One of the major contents in a statement to the National Assembly for consideration of a resolution at the fifth session slated for May 2023 is the granting of e-visas to citizens of all countries and territories and the extension of e-visa validity from 30 days to 3 months.

Cao Tri Dung, chair of the Da Nang Tourism Association, said that these are the ‘revolutionary changes’. Previously, many foreign travelers who applied for visas mostly booked tours at large travel firms and traveled in groups. After the list of countries to be granted e-visas is extended, the number of solo travelers to Vietnam will increase.

Nghiem Thuy Ha, the founder of Aadasia Group, thinks that if the application for visas online becomes easier and travelers can stay in Vietnam longer, the new tourism trends after Covid-19 will be satisfied. Many tourists tend to ‘pack and go’ immediately rather than draw up long-term plans, so they need to obtain visas quickly and conveniently.

However, while waiting for the new visa policy, travel firms have complained that they are still facing troubles related to e-visa and entry procedures. 

In some unexpected cases, the inflexible handling of cases by officials causes travel firms a lot of time and effort.

The CEO of a travel firm in Hanoi specializing in inbound travelers said in March the firm served a group of travelers from India. The travelers planned to land at Da Nang Airport and transit at Tan Son Nhat Airport. They got approval to enter Vietnam through the airport.

However, just days before departure, the airline decided that the travelers would transit at Noi Bai Airport instead of Tan Son Nhat. The travel firm then asked the immigration agency if the passengers could enter Vietnam through the airport in Hanoi. 

After a lot of debate, the firm finally decided to apply for the visas again right from the beginning.

“It’s all a matter of luck, depending on the officers at the border gates,” he said.

If foreign travelers have e-visas, they should be allowed to enter Vietnamese territory through any border gate at their convenience, he said.

The CEO of another travel firm said his foreign clients complained that applying for e-visa in Vietnam is like an ‘adventure’.

In some cases, travelers receive visas with the wrong date of birth, ID number or letters in their names. If any mistake is found, travelers’ entry is refused.

Ngoc Ha