Vietnam to pilot granting E-visa for foreign citizens from 40 countries
The Immigration Department under the Ministry of Public Security recently announced at a press conference in Hanoi that since February 1, Decree 07/2017-ND-CP by Vietnam Government has been enacted with the content about piloting electronic visa (E-visa) in 2 years for citizens from 40 countries.
E-visa is a legal visa issued and managed through the electronic transaction system of Vietnam Immigration Department – Ministry of Public Security. Instead of getting physical visa label in your passport like the traditional way, citizens just need to print the visa.According to Decree 07/2017-ND-CP issued by the Government on the same day, procedures for applying and payment will be done online. It will take 3 days to process application for an e-visa valid for 30 days. The visa does not require letters of guarantee or invitation.
Richard Kenneth Wilson (a British national), the first e-Visa tourist to Vietnam, is greeted at the Tan Son Nhat International Airport
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Foreign citizens will be granted a e-visas for exit and entry through international border gates as listed in Appendix II attached to Decree 07/2017-ND-CP. The list of 40 countries is approved by the Ministries of Public Security, National Defense and Foreign Affairs.
Major General Le Xuan Vien, Head of the department, announced the figures after the first week of an e-visa pilot scheme conducted under Decree No. 07, which took effect on February 1 and permits tourists from 40 countries to apply and receive Vietnamese visas online.
The granting of normal visa will still be implemented in line with regulations of the Law on Entry, Exit, Transit, and Residence for Foreigners in Vietnam, he noted. The move demonstrates the Government’s determination to promote administration reform, the official added.
As many as 490 foreigners have registered for electronic visas to enter Vietnam, 210 of whom have been issued their visas, after the first week of the e-visa pilot scheme, the Ministry of Public Security’s Department of Immigration has said.
Decree 07/2017/ND-CP, which allowed visitors from 40 countries to apply for and receive Vietnamese visas online, took effect earlier this month. The move was an effort by the Government to boost socio-economic development, making it more convenient for foreigners to enter the country without being given guarantees by certain organisations or individuals.
It also aimed to contribute to the development of the tourism industry, which hopes to attract between 15 and 20 million tourists in the next two years. Foreigners could apply for visas and pay fees through the website. The process takes only three days for an e-visa valid for 30 days without requiring letters of guarantee or invitation.
Visitors from the following 40 countries can apply for Vietnam’s e-visas during the course of the pilot programme: Azerbaijan, Argentina, Armenia, Ireland, Poland, Belarus, Bulgaria, Brunei, the Republic of Korea, Germany, Chile, Colombia, the Czech Republic, Cuba, Denmark, Timor-Leste, the United States, Hungary, Greece, Italy, Kazakhstan, Russia, the United Kingdom, Luxembourg, Myanmar, Mongolia, Japan, Panama, Peru, Finland, France, the Philippines, Romania, Spain, Sweden, China (not applicable for Chinese e-passport holders), Uruguay, Venezuela, Norway and Slovakia.
Each applicant is provided with a digital code, with which they can check the application’s progress and print their e-visas once they have been issued. They can also present the codes at border gates and airports for scanning. The e-visas are valid for 30 days. Each applicant must pay a non-refundable application fee of $25 visa bank transfer.
The e-visas are accepted at most international airports and the 28 border gates in Vietnam, according to Major General Vien. Tourists can also conduct temporary residence declarations online when travelling with e-visas. The pilot scheme will be evaluated by the government and results reported to the National Assembly once completed in 2019. Thirty countries around the world now provide e-visas.
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