HOW TO OBTAIN VIETNAM BUSINESS VISA

If you're planning to do a business visit in Vietnam, you need to get a business visa under sponsored by a registered company in Vietnam. This type of visa is granted for those who enter and remain in Vietnam for a purpose of Working for Vietnamese or foreigner enterprises operates in Vietnam or conducting business activities such as meetings, signing business contracts, etc. The required documents need to provide both from the applicant and the company. One of the important documents to apply for business visa is the Visa Approval Letter (Pre-Visa) from the Ministry of Public Security of Vietnam – your business partner in Vietnam will help you obtain this letter. Because once after submitting your documents to the Vietnam Immigration Department you do not have any chance to modify or change the passport number, proposed date of entry, place to collect visa, so these information must be correct.

HOW TO OBTAIN A BUSINESS, WORK OR INVESTOR VISA FOR VIETNAM

For the purposes of business, work or investment, the applicants are required a Visa Approval Letter from the Ministry of Public Security in advance obtained by a company in Vietnam. The Visa Approval Letter is the legal document approved by the Vietnam Immigration Department to allow foreigners enter into Vietnam and pick up visa at the overseas Embassies or Consulates of Vietnam, or at the international border gates or at the Vietnam’s international airports.

The required documents need to provide both the applicant and Vietnam’s sponsor company

A notary certified copy of sponsor company’s business or investment or representative license in Vietnam, tax and stamp registration certificate;
Visa application forms must be signed and sealed by a legal representative of the company;
Scanning the applicant’s passport;
Providing the proposed date of arrival (this is the date you want your visa to start from. The start date of the visa itself will be the day you arrive - you can enter Vietnam at a later date (up to your exit date) but not before that date, so be sure to take time zone differences into account);
Providing the place of picking up the visa (the visa can be picked up at either the Vietnamese Embassies/ Consulates in your own or another country, or airports of Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, Da Nang or Nha Trang);

Visa’s validity: 1 to 12 months with single or multiple entries

Normal processing time: 7 working days

REQUIRED DOCUMENTS FOR PICKING UP THE BUSINESS VISA

You are able to get your visa stamped at the embassy or the airport or border crossing, to do this you must submit the following documents:

Applicant’s original passport must be valid for six months from your intended arrival date, and must have at least one blank visa page;
2 passport sized photographs (4x6 cm);
The copy of visa approval letter;
Complete the entry and exit application form;
Visa stamping fee depending on the visa single or multiple entry and visa validity (USD25 for 1 and 3 month single, USD50 for 1 and 3 month multiple, USD95 for 6 month multiple and USD135 for 1 year multiple entry) must be paid in cash at the place of visa picking up

WHERE CAN YOU PICK UP THE BUSINESS VISA

There are three options to obtain Business Visa for those that require it

Obtain the visa at Vietnamese Embassies/ Consulates in your own or another country or
Obtain the visa at Vietnam’ international airports including Tan Son Nhat airport in Ho Chi Minh City, Noi Bai airport in Ha Noi City, Cam Ranh airport in Nha Trang, Da Nang airport in Da Nang City or Phu Quoc airport in Kien Giang Province or
Obtain the visa at Vietnam’ international border crossings, Vietnam has over a dozen international overland border crossings. These allow overland travel to Cambodia (via five crossings), Laos (via six crossing) and China (at least two crossings)

CITIZENS OF THE FOLLOWING 24 COUNTRIES ARE NOT REQUIRED A VISA FOR VIETNAM

Visitors to Vietnam must obtain a visa from one of the Vietnamese Embassies/ Consulates or via agencies on arrival unless they come from one of the visa-exempting countries. All visitors must hold a passport valid for 6 months.

1. Citizens of Brunei and Myanmar are granted bilateral visa-free entry no more than 14 days;

2. Citizens of Philippines are granted bilateral visa-free entry no more than 21 days;

3. Citizens of Thailand, Indonesia, Singapore, Cambodia, Laos, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan are granted bilateral visa-free entry no more than 30 days;

4. Citizens of Japan, South Korea, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Russia, Finland, United Kingdom, France, Germany, Spain, Italy and Belarus are granted unilateral visa-free entry no more than 15 days

5. Citizens with APEC business cards from member economies of Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) are granted visa-free entry with no more than 60 days of residence;

6. For tourists to Phu Quoc, Vietnam: Foreigners and abroad residing Vietnamese citizens entering Vietnam through an international border and travelling to Phu Quoc island, then residing under 15 days are granted Vietnam visa free entry. Passport are required at least 45 days validity. After entering Phu Quoc, in case travelers want to have a visit to other destinations or reside in the island more than 15 days, they will be offered Vietnam visa by the Immigration department right in the island;

Kindly note that the citizens of Japan, South Korea, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Russia, Finland, United Kingdom, France, Germany, Spain, Italy and Belarus are granted unilateral visa-free entry no more than 15 days, after 15 days visa exemption they must leave Vietnam for their home or another country and it takes at least 30 days since the latest exit from Vietnam to enter again without Vietnam visa.

OTHER INFORMATION RELATED TO VIETNAM'S WORK PERMIT, VISAS AND TEMPORARY RESIDENCE CARD