From August 15, the Government will issue electronic visas (e-visas) to citizens of all countries and territories in the world instead of only 80 countries and territories as before. The temporary stay period of e-visas will also be increased from 30 days to 90 days. In addition, the temporary stay period will also be increased from 15 days to 45 days for citizens of 13 countries that Vietnam unilaterally exempts from visas.
Responding to VnExpress , many international tourists highly appreciated Vietnam's newly revised visa policy. These changes promise to boost the number of international tourists coming to Vietnam in the future.
Shiela Zobel, a German tourist, said allowing citizens of all countries and territories to apply for e-visas would make it easier for them to decide to come to Vietnam. Germany is on the list of countries that Vietnam unilaterally exempts from visas, so Zobel can stay in Vietnam for up to 45 days or 90 days if she applies for an e-visa. She commented that the previous 30-day period was too short and that tourists like her were "fed up with having to go to Moc Bai border gate" every month to reapply for a visa.
"It's a waste of time, and we also need to save money. With the current change, I think many foreign tourists will benefit and decide to stay in Vietnam longer," Zobel said, adding that he will arrive in Vietnam on August 21.
Foreign visitors to Hoi An in April. Photo: Ngoc Thanh
Reg Boling, an American, has a great affection for the people, landscape, culture and cuisine of Vietnam. He said he has visited Vietnam several times since March and commented that the 30-day temporary stay as per the old policy was only enough for tourists to "see a very small part of the country". Boling is now retired and sees Vietnam as a potential destination for business investment. Extending the temporary stay for foreign visitors would not only help people like him travel more but also increase the possibility of finding investment opportunities in Vietnam.
However, Boling said Vietnam should also consider visa exemptions for more countries and introduce preferential visa policies for retirees with good economic conditions. According to Boling, some Southeast Asian countries such as Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Singapore have done so and this brings economic benefits to both sides.
Sharing the same view as Zobel and Boling, Sue Schein, an American tourist, said she has been to Vietnam many times since 2015 and was one of the first to return to travel after the pandemic. She has been waiting for a change in visa policy for a long time. Schein plans to come to Vietnam in October and stay for two months to visit Hanoi, Sa Pa (Lao Cai) and possibly Laos.
"I hope Vietnam can further expand its visa policy in the future. Honestly, I'm a bit jealous of those who are exempt from visas," she said.
On August 15, Schein tried to apply for an e-visa to Vietnam but encountered some problems with the visa application website. The female tourist commented that the new e-visa application website interface looks more modern and detailed than the old version. However, the website still has many errors, especially in the payment step. By early morning of August 17 (Vietnam time), Schein was still unable to complete the e-visa application because she had not paid.
Payment error notice when Schein applied for e-visa at around 10:30 p.m. on August 16. Photo: NVCC
Schein is not the only tourist who has encountered this situation when applying for an e-visa on the Ministry of Public Security's Public Service Portal website. Joel, an American tourist, said he had some problems uploading photos and even making the payment. In addition, Joel said it was a bit annoying to have to answer some questions.
For example, in the online application process, visitors must answer the question of whether they have been to Vietnam within the past year. Joel thinks this question is quite redundant because the authorities already know this information. In addition, visitors must also answer the question of where they will stay when they arrive in Vietnam. According to Joel, this is a common question but the annoying thing is that visitors must clearly state the district or ward where they will stay. He says most visitors cannot clearly understand this information.
"I think Vietnam should simplify everything to make it easier for tourists to come to you. Those small problems will make many people choose Thailand instead of Vietnam," he said.
According to Mr. Phan Dinh Hue, Director of Vietcircle Travel Company, "there is nothing to criticize" about the openness of the current visa policy. However, Vietnam still needs to improve some technical factors so that tourists feel welcome right from the visa application stage.
Mr. Hue suggested that there should be a written announcement soon, widely publicizing the official visa application website of Vietnam. Currently, there are many fake websites on the internet, using domain names similar to the real website, which can easily confuse tourists. Zobel also said that he was scammed when applying for a visa to Vietnam.
On the other hand, Vietcircle representative said that Vietnam still lacks call center staff to support tourists with visa questions. Currently, foreign tourists cannot contact support staff directly by phone or online message. They have to contact via email and the wait sometimes lasts several days. Previously, some international tourists reported that they did not receive support when sending emails to inquire about visa procedures.
Currently, Vietnam's e-visa application website only supports two languages: English and Vietnamese. Mr. Hue commented that this is a shortcoming that needs to be supplemented soon to provide maximum support to tourists during the application process. Some languages that should be added are Chinese (for Chinese tourists), French (for French tourists, African and Middle Eastern communities), and Spanish (for South American tourists). According to Mr. Hue, if the above factors are improved, tourists will feel the hospitality of Vietnam and want to travel more.
Tu Nguyen
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