Guide to get a cheap visa to Vietnam

At one point the method of applying for the cheap Vietnam visa was a simple and straightforward process, you only had the option to organise the visa in advance from a local Vietnamese embassy or consulate.

However, with the increase in tourism to the country, the Vietnamese government has increased the options to apply Vietnam visa. This increased flexibility has led to cheaper and easier ways to get into Vietnam, and also gives the convenience to make the application from home over the internet.

Do you need a Visa?
Vietnam has ever-changing visa rules that can give certain countries and territories exemption from applying for an entry visa. You can check an official Vietnamese embassy or government site to see your specific requirements before starting to organise the Vietnam holiday.

A short summary of the main points related to whether it or not you need to apply for a visa to Vietnam include:

Citizens from most of Europe (except the countries list below), New Zealand, Australia and the United States are required to organise the visa before travelling to Vietnam.

Certain countries benefit from short-term exemption where is it possible to travel and stay in Vietnam visa-free for a set number of days.

Myanmar and Brunei are granted a 14 day visa exemption

United Kingdom, Spain, Russia, Sweden, Norway, Belarus, Germany, Finland, South Korea, Denmark, Japan, Italy and France are granted a 15 day visa exemption

Philippines are granted a 21 day visa exemption

Thailand, Malaysia, Laos, Singapore, Indonesia and Cambodia are granted a 30 day visa exemption

Also, it is worth checking the latest visa details shortly before travelling to make sure you have the most relevant travel information.

Visa on Arrival
Out of the different ways to apply for a Vietnam visa (directly through an embassy, visa on arrival, or e-visa), the Vietnam visa on arrival is often favoured for its fast processing time, easy application procedure, and relatively inexpensive fees.

Before you go
The process of applying for the visa on arrival is to first organise a “letter of approval” through a third-party travel agent or tour operator. They must be locally based in Vietnam and is simply a process of filling in an application form and paying the relevant service fee. This is all completed online with no need to visit a local embassy or having to send off original paperwork, such as the passport.

Once the visa application is processed you receive back a visa approval letter by email which is printed out and taken with you to Vietnam. This letter is sufficient to board your flight and you will get the official visa stamp at your destination airport.

On arrival at the airport
On arrival at one of Vietnam’s international airports (Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Danang) you make your way to the immigration or visa on arrival counter and present your visa approval letter, original passport, 2 passport photos, and application form (this can also be completed at the airport).

In relation to payable fees, you are required to pay two fees:

Firstly the service fee is payable to the Vietnam travel agent or tour operator that organised the “letter of approval”. The fee for this service is in the region of $6-$15. There are plenty of agencies that offer this type of service so it can be worth shopping around, but Vivutravel are a trusted provider and will quickly and efficiently organise the cheap Vietnam visa.

The second fee applicable is charged by the immigration counter at your destination airport to process the visa stamp. This is a set fee and amounts to $25 for a single entry visa or $50 for a multiple entry visa.

Also, the stamping fee paid at the airport must be by cash in USD on arrival, and not the local currency of Vietnamese Dong.

Pros and cons of Visa on Arrival
Let’s take a look at the main pros and cons related to this visa type in the process of organising the cheap Vietnam visa:

Pros
The Vietnam visa on arrival is a lot cheaper than applying for visa via a local Vietnamese embassy.

It gives the same visa options as applying at the embassy, such as the 1 or 3 month tourist visa with single or multiple entry.

It gives the complete convenience of organizing the visa from home using an online application form.

This is one of the fastest options to apply for a visa with the standard time to receive the approval letter 2-3 business days.

A quicker service is also provided for the travellers that leave things to the last minute. Subject to an extra fee (about $50) there is the option to have the visa approval letter sent by email within about 2 hours.

There is no need to send your original passport to an embassy with the risk of it getting lost.

Cons
The visa on arrival is only applicable for travellers planning to enter the country by air - and this must take place at one of the major international airports (Danang, Ho Chi Minh City, or Hanoi). If alternative plans are organised to enter Vietnam, such as using a land border crossing or sea port, it would be necessary to apply for the visa in advance issued by a local Vietnamese embassy.

There is a need to pay a processing fee to the company organising the visa, but the cost for the visa on arrival is still a lot more attractive than the visa in advance from an embassy.

While the stamping process at the airport can be completed within 10 minutes, there is the risk of longer queues on busy days, which can increase the wait time to 30-60 minutes.