1. What is a Visa?

According to the Law on Entry, Exit, Transit, and Residence of Foreigners in Vietnam, a visa is a document issued by a competent Vietnamese agency, allowing foreigners to enter Vietnam. Thus, a visa or visa is evidence confirming that someone is allowed to enter or leave the country that issued the visa.

Visa exemption (or "visa exemption") is when a country allows citizens of another country to enter and stay for a certain period of time without the need for formalities and payment of related fees. regarding immigration.

In recent years, Visa has expanded its reach from bank cards to electronic banking, acting as a point-of-sale debit card payment processor, and automated clearing transactions. (ACH) to financial institutions in some states. Visa member financial institutions issue Visa credit cards and Visa Check Card debit cards. The full name is Visa International Services Association. (Visa International Services Association).

2. Who is exempted from the visa for Vietnam?

BaseArticle 12 Law on entry, exit, transit, and residence of foreigners in Vietnam 2014, amended in 2019,Cases exempt from visa to Vietnam include:

- According to international treaties to which Vietnam is a member;

- Use permanent residence card, temporary residence card;

- Entering border gate economic zones, special administrative-economic units;

- Entering the coastal economic zone decided by the Government when all conditions are met: having an international airport; have separate space; has a defined geographical boundary, separate from the mainland; consistent with socio-economic development policies and does not harm Vietnam's national defense, national security, social order and safety;

- Vietnam unilaterally exempts visas.

A decision to unilaterally exempt visas for citizens of a country must meet all of the following conditions:

+ Have diplomatic relations with Vietnam;

+ Consistent with Vietnam's socio-economic development and foreign policy in each period;

+ Do not harm Vietnam's national defense, security, social order and safety.

Unilateral visa exemption decisions are valid for no more than 5 years and can be considered for extension. The Government decided to unilaterally waive visas for a limited period of time for each country.

- Vietnamese residing abroad who have passports or valid international travel documents issued by competent foreign agencies and foreigners who are their spouses and children; Foreigners who are spouses and children of Vietnamese citizens are exempt from visas according to Government regulations.

According to the e-portal on consular work of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Vietnam, Vietnam has signed agreements and visa exemption agreements with 91 countries, of which 04 agreements are with Cameroon, Nam-mi... Billiards, Ethiopia and Panama (HCPT) has not yet determined its validity.

According to Resolution 117/NQ-CP in 2019, the Government agreed to extend visa exemption for citizens of the following countries: Russian Federation, Japan, Republic of Korea, Kingdom of Denmark, Kingdom of Norway, and the United Kingdom. Sweden, the Republic of Finland and the Republic of Belarus when entering Vietnam until December 31, 2022 with a temporary residence period in Vietnam not exceeding 15 days from the date of entry, regardless of type passport, entry purpose on the basis of fully meeting the conditions prescribed by Vietnamese law.

3. Types of visas

– Tourist visa: This visa is issued to guests wishing to travel and is valid for 30 days from the date of entry.

– Commercial Visa: Issued to foreigners seeking investment and business opportunities. Visa is valid from 90 to 180 days from the date of entry and has the right to enter and exit multiple times through international border gates.

– Temporary residence permit: Issued to foreigners who come to work regularly, valid for 1 year from the date of entry and has the right to enter through international border gates.

Immigrant visa: Used to enter and settle in a country under categories such as Parents sponsoring children, spouses...

Nonimmigrant visa: Used to enter a country within a permitted period of time, temporarily including the following types:

- Tourism

- Work, work.

- Business.

- Treatment and cure.

- Seasonal labor.

- Study.

- Exchange programs.

- Diplomacy and politics.

4. Visa application procedures:

Visa application

The visa application is the first document needed in the list of documents needed to apply for a visa. This is a declaration expressing the applicant's will and desires to the competent authority.

Here, the applicant will have to fill in basic information such as:

• Personal information;
• Information about the trip
• Job information;
• Economic information;
• Type of visa required…

Finally, the applicant will usually have to commit and sign the end of the document.

Competent authorities mainly rely on this declaration to issue visas. Other documents in the file are only responsible for proving that the recorded information is correct and consistent.

The visa application is usually presented according to an available form, provided by the competent authority of the visa-issuing country. For example, Vietnam's is Model NA1, America's is Model DS-160, China's is V.2013,...

Passport

Passport (also known as Passport) can be compared to your identification card when abroad. And usually the visa will be stamped right on the passport (except in cases where it is issued separately). You will be required to present your passport when entering or leaving any country.

Image

Photos are something that should always be included in every profile. Its meaning is nothing more than to identify the visa holder. To serve that purpose, photos often have to meet certain standards. For example, it must be taken within the last few months, not wearing dark glasses, looking straight, not wearing a hat, etc.

The photo will be pasted on the declaration form and on the separate visa issued.

The following are documents to prove the information you have declared in the visa application:

Personal information documents

Confirm the personal information you have provided as well as your criminal record. For example, identity cards, citizen identification cards,...

Documents about relatives

Provide more information about yourself and family members who can contact you in case something unexpected happens.

These types of documents can be:

• Registration book;
• Single certificate;
• Registration of marriage

Documents proving employment

Proof of employment is often combined with proof of finances. The purpose of the documents in this section is to declare to the competent authority your occupation, title, and working position.

Accordingly, documents proving work are usually the following documents:

• Labor contract;
• Decision appoint;
• Salary scale, salary table, salary grade,...

Why does the visa authority need to know your job? That's making sure your other information is accurate and reasonable. Including the purpose of entry, financial capacity as well as other political reasons.

Financial proof documents

Proof of finances is quite common when applying for a visa. Simply put, you will show the visa-issuing agency how strong your financial potential is. This has two meanings. One is that you have the ability to pay expenses during the trip. Second, you do not hide in that country at the end of your stay. That means there is going, there is coming back.

Financial documents can include:

• A savings account that has been deposited for a period of time and has a certain amount of money. This amount depends on each country's requirements.
• Documents proving ownership of other assets: land use rights certificate, car registration certificate, etc.
• Payroll,…

One thing everyone admits is that the stronger your finances, the higher your chances of being granted a visa.

Documents proving the purpose of entry

The purpose of entry is important information you need to fill in the visa application. For example, travel, business, visiting relatives or studying, etc. The purpose of entry is also a criterion for visa classification. From there, decide on the types of documents in the file as mentioned above.

Depending on the purpose of entry, you will have to prepare appropriate documents and records. You can refer to further instructions from the Embassy or Consulate. To better understand what you need to provide to meet the Embassy's requirements, think in the following direction: What do you want and what can you prove?

Assuming you enter the country for tourism purposes, you will need:

• Travel to tourist destination: book plane seats
• Travel activities: hotel reservations, travel schedules, sightseeing.

If you enter the country for business purposes, you may need:

• Decision sent to work;
• Invitation letter from foreign partner

Other documents

Insurance or some other documents in special cases.

Which country exempts Vietnamese citizens from visa?

Currently, according to updates from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, countries unilaterally waive visas for Vietnamese citizens, including:

- Taiwan exempts Vietnamese citizens from visas if they meet specific conditions.

- Romania exempts Vietnamese citizens from visas if they meet specific conditions.

- Panama applies visa exemption for Vietnamese citizens.

- UK visa exemption for Vietnamese citizens holding diplomatic passports.

- Belarus exempts Vietnamese citizens from visas for 5 days if they meet specific conditions.

- Hong Kong exempts visas for Vietnamese citizens holding diplomatic passports, official passports...

Distinguish between Passport and Visa

From the above information, surely you have somewhat understood the difference betweenPassport and Visa. To put it simply, a Passport is a document you need before you want to go abroad and it is a document needed to get a Visa (if going to countries that require a Visa). Passport is used at home and abroad as a form of identification, while Visa is only valid for the purpose of entering and staying abroad (Visa-issuing country).

Without a Passport, a Visa will not be issued because a Visa is usually issued by stamping or pasting on one or several pages of the Passport depending on the regulations of each country. Or if the Visa is issued separately, you must always attach it to the Passport to carry out immigration procedures.

For example: When you want to enter Switzerland for 2 weeks, you first need to have a Passport issued by the Vietnamese Government, confirming that you are a Vietnamese citizen who wants to go abroad. Next, you need to have a Visa issued by the Swiss Government allowing you to enter their country for tourism.