Entry Requirements

Passports

For an up-to-date, country-by-country listing of passport requirements around the world, go to the "Foreign Entry Requirement" Web page of the U.S. State Department at http://travel.state.gov.

Visas

Residents of the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom need both a passport and a prearranged visa to enter Vietnam. A tourist visa lasts for 30 days and costs $65 (£36). You'll pay a bit more through an agent but will save yourself some paper shuffling. Note: If you're planning a side trip to Angkor Wat, but your return flight leaves from Vietnam, make sure to get a multiple-entry visa to get back into the country. A multiple-entry 30-day visa costs $130 (£72). A visa takes 5 to 7 days to process. Applicants must submit an application, a passport, and a passport photo. U.S. citizens can obtain a visa application from the Vietnam Embassy in Washington, D.C., online at www.vietnamembassy-usa.org, or by calling tel. 202/861-1297. Mail the completed application with your passport and your passport photos using an express carrier (Federal Express, US Express, or Priority Mail with delivery confirmation) to the embassy (1233 20th St. NW, Suite 400, Washington, DC 20036) including a self-addressed stamped envelope from an express carrier (with delivery confirmation). Processing time is usually 5 days, but for a small fee, you can expedite it to as few as 2 days, and even less in last-minute circumstances (call to see what you can arrange). The embassy is open Monday to Friday from 9:30am to 12:30pm. The fax number is 202/861-1297.

Although there's no official policy, once inside Vietnam, most tourists can extend their visa twice, each time for 30 days, but this is done on a case-by-case basis, and it's possible only through a travel agent (government-owned Saigontourist is a good bet; for more information, call tel. 08/824-4554 or go to www.saigontourist.net). If someone gives you trouble about extending your visa, stick to your guns and ask around. Multiple-entry business visas that are valid for up to 3 months are available, but you must have a sponsoring agency in Vietnam and it can take much longer to process. For short business trips, it's less complicated simply to enter as a tourist.

You no longer need to specify an entry point; Vietnam visas are good for any legal port of entry -- land, sea, or air -- but remember that your visa begins on the date that you specify on your application.

In a bid to boost investment and cooperation, Vietnam has lifted visa requirements for Japanese and Koreans -- a good sign that visa restrictions for Western visitors might loosen up soon.

Vietnamese Embassy Locations

In the United States

Vietnam Embassy: 82/1 Wireless Rd., Bangkok 10500 (tel. 02/251-7202 or 02/251-5835; fax 02/251-7201 or 02/251-7203)

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Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.

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				Frommer's Vietnam, 2nd Edition Author: Sherisse Pham Pub Date: January 22, 2008 Price: $22.99				Related Titles: Comrades and Strangers: Behind the Closed Doors of North Korea Frommer's Beijing Day by Day, Official U.S.O.C. Edition, 1st Edition Frommer's Beijing, 5th Edition