Vietnam is one of the best places to move to if you are looking to start a new chapter of your life or simply a great destination for your backpacking or holiday.
One of the key reasons I chose Vietnam as my new home base was how easy and straightforward it is to get and arrange your Vietnam visa. Here, I will show you the different types of Vietnam visas to make sure you will apply for the right one.
For tourists, your first step will be to see whether you are one from of the countries that doesn’t need a visa for Vietnam. If a visa is a requirement for entering Vietnam for you, then read on!
RELATED POST: How to apply for a Vietnam visa
VIETNAM VISA TYPES
TOURIST VISA (No. 17)
| VISA TYPE | DESCRIPTION |
|---|---|
| D | This category is given to foreign nationals who plan to travel to Vietnam on a visa-free agreement. |
| DL | This type of visa is for travellers who receive a visa on arrival or have applied for a visa beforehand for the purpose of tourism. |
Countries With Visa-Free Agreement With Vietnam
| DAYS | COUNTRIES |
|---|---|
| 90 | Chile |
| 30 | Cambodia, Indonesia, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand |
| 21 | Philippines |
| 14 | Brunei, Myanmar (Burma) |
| 15 with restrictions | Belarus*, Denmark*, Finland*, France*, Germany*, Italy*, Japan*, Norway*, Russia*, South Korea*, Spain*, Sweden*, United Kingdom** *There should be at least 30 days of gap between two visa-free visits. Must show an onward ticket **Only for British nationals |
EVISA
Vietnam launched the evisa last February 2017 which lets the following countries apply for a single entry visa valid for 30 days for $25.
| Argentina | Cuba | Ireland | Panama | Spain |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Armenia | Czech Republic | Italy | Peru | Sweden |
| Azerbaijan | Denmark | Japan | Philippines | Timor-Leste |
| Belarus | Finland | Kazakhstan | Poland | United Kingdom |
| Brunei | France | Luxembourg | Romania | United States |
| Bulgaria | Germany | Mongolia | Russia | Uruguay |
| China* | Greece | Myanmar | Slovakia | Venezuela |
| Colombia | Hungary | Norway | South Korea |
*not applicable for e-passport holders
BUSINESS VISA – DN (No. 8)
This category is for those who work for Vietnamese enterprises. It is also called the business visa which you can obtain without having a job beforehand. The validity of this visa type is up to 12 months. Here is our guide on getting a business visa.
If you are coming to teach English in Vietnam, the school you get hired by will usually assist to change your tourist visa to a business visa while you wait for your work permit to be processed.
Here is a guide on how you can get a Vietnamese work permit and a temporary residence card.
STUDENT VISA – DH (No. 12)
This visa is granted for those who are planning to study, be an intern or have probation in Vietnam. This visa is valid for up to 12 months.
PV1 (No. 14)
This visa can be obtained by a Journalist who is holding a permanent residence in Vietnam. The duration of stay is up to 12 months.
TT (No. 18)
The visa is granted for a spouse or a child is are under 18 years old of foreign nationals who are holding an LV1, LV2, DT, NN1, DH, PV1, LD, or those whose parents, spouse, or son/daughter of Vietnamese citizen.
VR (No. 19)
This type of visa is granted for those who wish to visit their relatives in Vietnam or for another purpose. The duration of this type of visa is up to 6 months.
There are other types of visas in Vietnam, however, I only listed the ones that I think will be useful for an expat, if you didn’t find the type of visa you are looking for, please check this page. I hope you find the answer you need regarding visas before you move to Vietnam.
We will be in Vietnam in March of next year. Does the 30 day visa begin when we arrive or when we are granted the visa, because if the latter, it will expire before we get there.
Hi,
When you apply for your visa you will put the date of your arrival in Vietnam and then your visa will be valid from that date for 30 days.
– Craig