Ministry proposes extending visa-free stay to 30 days, e-visa to 90 days
E-visa holders might be able to stay in Vietnam for up to 90 days, three times longer than the current 30 days, according to a proposed amended Law on Foreigners’ Entry into, Exit from, Transit Through, and Residence in Vietnam.
Foreign tourists on an international cruise docking at the coastal city of Nha Trang, Khanh Hoaa province, come on the mainland for sightseeing in March 2023. (Photo: VNA)
Hanoi (VNS/VNA) - E-visa holders might be able to stay in Vietnam forup to 90 days, three times longer than the current 30 days, according to aproposed amended Law on Foreigners’ Entry into, Exit from, Transit Through, andResidence in Vietnam.
An electronic visa, single entry, is currently being granted to citizens from80 countries via Vietnam’s National Web Portal on Immigration.
The amended law, penned by the Ministry of Public Security, also seeks toextend the visa-free duration of stay to 30 days (from the current 15 days) forcitizens from countries that Vietnam has unilaterally waived visa requirements.
The current countries on the list where 15-day visa-free stays are applicableare mostly in Europe – Belarus, Germany, Denmark, Norway, Russia, France,Finland, Spain, Sweden, Italy, and the United Kingdom – along with the Republicof Korea and Japan.
Tourist visa validity continues to be kept at three months.
The public security ministry noted that the Government will decide on the listof countries and territories whose citizens are granted e-visas and the list ofinternational border gates that allow foreigners to enter and exit withe-visas, taking into consideration that these activities would not constitute athreat to national defence, security nor the social order and safety of Vietnam.
The relaxed policies aim to attract foreign tourists to Vietnam amid fiercecompetition from countries in the region especially after nations have liftedCOVID-19 restrictions.
The easing of e-visa policy both in terms of applicable subjects and durationwill help attract more foreigners to visit the country and seek investment andbusiness opportunities, creating a driving force to promote socio-economicdevelopment in general and the tourism industry in particular, the ministrynoted.
The public security ministry is seeking public feedback on the amended law, andthe bill is set to be discussed at the fifth and sixth plenary session of the15th-tenure National Assembly in May and October this year./.
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Foreign tourists on an international cruise docking at the coastal city of Nha Trang, Khanh Hoaa province, come on the mainland for sightseeing in March 2023. (Photo: VNA) 
