Vietnam launches e-visas for visitors from 40 countries

Nationals of eligible countries will be able to apply for a 30-day single-entry e-visa starting February 1.

The Vietnamese government has announced a two-year pilot plan to launch an electronic visa system for foreign tourists visiting the country.

Under a government directive released in late January, citizens from 40 countries will be eligible to apply for the e-visas starting on February 1. Included on the list are China, Japan, South Korea, the U.S., the U.K., Germany and Sweden, all major target markets for Vietnam’s tourism sector. For the full list of eligible nationalities, click here.

To apply for e-visas, foreign citizens can access the websites http://www.xuatnhapcanh.gov.vn  or http://www.immigration.gov.vn

Applicants are required to complete a form available on two separate websites (one in Vietnamese and the other in English) run by the Ministry of Public Security. They will receive an application code and will be asked to pay a non-refundable fee online.

It will take three working days for tourists to find out if their applications have been approved or not, according to the directive.

Successful applicants will be able to print off their e-visas to present when they arrive.

Visitors can touch down at any of Vietnam's eight international airports, including Tan Son Nhat in Ho Chi Minh City, Noi Bai in Hanoi and Da Nang in the central region. They can also arrive via land at 13 international border gates, and via sea at seven ports across the country.

Apart from visa exemptions for tourists from the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN), Vietnam offers 15-day visa exemptions for visitors from the U.K., France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Russia, Japan, South Korea, Denmark, Norway, Finland, Sweden and Belarus.

Citizens of 40 countries will be able to apply for 30-day, single-entry e-visas starting February 1.

1. Azerbaijan 2. Argentina 3. Armenia 4. Ireland 5. Poland 6. Belarus 7. Bulgaria 8. Brunei

9. South Korea 10. Germany 11. Chile 12. Colombia 13. Czech Republic 14. Cuba

15. Denmark 16. Timor Leste 17. United States of America 18. Hungary 19. Greece 20. Italy

21. Kazakhstan 22. Russia 23. United Kingdom 24. Luxembourg 25. Myanmar 26. Mongolia

27. Japan 28. Panama 29. Peru 30. Finland 31. France 32. The Philippines 33. Romania

34. Spain 35. Sweden 36. China (not applicable to Chinese e-passport holders)

37. Uruguay 38. Venezuela 39. Norway 40. Slovakia

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