Pre-pandemic visa exemptions, e-visas take effect

"Vietnam has resumed visa exemption for foreign nationals in accordance with international conventions that Vietnam is a party to, applied visa exemptions on reciprocal basis with countries, as also visa exemption agreements with other Southeast Asian nations," foreign ministry spokeswoman Le Thi Thu Hang said Thursday.

Hang said that the resumption was in conformity with policy that the Vietnamese government had announced for March 15, approving a proposal by the foreign ministry to restore immigration policies for foreign nationals and Vietnamese nationals residing abroad to what they were prior to Covid-19 restrictions.

Accordingly, Vietnam has resumed the application of visa granting processes and visa exemptions in accordance with the Law on Foreigners Entry Into, Exit From, Transit Through and Residents in Vietnam, including the granting of electronic visas.

Visitors coming to Vietnam from 24 countries including ASEAN members do not require a visa. Their single-entry stay ranges from 14 to 90 days.

The country also grants e-visas to citizens of 80 countries that allows them to apply for 30-day, single entry visas.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has directed relevant agencies to work together and facilitate visa applications for tourists as well as individuals and organizations wishing to explore trade and investment opportunities.

"This means that after March 15, travel agencies will be able to receive and process visa applications," Hang told VnExpress International.

Vietnam has announced the lifting of most travel restrictions from March 15, allowing foreign tourists to visit the country without booking tour packages. It had halted inbound tourism and granting of visas for foreign tourists in March 2020.