Must-know Information about Vietnam visa for first-time Hong Kong Travelers
This is your very first time to Vietnam and you don’t know how to get a Vietnam visa? You can find all information you need here.
1. Vietnam visa requirements
All Hong Kong citizens need a valid visa to visit Vietnam, except they directly visit Phu Quoc Island of Vietnam from a territory outside the country and stay there for no more than 30 days.
2. How to obtain a Vietnam visa?
It is very easy to obtain Vietnam visa for Hong Kong citizens as there are currently 2 ways for them to go about with visa application:
- Apply for Vietnam visa at Vietnam embassy; OR
- Apply online for Vietnam visa on arrival.
Which option should be choose depends deeply on how you travel to Vietnam.
If you travel by land or by water, you must obtain one at Vietnam embassy in Hong Kong or in any third country which is convenient for you. This option may be a little bit more complicated as it requires you to contact the embassy for information about required documents, visa fee and processing time. It also requires you to send your original passport to the embassy for visa stamp.
You can avoid this complexity if you travel to Vietnam by air and apply for Vietnam visa on arrival. In this way, you do not to contact the embassy and travel to any place at all. You also are clearly informed of visa fees and processing time. The whole application process is made online. You only need to fill out the online form with your exact information as shown on your passport. After that, pay the service fee and you will receive a visa approval letter, exit and entry form in 2 working days. Get on plane with the letter, the form, your passport, 2 passport photos and stamping fee to pick up your visa at your arrival airport in Vietnam.
Refer to https://vietnamvisa.hk/visa-on-arrival-vs-visa-embassy/ for a detailed comparison between these two ways for Vietnam visa application.
3. Which kind of visa you should apply?
There are two things you should pay attention when choosing kind of Vietnam visa: purpose of visit and numbers of entries.
Following are common visa types classified by purpose of visit:
1. Tourist Visa
This type of visa is used for tourism activities and travelers can stay in Vietnam for 1 or 3 months, but without having to prove the real purpose of the trip. Requirements for tourist visa are simple. First-time travelers to Vietnam are tending to use this visa type more than the others.
2. Business Visa
Technically, business visa is issued for businessmen to enter Vietnam to do business such as making sales, signing contract or attending conference. In reality, anybody can apply for this business visa and stay in Vietnam for certain amount of time. From 2015, to obtain this visa, you have to pay higher fees in comparison to tourist visas. In addition, warranty letter from the sponsor company in Vietnam must be provided.
3. Work Visa
Required documents are needed to obtain a work visa. You must be at least 18 or above, physically fit, have technically skills, no criminal record and work permit. Temporary Resident Card, which allowing visa-free access during 1 to 5 years, is granted for those are holing a work permit for 1 year.
Regarding number of entries into Vietnam, visa is classified into single and multiple entry visa:
Each type of visas above can be single or multiple entries. Single entry visa allows you to enter Vietnam one time, otherwise with multiple entry visa you can reenter the country in a certain amount of time.
4. Conditions to apply for Vietnam visa
- Your passport must be valid for at least 6 months since your arrival date;
- Your passport must have at least 1 blank page for visa stamp.
Confidence is also one of the things that make a wonderful trip and hope that this article will make those who are first-time travelers more confident to obtain Vietnam-visa successfully.
