Vietnam visa types

Vietnam visa is classified into many types that it’s hard to discuss them all in one article. Therefore, we will only mention typical types of Vietnam visas that foreigners often apply for and concern about.

Tourist visa (C1)

Vietnam tourist visa is often used for tourism activities but the travelers can apply for it to join family or conduct business in Vietnam for no more than 1 month without having to prove the real purpose of the trip. Requirements for the tourist visa are relatively simple. Embassies usually require a passport with at least 6 months of validity, a completed application form, and one recent passport-sized photo.

Business visa (B3)

In principle, a Vietnam business visa is issued to businessmen entering Vietnam to do business such as making sales, signing a contract or attending a conference. In reality, anybody can ask for a business visa to visit Vietnam for 3 months. The requirements for the business visa are identical to those for the tourist visa, with an additional approval letter provided by your sponsor in Vietnam. If you do not have a sponsor, please contact the Vietnam Embassy for further help. Or, you can also apply electronically from a private travel company. This option is much easier, faster and cheaper.

Unfortunately, business visa is not sufficient for you to work in Vietnam on a long-term basis. If you want to live and work in Vietnam for more than 3 month, a work visa will be required.

Work visa

Obtaining work visa from outside Vietnam is somewhat involved and requires lots of paperwork. Many ex-pats in Vietnam apply for tourist or business visa and then switch to work visa from within the country.

To qualify for the work visa for Vietnam, you must be at least 18 years old, physically fit to do the work, provide proof of technical skills and work permit. Especially, you cannot have a criminal record in the past. The visa validity will be determined according to your validity of the work permit. Those who are holding a work permit valid for at least 1 year can be granted a Temporary Resident Card, which allowing visa-free access during 1 to 5 years.

Transit visa

Vietnam Government doesn’t require a transit visa if travelers transiting through Vietnam just stay inside the airport and do not cross the Immigration Area. For individuals who want to take a short city tour while waiting for the next flight, you’ll have to apply for a tourist visa because Vietnam transit visa is only given to escorted group tours guaranteed by travel companies. The maximum validity of the visa for transiting is 5 days.

Single and multiple entry visas

Single and multiple entry visas are types of visa fall into all of the categories above. It means that you can have a business or tourist visa that is single entry or multiple entries. Single entry allows you to enter Vietnam once, and a multiple entry visa is sufficient for your repeat visits to the country.

Related articles:

• Vietnam Visa Exemption
• Vietnam Tourist Visa
• Vietnam Business Visa
• Vietnam immigration policy for Processing Vietnam visa
• How to get urgent visa for Vietnam
• Vietnam tourist visa for Russian citizens
• List of countries cannot be supporting Vietnam visa online.
• Visa exemption agreement between Vietnam and Myanmar
• Single visa for Vietnam, Thailand, Cambodia
• Urgent Vietnam visa on arrival for Irish passport holders