The news was announced by a representative of the Vietnamese Government. Exemptions apply to all types of passports and immigration purposes if the travellers can meet all required conditions of Vietnam’s legal regulations.

Visa exemption for Western European visitors will be extended from July 1, 2017 to June 30, 2018.

The visa exemption policy for citizens from five Western European countries was put into trial from July 1, 2015 to June 30, 2016 and then extended by an additional year to June 30, 2017. This is the second time the policy has been granted extension.
According to the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Nguyen Ngoc Thien, visa exemption for visitors from the five selected Western European countries has had a positive impact on the development of tourism in Vietnam.
In 2017 May’s late, Ms. Nguyen Thi Khanh, Ho Chi Minh City Tourism Association has urged the Government to extend the visa waiver for tourists from five Western European countries -- France, Italy, Germany, the UK, and Spain. According to Ms. Nguyen Thi Khanh, the longer stay would be of help to tourists besides boosting their spending in the country. In addition, neighbouring countries have simplified their visa procedures to attract more international visitors.
In the first five months of this year, the number of foreign visitors to Vietnam reached more than 5.3 million, a year-on-year increase of 30.8%. Meanwhile, according to statistics released by the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism, the number of tourists from the five countries, including France, Italy, Germany, UK and Spain rose by 12 per cent year-on-year in the first quarter to more than 240,000.
At the May cabinet meeting, the Government discussed measures to reach the set target of 6.7% of GDP growth for the whole year, including increasing the number of tourists by 30%. In addition, many cabinet members proposed that it its highly necessary to enhance the implementation of e-visa applications for foreigners.