The National Assembly (NA) has passed a resolution approving a diplomatic note on issuing one-year multiple-entry visas for U.S. citizens.

The resolution came out last Saturday after State President Tran Dai Quang proposed the legislature endorse the diplomatic note on April 4.

According to Quang, the U.S. had many times raised concern over Vietnam’s visa policy for U.S. citizens. Especially since the NA approved the law on entry, exit, transit and residence of foreigners, the Americans had been able to get three-month visas but without an extension of stay.

The U.S. said the Vietnam visa policy did not match that of the U.S. applying to Vietnamese passport holders and the expanding relations between Vietnam and the U.S. Therefore, the U.S. requested Vietnam to increase the validity of visas for U.S. visitors to one year with multiple entries.

With the NA Standing Committee’s nod earlier, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, on behalf of the Government, exchanged a diplomatic note with the U.S. with a view to issuing one-year multiple-entry visas for Americans who come to Vietnam for tourism, business and personal matters in accordance with the prevailing immigration regulations.  

Meanwhile, Vietnamese can get one-year multiple-entry visas for their travel to the U.S. for business, tourism and personal purposes.

Vietnam welcomed 164,740 visitors in the first quarter of this year, rising by 14.3% year-on-year, according to the General Statistics Office. Last year’s figure was 491,250, up 10.7%.