Editorial · October 4, 2013
Vietnam Visa on Arrival: How to Pick a Safe Agency
Vietnam visa on arrival works only if you hold an approval letter before you fly, and only an official body can issue the visa itself. The Embassy of Viet Nam in the United States has warned travellers about websites that promise more than they can give. This guide explains the basics and how to check an agency before you send money or passport details.
What visa on arrival really means
The name is misleading. You do not simply turn up and buy a visa. The rules say a visa may be issued at an international border gate in listed cases, such as a funeral of a relative or a visit to a seriously ill relative. Other urgent reasons can also count. The cases are set out in Article 6 of the 2000 Ordinance on entry, exit and residence of foreigners.
Because of this, a visa at the border needs a request in advance. Someone must ask for it in writing and give the reason. Without that request, an airline may refuse to let you board, and officials may refuse you entry.
How the approval letter works
The approval letter is the paper that proves the request was accepted. Under Decree 21/2001, the request goes to the Exit and Entry Management Department of the Ministry of Public Security. That office is the Immigration Department that travellers talk about. The inviting person or organisation sends the request, not the traveller alone.
For urgent cases, the decree says the written request must reach the department at least 12 hours before the foreigner arrives at the gate. The visa is then issued by the exit and entry bodies at the border gate. A joint circular from 2002 adds that the request must name the border gate and the arrival time.
In plain terms: the letter comes first, the visa comes at the gate. Keep a printed copy of the letter in your hand luggage, and check that the name and passport details match your passport exactly.
What the embassy has said
The Embassy of Viet Nam in Washington published a notice on September 18, 2011. It said that most visitors need a visa issued by an embassy before they leave home. It said a visa at the border is allowed only in limited cases, and that the traveller must first hold an approval letter signed and sealed by the embassy.
The same notice warned that four websites with government style addresses had offered visa on arrival services and were shut down by the Ministry of Information and Communication. It told travellers to avoid such sites. Its message was clear: a website name that ends in a government domain is not proof that the site is official.
Rules can differ by traveller and by the office you ask, so check with the embassy or consulate in your country before you book. The text above reports what was public on the dates shown.
Five checks before you pay an agency
First, ask who issues the letter. A real agency will say that the Immigration Department decides, and that the agency only passes on your request. If it says it can guarantee approval, walk away.
Second, ask for the full price in writing. Split it into the agency fee and the fee for the visa itself. The decree leaves fee rules to the Ministry of Finance and two other ministries, so the visa fee is not up to the agency. Ask which part you pay online and which part you pay at the border gate.
Third, look for a real business. A named company, a street address in Vietnam, a phone number that someone answers and a business registration number are all easy to ask for. Be careful with sites that show only a web form.
Fourth, read the web address. The 2011 notice shows that copycat sites can use names that look official. Use the embassy site to check what is genuine.
Fifth, protect your documents. Send a passport scan only when you are ready to pay, and never send card details by plain email. Keep every message and receipt.
What to do on the day you fly
Print the letter and carry it with your passport. Bring passport photos and cash for the visa fee, and ask your agency which currency is accepted. Check that the airport named on your letter is the airport where you will land. If your plans change, tell the agency before you travel, not after.
Allow time at the border gate. Officials check the letter against your passport before they issue the visa. If something is wrong, you may lose hours or be sent back on the next flight. A calm, early arrival at the desk, with every paper in order, is the best plan.
If you cannot confirm an agency and the date of travel is close, the safer choice is to apply for a visa at a Vietnamese embassy or consulate instead. It takes longer, but the visa is in your passport before you leave.
This is general information, not legal advice. Entry rules for this visa type shift, so check your airline and the Vietnamese embassy or consulate before booking.
Sources
- Ordinance No. 24/2000/PL-UBTVQH10 of May 12, 2000, English text: english.luatvietnam.vn
- Decree No. 21/2001/ND-CP of May 28, 2001, English text: english.luatvietnam.vn
- Joint Circular No. 04/2002/TTLT-BCA-BNG of January 29, 2002, English text: english.luatvietnam.vn
- Embassy of Viet Nam in the United States, notice "Warning," September 18, 2011: vietnamembassy-usa.org/news/2011/09/warning