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Applying for Vietnam visa on arrival

Vietnam visa on arrival and common mistakes upon application

After many years operating in field of visa on arrival, we have found that there are common mistakes that are encountered by many visa applicants. While they are very simple to avoid, sometimes it costs the visa applicants much to fix. But if a little attention is paid, it is very easy for you to avoid such problems, and then avoid normal unnecessary troubles which may cost you more time and expense:

1. Getting a visa on arrival without applying for a visa approval letter online in advance

Many travelers is traveling to Vietnam by air and are sure that their nationalities are supported with Vietnam visa on arrival, and they think that with that kind of visa, they can get their visa directly at the arrival airport in Vietnam without applying for a visa approval letter in advance. But it is not true. They will be refused for boarding if they have not already had a visa or a visa approval letter. They may be ended up with the delaying or cancelling of your flight or you have to search everywhere on the internet to find an online agent to give you a rush visa (of course, it will cost a bigger amount to handle the situation. Therefore, we strongly suggest that you should apply online for your approval letter in advance (at least 2 days in advance) so that you can pick your visa up at one of three main Vietnam international airports (Tan Son Nhat airport – Ho Chi Minh City, Noi Bai airport – Hanoi, Da Nang airport – Danang City).

2. Get visa on arrival at the border

Please keep in mind that visa on arrival is applicable for those who travel to Vietnam by air only. In other words, there will be no visa on arrival for arriving in Vietnam by land or sea. So, please DO NOT apply for this kind of visa if you DO NOT travel to Vietnam by air. If you still apply for one and do not enter Vietnam by air, the travel agent will not refund your service fee. And with the approval letter, you will not be allowed to enter Vietnam at the border. You still have to delay your travel and contact the most convenient Vietnam embassy to apply for a visa.

3. Spelling or Typo mistakes:

Many applicants fill in the visa application form with WRONG details: full name, passport number or date of birth. Normally, no serious problems come from this upon processing your visa approval letter. However, you might get trouble at the departure airport if the information on your approval letter doesn’t match those in your passport. Therefore, entering everything correctly and carefully is the best way because it not only takes you just a little time but also prevents you from getting unexpected problems.

4. Arrival date: Many travelers may think that the visa becomes valid from the date they arrive in Vietnam, not the arrival date they provide in their visa application form. However, it is not true. Please be aware that your visa validity starts from the date you provided earlier, not the actual date you enter Vietnam, and you are allowed to enter Vietnam later that the provided arrival date, but not earlier. So we strongly recommend you make a clear plan about the date you will enter Vietnam before deciding to order a visa for your smooth trip.

5. Visa extension: Many travelers believe that it is easy to extend a visa in Vietnam so they don’t pay much attention to which kind of visa they must choose. For example, if they are not sure about how long they will stay in Vietnam, they can apply for a 1 month visa first, after that they can extend their visa if they have to stay in Vietnam more than that period (as they think extending visa process is simple and fast). However, please note that it is not as easy as you think it is supposed to be. In fact, extending a visa may cost you much expense and time-consuming too. So, if you think you can stay in Vietnam for 1 month or more, please apply for a 3-month visa, it may save your cost and time.