vietnam events and festivals

Events and festivals in Vietnam in December 2016

It’s nearly the end of the year (both solar and lunar calendar) when various events and festivals to take place along the country. You all are welcome to join.

Festivals and events schedule in Vietnam - Vietnam visa from Sg

Before going further with the list of events and festivals to be held in Vietnam in this December, we highly recommend you apply for Vietnam visa if required before you go to avoid you forget it, resulting in high cost at last minutes.

Here are brief information of such events and festivals, covering their name, location and time.

Time

Event

Location

6-7 DecemberFinal of Golden Spoon Contest 2015Ho Chi Minh City
24 DecemberClosing ceremony of Visit Viet Nam Year 2016 – Kien Giang; the flag handover to Lao Cai Province for Visit Viet Nam Year 2017Phu Quoc District, Kien Giang Province

Time

Event

Location

4 December (the 6th day of the eleventh lunar month)Phung Cau FestivalPhung Cau Hamlet, Thieu Thanh Commune, Thieu Hoa District, Thanh Hoa Province
5 December (the 7th day of the eleventh lunar month)Minh Hai Ancestor Worshipping FestivalChuc Thanh Pagoda, Cam Pho Ward, Hoi An City, Quang Nam Province
6 December (the 8th day of the eleventh lunar month)Canh Bau Pagoda FestivalCanh Bau Pagoda, Dai Lam Commune, Lang Giang District, Bac Giang Province
9 December (the 11th day of the eleventh lunar month)An Lu Temple FestivalAn Lu Commune, Thuy Nguyen District, Hai Phong City
13 December (the 15th day of the eleventh lunar month)Phuong Bong Communal House FestivalNam Dinh City, Nam Dinh Province
14 December (the 16th day of the eleventh lunar month)Duong Phuc FestivalKim Dong District, Hung Yen Province
15 December (the 17th day of the eleventh lunar month)Kim Dang Temple FestivalKim Dang Hamlet, Lam Son Ward, Hung Yen City, Hung Yen Province
16 December (the 18th day of the eleventh lunar month)Trung Do Worshiping FestivalNgoc Phan Village, Thanh Oai District, Ha Noi
18 December (the 20th day of the eleventh lunar month)Giai Temple FestivalTien Lang District, Hai Phong City
23 December (the 25th day of the eleventh lunar month)Van Le FestivalTho Xuan District, Thanh Hoa Province
26 December (the 28th day of the eleventh lunar month)Trang Temple – Nguyen Binh Khiem FestivalTrung Am Hamlet, Ly Hoc Commune, Vinh Bao District, Hai Phong City
29 December (the 1st day of the twelfth lunar month)An Xa Village FestivalAn Xa Village, Toan Thang Commune, Kim Dong District, Hung Yen Province

Should you need any further information, please feel free to let us know.

 

Applying for Vietnam visa on arrival

Guide to Vietnam Visa for South Africans in Singapore

The very first thing to notice here is that all South African passport holders need a valid Vietnam visa for their every trip to the country for any purpose, except a direct trip to Phu Quoc island from a foreign country or territory to stay there for no more than 30 days and then leave for a foreign country or territory.

For those who need a visa to Vietnam, please don’t think that its process is a headache. Thanks to the open policy of the Vietnam government to welcome more and more tourists in general and South African passport holders in particular to the country, the process to obtain a Vietnam visa for South Africans  have been made much easier with the 2 options for visa application as follows:

  1. Apply for Visa via the Vietnam embassy; OR
  2. Apply for Vietnam visa on arrival.

Basically, both options provide a valid visa to Vietnam. However, they differs from each other in the following points.

Differences between Vietnam Embassy Visa and Vietnam visa on arrival
ItemsVietnam Embassy VisaVietnam Visa on arrival
Issuing AuthorityVietnam Embassy in foreign countriesVietnam Immigration Department
How to apply

  1. Apply in person at Vietnam Embassy;
  2. Apply via a third party; or
  3. Send application documents by post.

Submit online application form for visa approval letter via a travel agent only.
Documents to be submitted

  1. Original passport
  2. Hardcopy of completed application form (must be downloaded on website of the embassy you wish to submit the application to)
  3. Possibly flight ticket, hotel voucher, etc.

No documents required.
FeePay once to the embassy. However, the fee may vary from embassy to embassy, so the applicants are highly recommended to contact the embassy for details.Pay twice. The first (service fee) to be paid online to the travel agent for processing visa approval letter and the second (stamping fee) to be paid in cash at Vietnam airport to get visa stamped. Total cost of a 1-month single entry is around US$45.
Where to pick upVietnam EmbassyVietnam arrival airport
Applicable travelersAllAir Travelers only

Should you need more information about Vietnam visa in South Africa, you can visit https://vietnam-visa.co.za/.

Vietnam visa singapore - apply for Vietnam visa in Singapore

What to do after Vietnam visa approval letter?

Hi there. I am going to Vietnam by air in this December for almost 2 months. It means that I can apply for a visa online. What I want to know here is: what I need to do after receiving the approval letter? Do I need to send it to the embassy for further acts? Please advise.

Dear Dacas,

Please be informed that with Vietnam visa on arrival, you have no work to do with the embassy as the visa on arrival and visa issued by the embassy has nothing linked to each other.

To obtain the visa approval letter, you only need to go online at https://booking.vietnam-visa.com/step1.html, complete the form, and then pay for service fee.

After receiving your information, we will work with the Vietnam Immigration Department to process the visa approval letter for you and send it to your email upon its issuance. Together with the letter, we also send your detailed guide to pick up full visa at Vietnam airport.

After receiving the letter, you only need to print it and the attached entry and exit form out, fill out the form, prepare 2 passport-sized photos and stamping fee (US $25 for a 3-month single entry visa). And when you arrive at your departure airport, you need to show your original passport and the letter to the airlines to get on board, and then show all the above things at the landing visa counter upon arrival at Vietnam airport to get visa stamped there.

This whole procedure is illustrated as in this picture:

4 simple steps to get Vietnam visa on arrival

We hope this information is clear to you.

Should you need any further information, please feel free to let us know.

Kind regards,

Vietnamvisa.sg

 

Hanoi Old Quarter

5 ways to get cheaper rent

Are you having problems with your finances? Do you know ways to get cheaper house for rent in your neighborhood? Do you find it hard to pay your rent to high cost? When you know the procedure, you can always learn ways to get cheaper rent available in the city where you live. Here are the top 5 ways to get cheaper rent:

1. Accept a temporary lease

Most landlords today are looking for reliable and long-term renters but mitigating circumstances sometimes can leave most of the landlords looking for these short-term renters especially at reduced costs or prices. With a temporary lease, you will be able to reduce the cost of paying rent for a whole month with uncertainty that may be looming in your residential area. With the temporary lease agreement, you can always leave the apartment you rent at any given time depending on your agreement.

2. Live out in a mobile home’

Some dwellings in most homes have legal home structures in their backyards, which are perfectly livable. When looking for cheaper rent options, you can look for these mobiles homes since they are cheaper alternatives to apartment. For instance, you can pay as little as $80 in a week when living in a mobile home within her sister’s backyard. This should provide you an opportunity to make huge savings when living in these places.

However, you should ensure that you check the conditions of the mobile homes before renting any of these houses. For instance, when living in a servant’s quarters made from old terrace house, you will pay as little as $95 in a week. This is cheaper when compared to an apartment where you will pay as high as $ 2,500 in a month. .

3. House-sitting

This is an excellent housing option for the professional adults. Sometimes many people are pleased for house sitters when living rent-free in exchange for modern property upkeep or sometimes they may need to pay minimal rent when living in a house. Living in a house setting can be an excellent option of reducing the amount of money that you will pay as rent depending on your needs.

When you need to get cheaper rent, you can get help from real estate agents who have massive wealth of experience since they will always help you find the best deals within the market. At a small fee, they will help you make huge savings depending on the type of housing that you need. In the end, you will be able to make huge savings especially when you are in a financial problem.

4. Look into the professional options

If you are flexible with the kind of employment you do, you can always look for plenty of professions, which provide accommodation for the employees. For instance, groundskeepers at universities or schools may be provided with a decent apartment within the school or campus.

Season-specific skilled teachers such as surfing or skiing instructors can sometimes find employment, which includes accommodation for the season. They can look for flexible terms that will allow them to pay for the specific duration when they are working in the places. Negotiations are also important for those people who needs these jobs since it will always help in making huge savings. Friends and family members who live in these areas can always help you get the best prices especially when living in a certain area thus helping you make huge savings in terms of the rent that you pay.

5. Consider micro-living market

Many renters often overlook a property due to its size but there are some total bargains within the micro-living market. Micro living usually constitutes a given area of less than 40 square feet, where most renters will not consider. In these places, you will always have the best deals in terms of rent that you would pay. This option will need a downsizing of the possessions at the same time simplification of their lives. It is a cheaper option of ensuring that one save money whenever they are living in a given area.

In conclusion, with the hard economic times, paying rent can be frustrating if you are not financially stable. However, the above fives ways can help you get cheaper rent at the same time helping you make massive savings in terms of the amount that you will pay.

Writen by Tue Nguyen – founder of Alpha Housing – https://alphahousing.vn

Vietnam visa free for Singaporean for less than 30 days in Vietnam

Photo requirement for Vietnam visa exemption

Do Singaporean tourists visiting Vietnam on a 30 day visa free visit need to provide passport photos at the port of entry?

Dear Michile,

Please be kindly informed that on entering Vietnam with Vietnam visa exemption, Singaporeans do not show any photo at all. You only need to show your Singaporean passport which is valid for at least 6 months from your date of entry to get visa exemption.

We  hope that this information is clear to you.

Should you need any further information, please feel free to let us know.

Kind regards,

Vietnamvisa.sg