Foreigners can now apply on their own for all visa categories at the https://evisa.immigration.gov.vn website without guarantees, invitations etc. from Vietnamese organizations or individuals.
In a Monday announcement, the Ministry of Public Security said the move aimed to facilitate the arrival of foreign investors.
The e-visa application is a top-tier public service offered by Vietnam, reflecting the country’s utmost efforts to simplify administrative procedures and help foreigners visit the country, the ministry said.
All procedures, including applications and payments, can be processed online without intervention by visa agencies, border gate processing or third-party agencies.
The latest move is part of the ministry’s efforts to implement the government's Resolution 127/NQ-CP on e-visas issued in August 2023.
Vietnam welcomed over 4.6 million international tourists in the first quarter of this year, up 72% year-on-year and exceeding the same period of pre-pandemic 2019 by 3.2%, the General Statistics Office reported last month.
South Korea has been leading the tourist rush to Vietnam since it reopened its gates in March 2022 after pandemic-related closures. In the first quarter of this year, 1.2 million South Koreans visited the country, accounting for 26.6% of the total, followed by mainland China with 890,000 (19%), Taiwan with 300,000 (6.5%), and the U.S. with 232,000 (5%).
At a March 15 parliamentary hearing, Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son said that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs was in talks with 15 countries about reciprocal visa exemptions and working with relevant authorities in other countries on entry simplification.
At present, Vietnam unilaterally waives visa requirements for citizens from Germany, France, Italy, Spain, the UK, Russia, Japan, South Korea, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland and Belarus. Nationals of these countries can stay for 45 days from the date of entry, regardless of passport type and entry purpose.