The European Chamber of Commerce in Vietnam (EuroCham) has proposed the Vietnamese Government relax visa requirements including visa exemptions for more countries, visa on arrival and specific visa rules for those tourists re-entering the nation in less than 30 days.

At a dialogue meeting on mechanisms, policies and administrative procedures related to business operation and activities of European firms in Vietnam, held in Hanoi on January 22, EuroCham called for a visa waiver for visitors from the countries which have signed free trade agreements with Vietnam.

The visa requirements should also be eased for Vietnam’s investment partners and target tourism markets like India and Australia, according to EuroCham.

Vietnam should also extend the visa waiver to passport holders of five Western European countries to five years from the current one year and lengthen the visa-free stay from 15 days to 30 days.

In addition, procedures and regulations on the visa exemption for tourists returning to Vietnam within less than 30 days after their departures for a third country should be clarified as some immigration officers allow tourists to re-enter Vietnam if they pay a US$5 fee while some others do not.

The Vietnamese Government should also issue visas on arrival with a duration of 72 days for passengers in transit and improve e-visa issuance service.

Representatives of some companies working with the European market told the Daily that they pay much attention to Vietnam’s visa requirements for tourists coming back to Vietnam after leaving the country for a third nation.

The prevailing regulations on the visa waiver for such visitors remain unclear, causing inconvenience for travel firms and tourists. These visitors often arrive in Vietnam and then travel on to neighboring countries such as Laos and Cambodia and get back to Vietnam before departure to their home countries in less than 30 days.

Bui Viet Thuy Tien, managing director of Asian Trails Co Ltd, said the company has paid US$25 for each tourist to ask for their visas to ensure that they can re-enter Vietnam.

Europe is a potential market for Vietnam’s tourism and Vietnam is unilaterally offering a visa-free stay for citizens of five Western European countries, namely the UK, France, Germany and Italy.

SGT