus, whether Russians need a visa to Vietnam in 2021 depends on the length of stay in the country, and how much a visa costs also depends on its type (single or multiple), method and urgency of registration.

Visa on arrival to Vietnam

If your stay in the country is more than 15 days

, or the tourist is a citizen of another country (Azerbaijan, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Ukraine), then you must apply for a visa at the Vietnamese consulate or a visa on arrival.

A visa on arrival (arrival) is issued only if you have visa support in hand (sometimes called an invitation - Invitation letter) and can be obtained at international airports in the cities of Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Da Nang and Nha Trang.

The invitation is issued in advance

, before departure, by the host partner company.
Price: 25$ - 75$
.
Processing time: 2 – 7 working days
.

If you change your airport of arrival, you must issue a new visa invitation. The cost for an already requested visa invitation is not refundable.

Documents for obtaining a visa on arrival

To obtain a visa on arrival at the Vietnam airport, you must go to the counter marked “Landing visa” (visa on arrival), which is located in front of passport control at the airport and submit the following documents to the visa officer:

• international passport
  ;
• invitation
  from the host party “Invitation letter”;
• 2 color photographs
  4x6 (without corners and ovals, on a light background and no more than 6 months old);
• application form
  (issued on the plane or upon arrival at the Landing Visa counter);
• printed roundtrip tickets
  , tickets to third countries (if available).

After 1-2 hours, the visa is pasted into the passport.

Cost of visa on arrival

• for Russians
  -
  free
  ,
• for citizens of other countries it is necessary to pay a consular fee (stamping fee): $45
  — single-entry visa up to 30/90 days of stay in the country, $65 — multiple-entry visa up to 30 days, $95 — multiple-entry visa up to 90 days;

How to fill out an application for a Vietnam visa?

Sample of filling out a visa application form for Vietnam.

This is not difficult, it is done by answering questions at each point. There are 13 of them in total, passport details are indicated exactly as in the document, their discrepancy will be grounds for refusal of a visa.

In the 10th paragraph you need to indicate the purpose of the trip, and if it is business or related to study, work, you need to attach documentary evidence (call, agreement, letter, contract, etc.) In the 11th paragraph you enter the period on which it depends type of visa.

Download the Vietnam visa application form and sample form

Application form for a visa to Vietnam (308 Downloads) Sample of filling out an application form for a visa to Vietnam (336 Downloads)

Instructions for filling out the application form for Vietnam

Detailed description of the questionnaire items:

• Point 1
  - Full name (in capital letters) - last name and first name in CAPITAL letters as in the international passport.
• Point 2
  - Sex/Male/Female - gender/male/female.
• Clause 3
  - Date of birth (Day, Month, Year) - date of birth (DD.MM.YYYY).
• Point 4
  - Place of birth - place of birth, you can specify a city or country.
• Paragraph 5
  - Nationality at birth - citizenship at birth, you can specify USSR (USSR).
• Clause 6
  - Current nationality - current citizenship.
• Point 7
  - Religion - religion (CHRISTIAN - Christian; ATHEIST - atheist; CATHOLIC - Catholic; PROTESTANT - Protestant; MUSLIM - Muslim; BUDDHIST - Buddhist).
• Clause 8
  - Occupation - profession or current position.
• Clause 9
  - Employer and business address - work address, if you do not work, then the address of permanent residence, if a student - the address of the educational institution.
• Clause 10
  - Permanent residential address / Telephone/Email - permanent residential address (registration), telephone number and email address.
• Clause 11
  - Family members (Relationship / Full name (in capital letters) / Sex / Date of birth (Day, Month, Year) / Nationality / Permanent residential address) - Family members (degree of relationship / first and last name in CAPITAL letters / gender / date of birth (DD.MM.YYYY) / citizenship / residential address). Here you can specify family members: wife (WIFE), husband (HUSBAND), father (FATHER), mother (MOTHER), son (SON) or daughter (DAUGHTER).
• Paragraph 12
  - Passport or International Travel Document number / Type / Issuing authority: / Expiry date (Day, Month, Year) - passport number / document type, indicate PASSPORT / issued by whom, as in the international passport / expiration date of the international passport.
• Clause 13
  - Date of the previous entry into Viet Nam (if any) - date of previous entry into Vietnam (indicate when visiting again, if the first visit - indicate NO).
• Clause 14
  - Intended date of entry (Day, Month, Year) / Intended length of stay in Viet Nam days - expected date of visit to Vietnam / length of stay in days.
• Clause 15
  - Purpose of entry - purpose of the visit: TOURISM - tourism; TRANSIT - transit; BUSINESS - business, work; DIPLOMATIC - diplomacy: OFFICIAL - service.
• Clause 16
  - Intended temporary residential address in Viet Nam - residential address in Vietnam (if available), you can specify the hotel address.
• Clause 17
  - Hosting organization/individual in Viet Nam / Name of hosting organization / Address / Hosting individual (full name) / Address / Relationship to the applicant - host party in Vietnam (if there is an invitation from an organization or individual in Vietnam - fill out, if not, we skip) / name of the receiving organization / address of the organization / name of the receiving person / address of the receiving person / relationship to the applicant. If the host country is a hotel, then fill in the Name of hosting organization / Address, and enter HOTEL in the Relationship to the applicant section. If the receiving party is a person, then fill in Hosting individual (full name) / Address, and enter FRIEND in the Relationship to the applicant item.
• Clause 18
  - Accompanying child(ren) under 14 years old included in your passport (if any) / No / Full name (in capital letters) / (Sex) / Date of birth - Children under 14 years old included in the passport (if any) ) / No. / last name and first name in CAPITAL letters / gender / date of birth.
• Clause 19
  - Applying for a visa / Single / Multiple / valid from (Day, Month, Year) to (Day, Month, Year) - type of visa requested / single / multiple / start date and expiration date of the visa.
• Clause 20
  - Other requests (if any) - other questions (if any).
• I declare to the best of my knowledge that all the above particulars are correct - I declare that all the above data are correct.
• Done at date (Day, Month, Year) / The applicant's signature and full name - date of completion / signature, first and last name.

Applying for a visa at the Vietnamese Consulate

If your stay in the country is more than 15 days

, or the tourist is a citizen of another country, and there is no desire to wait for a visa to be issued upon arrival at the airport, then you can apply for a visa at the Vietnamese consulate.

A visa is issued on the basis of an invitation from the receiving party (visa support - Invitation letter). It is different from an invitation for a visa on arrival.

The invitation is issued in advance

, before departure, by the receiving party.
Price: 25$ - 75$
.
Processing time: 2 – 7 working days
.

Documents for obtaining a visa at the Consulate

• international passport
  ;
• invitation
  from the host party “Invitation letter”;
• 2 color photographs
  4x6 (without corners and ovals, on a light background and no more than 6 months old);
• completed and printed application form
  on the Consulate website.

Additional documents for children under 18 years of age:

• if a child goes on a trip with one of the parents (without parents), a photocopy of the consent for the child’s departure from the second parent (both parents) is required; if it is impossible to obtain a power of attorney from the second parent, provide a copy of the death certificate, if the mother has the status of a single mother - provided form No. 25 from the registry office. If the location of the other parent is unknown, a police certificate is provided.

Cost of consular fee

• $45 – 5 working days from the date of submission of documents to the embassy;
• 60$ - 2-4 working days from the moment of submitting documents to the embassy.

Embassy and consulates of Vietnam in Russia

Embassy of Vietnam in Moscow

Consular Section of the Vietnamese Embassy in Moscow

Consulate General of Vietnam in Yekaterinburg

Consulate General of Vietnam in Vladivostok

Migration card

Upon arrival in Vietnam, a migration card is filled out before crossing the border. To speed up the process of passing through the border control point, such cards are usually issued on the plane, where our flight attendants can help fill them out. The card consists of two parts (Arrival - arrival and Departure - departure). It should be filled out with a blue or black pen, in printed Latin letters, and preferably both parts at once. When entering the country, part of the Arrival is taken by the border guard, and the other part of the Departure is placed in the passport. We do not recommend losing it. The card must be filled out for each person entering, including each child. Sample of filling out a migration card when entering Vietnam. There is no need to download a blank card from the Internet, print it out and fill it out at home; just take a sample of the form with you.

Advance visa processing

There are several options for obtaining a Vietnam visa in advance. This can be done online or through a visa center, embassy, ​​or consulate.

An electronic Vietnam visa costs $25 (it is single-entry, valid for up to 30 days). The cost for personal registration depends on the validity period and the planned number of entries (single or multiple).

Package of documents

The following must be presented to the embassy or sent electronically through the online service of the Entry and Exit Office of the Ministry of Public Security of Vietnam:

• foreign passport (scanned version);
• 2 photos for visa;
• questionnaire;
• approval code.

A confirmation code is another option for an invitation to the country, as well as a confirmation letter, indicating that the hotel, travel agency or other representative in Vietnam (this may include an individual, relative or friend) vouches for the financial solvency tourist

Photo requirements

The photo requirements are as follows:

• photo size - 4x6;
• the photo must be taken no more than six months before submitting documents;
• background - white;
• the face is in the center, occupies about 80% of the photo;
• Photographs wearing hats are prohibited.

It is not necessary to remove glasses or a wig when taking photographs.

Applying for a visa through an agency

The agency provides intermediary services for obtaining a visa and confirmation letter and charges an additional fee for this.

It is advisable to contact an agency in 2 situations:

• the tourist does not have enough free time (you can bring documents to the travel agency at any time or send them by mail, while you must appear at the embassy in person at the appointed time);
• a tourist is traveling for the first time (or rarely) and is not sure that he will be able to fill out the form correctly; errors in filling it out can cause a refusal to enter Vietnam; specialists at agencies check documents and help to avoid mistakes.

Visa companies are provided with the same set of documents as the embassy: passport, application form and 2 photos. Approval code can be ordered from the agency.

How much does a visa cost?

The cost depends on 4 factors such as:

1. Type of visa (electronic price: $25).
2. Validity period and allowed number of entries (single entry - from $25, multiple entry - from $45).
3. Readiness time (at the embassy, ​​urgent is $15-20 more expensive and takes 2-4 days, while standard - 5-10 days).
4. Opening method (cheaper than through an agency).

In addition, when applying for a visa upon arrival at the airport, Russians do not need to pay a visa fee.

Renewal of a document in Vietnam

Very often, once in Vietnam, foreigners note that their visa expires faster than their interest in this wonderful country. However, the state gives you the opportunity to stay a little longer if you extend your visa documents in advance. To do this, you need to contact intermediaries, of which there are many, or personally go to the State Department of Vietnam. In practice, the first option is faster and more reliable, but you need to pay for the services of specialists. According to the law, a visa can be extended for a period of 30 to 90 days. However, as practice shows, most often employees of authorized bodies extend documents only for a month. A maximum of ninety additional days is an exceptional case.

Those who did not have time to obtain a visa at the embassy or for whom it is simply inconvenient can apply for it right on the spot upon arrival in Vietnam

However, this extension procedure does not apply to all categories of documents. For example, a work visa must be extended through the Vietnam Labor Department. Usually this is done by the employer; such issues should be coordinated directly with him, since each case is individual. However, before you start applying for a visa, ask again whether any amendments have been made to the migration legislation in recent months.

Please note that free extension of the document is only possible if you have not had any problems with local legislation and have not violated the Vietnam visa regime. Otherwise, your chances of getting the desired document are significantly reduced.

Video: for those traveling to Vietnam for the first time