Archive for month: May, 2017

Not too far from Singapore, Vietnam has long become a favorite destination of citizens and residents of Singapore in general and those in Novena in particular. Among several things to be prepared before the trip, Vietnam visa should be on the top of priority. To deal with this issue, we should answer two questions, consisting of:

• Do I need a visa to travel to Vietnam if I’m in Novena, Singapore now?
• If yes, how can I?

This post will provide you the answers in very details. Now, let’s go through each question.

Do I need Vietnam visa to travel to Vietnam from Novena?

Please remember that when answering whether you need a Vietnam or not, it has nothing related to your residence, but your nationality.

If you hold Singaporean passport, you are not required to get a visa for a stay in Vietnam of up to 30 days, regardless of your purpose of visit to the country.

Otherwise, you need to check out https://www.vietnam-visa.com/vietnam-visa-requirements/ to make sure whether you are exempted from visa or not. If yes, of course, you do not need to obtain the visa for the defined period of stay. Otherwise, you need one.

Now, it comes to the second question:

How to obtain Vietnam visa in Novena, Singapore?

At the moment, there are up to 3 legitimate ways to get a Vietnam visa in Singapore, consisting of:

1. Getting visa via the Vietnam embassy; or
2. Getting visa on arrival;
3. Getting an e-visa.

Following are major differences between these two ways:

Now, let’s see in details how each of them works to figure out which is the best for you.

1. Visa at Vietnam Embassy:

How to get:

Getting visa via the embassy of Vietnam in Singapore does not pose any inconvenience as the distance from your place to the embassy might have not taken you so much time to reach. But before reaching there, you need to prepare:

1. A completed application form (to be downloaded from website of the Vietnam Embassy in Singapore), attach it with your photo;
2. Original passport;
3. And other documents as required by the embassy (to consult them in advance for this detail).
4. Visa fee.

And then, after completing these documents, you need to:

1. Travel to the Embassy to submit application documents and pay for visa fee;
2. Get the Appointment Letter and then leave there for home;
3. Travel back to the embassy on the appointed date to pick up original passport and visa.

Advantages:

1. Available to all Singaporeans to Vietnam by any means of transport.
2. Having stamped visa on passport before departure to Vietnam.
3. Processed separately;
4. Applicable for both business and leisure travelers;
5. Valid for up to 1 year.

Disadvantages:

1. Inconvenient for those living far from the embassy;
2. Long processing time (often 4 – 5 working days);
3. No urgent processing (2 – 4 working hours);
4. Possible long queue at the embassy;
5. Hassle with sending away the passport.

2. Visa on Arrival

If the travel forth back from the embassy of Vietnam in Singapore puts you in trouble, you have visa on arrival to deal with. Its process is completely different. It allows you to get a visa approval letter online without submission of any document, and then pick up full visa at Vietnam airport upon your arrival there.

How to get

Here is the process to get Vietnam visa on arrival in Singapore:

1. Access to https://booking.vietnam-visa.com/step1.html, and complete the form there (no document is required);
2. Make payment of service fee online;
3. Receive visa approval letter via email within guaranteed time;
4. Get visa stamped upon original passport upon arrival at Vietnam airport (a few minutes at the airport).

Advantages:

1. Convenient for those living far from the embassy;
2. Short processing time (2 working days only);
3. Urgent processing (1 – 2 working days only);
4. No hassle with sending away the passport;
5. Applicable for both business and leisure travelers;
6. Valid for up to 1 year.

Disadvantages:

1. Available for those traveling to Vietnam by air only;
2. Possible long queue at Vietnam Immigration Counter at Vietnam airport to get visa stamped;
3. Often processed in group.

3. E-visa

This is the newest way to get a valid visa for Vietnam.

How to get:

Its entire process is also completed online.

1. Access to https://evisa.xuatnhapcanh.gov.vn/web/guest/trang-chu-ttdt, complete the online form;
2. Get an application code and pay for a non-refundable fee online (US$25);
3. Get visa processing results (approved or rejected) after 3 working days;
4. Print out the visa if approved and show to the immigration official upon arrival in Vietnam.

Advantages:

1. Convenient for those living far from the embassy;
2. No hassle with sending away the passport;
3. Low cost (US$25 only);

Disadvantages:

1. For tourists only;
2. Valid for 30 days with single entry only;
3. Only being informed that your visa application is approved or not after 3 working days;
4. Limited to citizens of 40 countries only, and Singaporeans are not included in the list.

This is a full guide for Vietnam visa from Novena, Singapore. We are sure that by reading here, you now already know which way is best for you.