There are basically 2 ways to acquire a visa:
- Visit the Consulate in Hong Kong on Wanchai Road
- Apply for a Visa on Arrival (VOA). A good FAQ on this subject can be found on Tripadvisor
I have only done the first way, 3 times actually. Simply because of I have no desire to line up upon arrival especially with 3 children in tow. There might not be any lines, but certain times and months may be a lot slower than others.
Quoted from the Tripadvisor website:
"One disadvantage of the VOA system is that the process at the airport can be slow. HCMC airport (Tan Son Nhat) in particular, where things can become pretty chaotic if people do not form an orderly queue. HCMC airport is Vietnam's busiest and handles far more traffic than the other two airports. In the high season, it is not uncommon to have to wait for an hour or two, even more so if you are stuck behind a large tour group. In Hanoi and Da Nang, and even in HCMC in the low season and during quiet times of the day, it can take less than 15 minutes to get your visa and pass through immigration - indeed you are likely to arrive at the baggage carousel before your bags do."
Going to the Vietnamese Consulate is easy, the waits are generally short and sometimes non-existing.You simply fill in the form (I prepare everything at home especially when I apply for the entire family), bring a simple passport picture and cash (no cheques, cards, etc. accepted). They have allowed me to pay when picking up, but they prefer to have payment at drop off, so I would prepare for that. A single entry is now $500 (fees were increased at 1/1/2013) and express service is available (this used to cost $500, so it's most likely a few hundred more now, the fees link on the website is almost 10 years old) and I've gotten it as quick as 45 minutes later. Regular service takes 3 working days to process, pick up takes 5 minutes.
A VOA doesn't mean you can simply get on a plane and apply on arrival, it's not a visa as such. The airline will not take you without a visa or pre-approval letter for VOA. Pre-approval for VOA can be done via several websites (some are apparently more trustworthy than others, just google). You'll pay the agent (website) for the pre-approval service, which can range quite a bit, but often around US$10-25. A few days later you'll get a pre-approval letter which you'll have to bring and show at check-in and later at the VOA counter at the airport of arrival in Vietnam. At that point you still have to pay the visa fee (US$45 for a single entry) so overall, it may end up being more expensive depending on the VOA service you use and the exchange rate. More great information on this whole process can be found on the earlier linked Tripadvisor page, especially the different procedures on the various airports (Hanoi, Da Nang and HCMC).
My personal preference will remain the Consulate. I rather come prepared. Unfortunately Vietnam does not have an online service like the Cambodians, which would make life even easier.
Happy Travel, it's a beautiful country!
Go here for my trip reports on Vietnam
- Siem Reap via HCMC, March 2010
- Hanoi, Hue & Hoi An, October 2009
- HCMC (Saigon), 2010 through 2012 (3 trips)
Additional Notes (from Tripadvisor):
Citizens of some countries do not need a visa for short visits but do please check that the following information is still valid:
- Stays of not more than 30 days: citizens of Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Cambodia and Laos.
- Stays of not more than 21 days: citizens of Phillippines.
- Stays of not more than 15 days: citizens of Japan, South Korea, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland, Russian Federation.
- Stays of not more than 14 days: citizens of Brunei.
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