When foreigners are living and working in Vietnam: when you enter or leave Vietnam

There are 4 issues that foreigners should be informed to enter or leave Vietnam:

Visa

From February 1, 2017, Vietnam has begun to pilot the issuance of electronic visas for citizens of those 40 countries below:

No.	ICAO	By Vietnamese	By English
1	AZE	A-déc-bai-gian	Azerbaijan
2	ARG	Ac-hen-ti-na	Argentina
3	ARM	Ac-mê-ni-a	Armenia
4	IRL	Ai-rơ-len	Ireland
5	POL	Ba Lan	Poland
6	BLR	Bê-la-rút	Belarus
7	BGR	Bun-ga-ri	Bulgaria
8	BRN	Bru-ney	Bruney
9	KOR	CH Hàn Quốc	Korea (South)
10	D	CH Liên bang Đức	Germany
11	CHL	Chi-lê	Chile
12	COL	Cô-lôm-bi-a	Colombia
13	CZE	Cộng hòa Séc	Czech Republic
14	CUB	Cu Ba	Cuba
15	DNK	Đan Mạch	Denmark
16	TLS	Đông Ti-mo	Timor Leste
17	USA	Hoa Kỳ	United States of America
18	HUN	Hung-ga-ri	Hungari
19	GRC	Hy Lạp	Greece
20	ITA	I-ta-li-a	Italy
21	KAZ	Ka-dắc-xtan	Kazakhstan
22	RUS	Liên bang Nga	Russia
23	GBR	Liên hiệp Vương quốc Anh và Bắc Ai len	United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
24	LUX	Luých-xem-bua	Luxembourg
25	MMR	Mi-an-ma	Myanmar (Burma)
26	MNG	Mông Cổ	Mongolia
27	JPN	Nhật Bản	Japan
28	PAN	Pa-na-ma	Panama
29	PER	Pê-ru	Peru
30	FIN	Phần Lan	Finland
31	FRA	Pháp	France
32	PHL	Phi-líp-pin	Philippines
33	ROM	Ru-ma-ni	Romania
34	ESP	Tây Ban Nha	Spain
35	SWE	Thuỵ Điển	Sweden
36	CHN	Trung Quốc (Không áp dụng với công dân mang hộ chiếu phổ thông điện tử)	China (Not apply to Chinese e-passport holders)
37	URY	U-ru-goay	Uruguay
38	VEN	Vê-nê-du-ê-la	Venezuela
39	NOR	Vương quốc Na-uy	Norway
40	SVK	Xlô-va-ki-a	Slovakia

You can only be issued with a visa when you fulfill the conditions below:

- Has a passport or laissez-passer.

- Receive an invitation or sponsorship letter by an organization or individual in Vietnam, except for foreigners who comes to Vietnam for the purpose of market survey, tourism, relatives visiting, or medical treatment.

- Avoid falling into the following situations wherein you are subject to entry suspension:

+ Children under 14 years of age travelling without parents, guardians or authorized custodians.

+ Forging papers or providing false information to obtain the entry/exit/residence permit.

+ Any person suffering from a mental disease or infectious disease that threatens the public health.

+ Any person that was deported from Vietnam within 03 years from the day on which the expulsion decision takes effect.

+ Any person that was compelled to leave Vietnam within 06 months from the day on which the expulsion decision takes effect.

+ For reasons of epidemic prevention.

+ For reasons of natural disasters.

+ For reasons of national defense, national security, social order and social safety.

- Proof of entry purposes must be provided when applying for a visa in the following cases:

+ Any foreigner who comes to make investment must have papers proving the investment in Vietnam in accordance with the Law on Investment;

+ Any foreigner who works as a lawyer in Vietnam must have a practice license in accordance with the Law of Lawyers;

+ Any foreigner who comes to work in Vietnam must have work permits in accordance with the Labor Code;

+ Any foreigner who comes to study in Vietnam must have written acceptance of a school or an education institution in Vietnam.

Procedures for issuance of electronic visas upon the requests of foreigners:

Step 1: access the electronic visa website https://evisa.xuatnhapcanh.gov.vn/web/guest/khai-thi-thuc-dien-tu/cap-thi-thuc-dien-tu to fill in the electronic visa application form, upload the photo and passport data page in accordance with the attached file.

Step 2: Receive the confirmation code and pay the visa fee to the account in the electronic visa website.

Within 03 business days from the day on which all required information and visa fee are received, the Immigration Department shall verify, process and make its decision on said visa application at the electronic visa application website.

Note: Foreigners can use the electronic confirmation code to check their visa status with the Immigration Department at the electronic visa application webpage; In case of approval of issuance of an electronic visa, the electronic confirmation code is used to have that electronic visa printed out in accordance with attached file.

Visa symbols and duration:

No.	Visa symbols	Meaning	Visa duration
1	NG1	Issued to members of delegations invited by the Secretary General of Vietnam’s Communist Party, the President of Vietnam, the President of the National Assembly, the Prime Minister	Not longer than 12 months
2	NG2	Issued to members of delegations invited by standing members of the Secretariat of the Vietnam’s Communist Party, Deputy President of Vietnam, Deputy President of the National Assembly, Deputy Prime Minister, President of Vietnamese Fatherland Front, Executive Judge of The Supreme Court, Chief Procurator of the Supreme Procuracy, State Auditor General; members of delegations at the same levels of Ministers, Secretary Generals of Provincial Communist Authorities, President of the People’s Committees of provinces	Not longer than 12 months
3	NG3	Issued to members of diplomatic missions, consular offices, representative offices of international organizations affiliated to the UN, representative offices of intergovernmental organizations and their spouses, children under 18 years of age, and housemaids during their term of office	Not longer than 12 months
4	NG4	Issued to people who come to work with diplomatic missions, consular offices, representative offices of international organizations affiliated to the UN, representative offices of intergovernmental organizations, visitors of members of diplomatic missions, consular offices, representative offices of international organizations affiliated to the UN, and representative offices of intergovernmental organizations	Not longer than 12 months
5	LV1	Issued to people who come to work with units affiliated to Vietnam’s Communist Party; the National Assembly, the government, Central Committee of Vietnamese Fatherland Front, the People’s Supreme Court, the People’s Supreme Procuracy, State Audit Agency, Ministries, ministerial agencies, Governmental agencies, the People’s Councils, the People’s Committees of provinces	Not longer than 12 months
6	LV2	Issued to people who come to work with socio-political organizations, social organizations, Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry	Not longer than 12 months
7	ĐT	Issued to foreign investors in Vietnam and foreign lawyers granted the lawyer’s practicing certificates in Vietnam	Not longer than 05 years
8	DN	Issued to people who come to work with companies in Vietnam	Not longer than 12 months
9	NN1	Issued to Managers of representative offices or projects of international organizations and foreign non-governmental organizations in Vietnam	Not longer than 12 months
10	NN2	Issued to heads of representative offices, branches of foreign traders, representative offices of other foreign economic, cultural, professional organizations in Vietnam	Not longer than 12 months
11	NN3	Issued to people who come to work with foreign non-governmental organizations, representative offices, branches of foreign traders, representative offices of other foreign economic, cultural, professional organizations in Vietnam	Not longer than 12 months
12	DH	Issued to people who come to study or serve internship	Not longer than 12 months
13	HN	Issued to people who come to attend conventions or conference	Not longer than 03 months
14	PV1	Issued to journalists who have permanent residences in Vietnam	Not longer than 12 months
15	PV2	Issued to journalists who come for a short period of time in Vietnam	Not longer than 12 months
16	LĐ	Issued to people entering Vietnam to work	Not longer than 02 years
17	DL	Issued to tourists	Not longer than 03 months
18	TT	Issued to foreigners that are spouse, children under 18 years of age of the foreigners with LV1, LV2, ĐT, NN1, NN2, DH, PV1, LĐ visas, or foreigners that are parents, spouse, children of Vietnamese citizens	Not longer than 12 months
19	VR	Issued to people who come to visit their relatives or for other purposes	Not longer than 06 months
20	SQ	Issued to people who come to Vietnam for the purpose of market survey, tourism, visiting relatives, or medical treatment: - People who have works to do with an overseas visa-issuing authority of Vietnam, his/her spouse and children; people that present a written request by a competent agency of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the host country; - People who present a diplomatic note of sponsorship by a foreign diplomatic mission or consular office at the host country

Entry

You can only be granted entry into Vietnam when you fulfill the conditions below:

- Has a passport /laissez-passer and visa.

Any foreigner that enters Vietnam and is unilaterally granted visa-free entry must have a passport that is still valid for at least 06 months and the entry date must be at least 30 days from the previous exit.

- Avoid falling into the following situations wherein you are subject to entry suspension:

+ Children under 14 years of age traveling without parents, guardians or authorized custodians.

+ Forging papers or providing false information to obtain the entry/exit/residence permit.

+ Any person suffering from a mental disease or infectious disease that threatens the public health.

+ Any person that was deported from Vietnam within 03 years from the day on which the expulsion decision takes effect.

+ Any person that was compelled to leave Vietnam within 06 months from the day on which the expulsion decision takes effect.

+ For reasons of epidemic prevention.

+ For reasons of natural disasters.

+ For reasons of national defense, national security, social order and social safety.

- Proof of entry purposes must be provided when applying for a visa in the following cases:

+ Any foreigner who comes to make investment must have papers proving the investment in Vietnam in accordance with the Law on Investment;

+ Any foreigner who works as a lawyer in Vietnam must have a practice license in accordance with the Law of Lawyers;

+ Any foreigner who comes to work in Vietnam must have work permits in accordance with the Labor Code;

+ Any foreigner who comes to study in Vietnam must have written acceptance of a school or an education institution in Vietnam.

Transit

You can only be granted transit when you fulfill the conditions below:

- Has a passport or laissez-passer.

- A ticket that matches the route to the third country.

- The visa issued by the third country, except for cases in which they are granted visa-free.

 Note that you can only transit at the area within the border checkpoint where foreigners may stay before going to the third country.

Foreigners that transit by air are not required to obtain a visa and must stay within the transit passenger area of the international airport waiting for the flight, during this time, any foreigner that wishes to enter Vietnam for the purpose of tourism according to a schedule designed by an international tourism company in Vietnam can be considered to be issued with a visa that match the transit duration.

Foreigners that transit by sea are not required to obtain a visa and must stay within the transit passenger area of the seaport while the ship is anchoring; any of them who wishes to enter Vietnam for the purpose of tourism according to a schedule designed by an international tourism company in Vietnam; any of them who wishes to leave Vietnam through another border checkpoint can be considered to be issued with a VR visa.

Exit

You can only be granted exit from Vietnam when you fulfill 3 conditions below:

- Has a passport or laissez-passer.

- Has an unexpired temporary residence permit, temporary residence card or permanent residence card;

- Avoid falling into the following situations wherein you are subject to exit suspension:

+ The foreigner is currently the suspect, the accused, or the person with relevant obligations in a criminal case; a defendant or a person with relevant obligations in a civil case pertaining to business, employment, administration, marriage and familial affairs (not applicable for the persons who are transferred to serve their imprisonment sentence for supply of evidence in accordance with Article 25 of the Law on Legal Assistance)

+ The foreigner has to implement a judgement or decision of the Court or a Competition Settlement Council;

+ The foreigner have not fulfilled his/her tax obligation;

+ The foreigner is obliged to be subject to a decision on penalties for administrative violations;

+ For reasons of national defense and security.

Note that the duration of suspension from exit shall not exceed 03 years and may be extended.

Legal grounds:

- Law on Entry, exit, transit, and residence of foreigners in Vietnam2014

- Decree 07/2017/ND-CP on prescribing processes and procedures for pilot issuance of electronic visa to foreigners entering Vietnam

Reading in Vietnamese: Khi xuất nhập cảnh