There are probably a few concerns about visa that come to your mind when travelling to a foreign country, not only for Vietnam. Currently, there are 2 ways to get a visa to Vietnam: Online Visa and Embassy visa.
Online Vietnam Visa is a visa issued by the Immigration Department to the visitors via the electronic system and it consists of 2 types: Vietnam e-visa and visa on arrival (VOA). We’re going to figure out differences between the two and share the pros and cons of each one. So, you have a clearer picture and it is easy to make a decision if Vietnam e-visa or visa on arrival is better for you.
1. Vietnam e-visa vs visa on arrival
Although both types are issued by the Vietnam Immigration Department and they grant permission to legally enter Vietnam, Vietnam e-visa and visa on arrival differ in some aspects. We emphasise on some of the key contrasts below:
- Eligible applicants: While-visa on arrival is applied for all travellers who enter through airports, e-visa is effective for passport holders of 80 countries only.
- Entry check points: Vietnam visa on arrival holders can enter through 33 ports in Vietnam including 3 types: airports, land ports and seaports. However, e-visa only allows foreigners to come in through 8 international airports.
- Visa validity: There are some types of visa period and number of entry for applicants to choose from up to their needs for visa on arrival. They are: 1 month (single/ multiple entry), 3 months (single/ multiple entry) and 1 year (multiple entry) for US citizens. Thus, it’s good for tourism and business visits. Vietnam e-visa is not flexible like that because it is valid for 1 month and serves single entry only, which is good for tourism purposes.
- Visa fee: In order to get a visa on arrival, you need to pay 2 kinds of fee at 2 different timing: a sum is approval letter fee which varies by agency and paid to the agency itself, another sum of fee is visa stamping fee (it’s either $25 for single entry or $50 for multiple entry) at arrival airport. In contrast, the Vietnam e-visa requires you to pay $25 at once when applying on the system.
- Where to get a Vietnam visa: Visa on arrival is picked up upon arrival at Vietnam airports provided that you have a visa approval letter on hand by applying online. For e-visa, you can submit the application form and download the approved visa online on the Immigration Department website.
- Visa form: Vietnam e-visa is issued in a pdf file. It is the equivalent to a visa, but there’s no stamp or label placed in the passport. But for a visa on arrival, you only receive the approval letter online then get a stamp in your passport upon arriving at airports.
- Processing time: E-visa will take you 3 business days to get the result. However, for a visa on arrival, the time is different from type to type. Standard time for tourist visa is 2 working days while that of business visa is 7 working days. Luckily, some agencies provide express service which allows you to get the-visa approval letter within hours.
2. Pros and cons of each visa type
Obviously, those differences lead to pros and cons of the 2 visa kinds. In order to see which is beneficial for you, we will help you go through advantages and disadvantages of Vietnam e-visa on arrival and Vietnam e-visa below:
Visa on arrival | E-visa | |
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Cons |
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Both two types of Vietnam visa require advance preparation and an online application, but they’re quite different in terms of price, ease of use, process and what they allow holders. And each type has distinctive advantages and certain drawbacks that applicants need to consider carefully prior to submission. As a result, you will see if Vietnam e-visa or voa is the optimal option for your trip to Vietnam.