How To Get A Business Visa To Vietnam

Vietnam has a fast-growing economy and accelerated growth in GDP. There are many opportunities for business in the country. To enter Vietnam for business purposes, you require a Vietnam Business Visa. Let’s find out how you can get a business visa to Vietnam.

There are two ways to get a Business visa to Vietnam. The first way is through the Vietnam embassy. The second way is to obtain a business visa on arrival. Vietnam Business Visas are short term visas and can allow a maximum stay of up to one year.

Types of Vietnam Business Visas

Vietnam Business Visas are divided into two categories: DN1 and DN2

DN1 Business visa– This visa is for foreigners who already work with other organizations, and the legal status is similar to that of Vietnam.

DN2 Business visa– This visa of offered to foreigners who wish to establish their own business or achieve other activities abiding by the international treaty signed by Vietnam.

Without a working visa, no individual is allowed to work in the country.

Exceptions- Citizens of some specific countries are allowed without a visa for a certain period of time, usually 15 to 30 days. Such countries include-

Thailand, Brunei, Cambodia, Malaysia, Singapore, Finland, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Myanmar, Belarus, France, United Kingdom, Philippines, Norway, Denmark, Spain, Germany, Italy, Japan, Sweden, Russia, South Korea, Indonesia

(Terms and conditions apply)

Requirements to obtain a working visa for Vietnam

Except for the countries mentioned above, to work in Vietnam, all foreigners need a working visa.

Required documents:

Passport- Your passport must remain valid for a minimum of six months from your date of arrival. It must also contain a minimum 2 blank pages for stamps during visa and immigration.
Passport size photos- you need a minimum of two passport size photographs.
When applying through the embassy in your country, you also require a letter of sponsorship from a licensed company in Vietnam.

Types of Business Visa for Vietnam

Business visas in Vietnam are categorized on the basis of the length of stay or validity and the number of times you can enter the country. Vietnam Business Visas are short term visas and can allow a maximum stay of up to one year. You will be required to apply for the most suitable visa as per your requirements or the sponsorship letter.

You can apply for a single-entry visa valid for either one month or three months.

If you wish to apply for multiple entries, you can choose a multiple entry visa for a validity of one month, three months, six months, or a year.

Currently, a one-year-long Visa is only open for US passport holders. For a stay of longer duration, you may need to obtain a work permit for Vietnam.

Procedure for obtaining a Business Visa for Vietnam

You can acquire a business visa for Vietnam in two following ways:

The first way is through the Vietnam embassy. You will have to contact the Vietnam embassy before putting in an application so as to understand the procedure of applying for the visa

The second way is to obtain a business visa on arrival. It does not mean you have to travel to Vietnam. You only have to fill an online form asking for personal and travel details. A visa letter is sent through e-mail within a certain time period, and on arriving at Vietnam airport, a stamp is put on.

To obtain a Visa on Arrival

The visa on arrival process is easier and is a four-step process-

Fill out the online form on the online websites that provide an arrival visa for Vietnam. The details you enter on the online application should be absolutely correct.

The personal details asked would be your name, your date of birth, passport details, the date on which you wish to arrive, and your gender. You should keep your passport handy. The government website is highly recommended.

The second step is payment- the next step requires you to pay for the approval. The fee is also known as the service fees. It depends on the number of applicants and the type of visa and varies accordingly, starting from a rate of US$17. Fees paid on arrival for the stamp is collected in cash and is known as the stamping fees.

Print out your approval letter- you will receive your approval letter within a week or earlier from the day of the application through e-mail. You need to print it out and keep it with you in addition to the two-colored passport size photographs to present it to the immigration officer at Vietnam airport on the day of arrival.

Visa Stamp- the last step is to get your visa stamped and paying the stamping fee required. You may need to present your approval letter to the officer.

Cost of Business Visa for Vietnam

The cost for the visa depends on the procedure (visa on arrival/through embassy) you choose to follow to obtain your visa.

If you choose to obtain it through Vietnam Embassy, the price of the visa may vary.
If you wish to obtain an arrival visa, there are two kinds of fees to be paid:

(i) Service fee – Service fees are paid online to the Vietnamese government for the processing of the visa approval with the immigration department of Vietnam, and then it is delivered to you through e-mail. This fee remains fixed with the type of visa, the number of days for processing, and the number of applicants.

(ii) Stamping fee – Stamping fee is paid during the immigration in cash. It is paid to the immigration officer after your arrival at the Vietnam airport for the visa stamp. Depending on the type of visa for which you apply, the Stamping fee varies accordingly. For single entry visas, the stamping fee is US$25, and for multiple entry visas, the stamping fee required is US$50.

For example, in a case of a one-month working visa permitting single entry, the fees are US$119 as the service fee and US$ 25 as the stamping fee, making it a total of US$144.

The time required for the processing of Business Visa

The time taken for the processing of the Vietnam Business Visa varies with the method you choose to get it.

For the visa on arrival, the processing time usually takes seven days. But you may get it early, depending upon your emergency within two to three days. The extra fees may vary accordingly, depending on the websites you may use to apply for an online visa.

Processing time taken by the embassy depends on the embassy.

Some points to keep in mind

The requirement of a sponsorship letter for a business visa- You only require a sponsorship letter from a Vietnam company when applying for the visa through the embassy. It is not necessary in case you apply for visa on arrival.
Working in Vietnam on a business visa-You will be able to work with a business visa, but if you plan to live there on a long-term basis, you may need to opt for a Vietnam work permit.
Business Visa without sponsorship letter- Many online sites provide a visa on arrival, and they do not require sponsorship from a Vietnam company.
Business Visa Extension- an extension of Vietnam Business Visa is possible. You may be able to do it online, or you ask your employer/company or your business partner to do so for you.
Tourist Visa to Business Visa- If you are already in Vietnam as a tourist on tourist Visa, you may need to exit the country and then apply for a business visa.