Having been introduced since 2004, Vietnam visa on arrival (VOA) has become quickly a trend for those traveling to Vietnam by air and needing a visa to enter the country.
So, what makes it preferred among 3 options to get a valid visa for Vietnam? Let’s learn in details.
But before we go, let’s learn what VOA is.
What is Vietnam visa on arrival?
Vietnam visa on arrival is is a type of visa that is issued at any of 5 internationals airports of Vietnam (Noi Bai in Hanoi, Tan Son Nhat in Ho Chi Minh City/Saigon, Cat Bi in Hai Phong, Da Nang in Da Nang and Cam Ranh in Khanh Hoa).
To be able to get the visa stamp at Vietnam airport, travelers need to make an online application to get visa approval letters beforehand. Upon arrival at departure airport, travelers need to show the letter to get on board, and then present the letter upon arrival at Vietnam airport to be checked and have visa stamped in their original passports.
Its full details are available here: https://www.vietnam-visa.com/how-vietnam-visa-on-arrival-works/.
Advantages of Vietnam visa on arrival
Nevertheless, since nothing is perfect, Vietnam visa on arrival still brings about many advantages as follows:
1. Convenience with Vietnam visa on arrival
When it is required to obtain a visa for Vietnam, people perhaps often think of Vietnam embassy. It will not become an issue of concern if they live just a few steps or kms from the embassy. But the issue will come out when your place is far from the embassy. They maybe feel a little hesitated.
However, Vietnam visa on arrival can settle all of these issues. Its application requires you no travel to embassy at all. You can apply for one right at home, in your office, or even on your way to home provided that you have an internet-connected device.
2. Simplicity with applying for Vietnam visa on arrival
A typical procedure to apply for a visa via Vietnam embassy covers:
- completing a written application with a lot of information, and
- bringing it together with your original passport, photos and other required documents to the embassy to apply for visa to Vietnam and pay for the visa fee, and
- then coming back home to wait for a few days, and
- traveling again to the embassy to pick up your full visa for Vietnam.
Do you find it a little bit complicated? You can completely avoid this complicity with Vietnam visa on arrival, in which you only need to:
- Access to https://apply.vietnam-visa.com/ and fill out the online form with a few details as following:
- Full name
- Date of birth
- Gender
- Passport number
- Passport expiry date
- Date of arrival
- Purpose of visit.
- Pay for service fee online, and then get visa approval letter via email within 1 or 2 working days.
- Get visa stamped onto passport upon arrival at Vietnam airport by showing the letter and paying for stamping fee in cash.
So, it requires you no travel for visa application at all.
3. Time saving with getting Vietnam visa online
As application for visa on arrival to Vietnam requires no travel at all, it absolutely saves you a lot of time for travel to the embassy, back home and then travel again.
4. Cost saving with visa on arrival for Vietnam
While application for Vietnam visa online can be completed at any time, even at night while application for visa at Vietnam embassy can be only made during working hours of the embassy, you need to spend your working day to travel to the embassy and therefore get no pay for that day, so it is obviously a big save of money if using visa on arrival.
Total cost of Vietnam visa on arrival may be higher or lower than cost of Vietnam embassy visa. But with no other fees (travelling cost, cost of days off working), Vietnam visa on arrival surely costs you less.
5. Last-minute visa with visa on arrival for Vietnam
Applying for Vietnam visa at Vietnam embassy or e-visa will take your time, normally 3 working days. So, in case your flight is just a few hours ahead, you cannot get the visa in those ways and of course all your tickets will be cancelled, resulting in loss in a lot of money.
But with visa on arrival, you can get the visa approval letter in even just 2 working hours, saving your trip in risk of being ruined.
Here come 5 most outstanding advantages of getting a visa on arrival to Vietnam. Have you found any other, please share with us.
Just-in: At the moment, when you google Vietnam visa, or Vietnam visa online, you will get the results with hundreds of Vietnam visa center. You then may be confused on which is a trustworthy one. If so, refer to these 5 criteria to identify a reliable Vietnam visa center.