EuroCham urges PM to waive visas for all EU citizens

Currently only nationals of Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Denmark, Sweden, and Finland can enter Vietnam without a visa and stay for up to 15 days.

In a letter to Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, the business group appreciated the recent efforts by the government to ease visa policies like extending the e-visa validity to 90 days and allowing multiple entries.

But to promote trade and investment, it is important to expand the visa-free list to include all EU member states, it said.

"This expansion will bring in a large number of travelers from the EU market, which has a population of over 500 million. By removing barriers for high-income international travelers to visit Vietnam, we will undoubtedly unlock amazing opportunities for the country's economy after a difficult few years," EuroCham chairman Gabor Fluit said.

"It’s not only about the sheer number of visitors, but also the extended duration of their stay and their substantial purchasing power where European travelers truly stand out. European travelers tend to stay much longer, often for two weeks or more. This extended period allows them more of an opportunity to contribute to the economy, and perhaps even explore business prospects along the way. It’s all about creating room for travelers to create more value during their visit," he added.

Vietnam welcomed 5.5 million foreign tourists in the first half of this year, 69% of this year's eight-million target.

There were over 695,000 European visitors to Vietnam during the period, only half of pre-pandemic levels, according to the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism.