Vietnam Visa on Arrival experiences

[sail0r]

anyone been there lately? I got a VOA in 2011

 

[ksthommo]

Did the VOA last August, all went well except I forgot the 2 passport photos.
Immigration charged USD$5 to take the photos. Wait would have been around
30 minutes if I hadn't for got the photos.

 

[Austman]

Did the VOA last August, all went well except I forgot the 2 passport photos. Immigration charged USD$5 to take the photos. Wait would have been around 30 minutes if I hadn't for got the photos.

They do the same in neighbour countries. In Cambodia they charged a couple of US$ and just copied the passport photo. It took less than 3 minutes.

All up - a LOT easier then applying for a visa in advance at the Australian embassy.

That is not great advice. Even if you value your time.

 

[coles525]

Thinking of going to the Indian Embassy for a visa. Been looking everything up (ie: forms, what to being etc..), but the Aussie website (official Indian embassy), isn't making it easy.

Just show up with a passport and photo? Appointment required? Paperwork to pre fill in (nothing on website! )?

 

[Austman]

Thinking of going to the Indian Embassy for a visa.

I'd start a new thread. It's a different situation/country!

 

[coles525]

Sheeesh, didn't even think!

 

[Kiwires]

Flew from KUL to HCMC in 2010 and made the mistake of not getting a pre-approved visa letter, thinking the VOA was like the KUL VOA for Kiwis. Arrived in the morning and didn't get out till late afternoon after paying a USD$200/person processing fee to the head of department at Immigration. Made for an interesting first impression.
At the end of our Vietnam trip, we took a bus to Phnom Penh and immigration was superquick. I'd learnt my lesson and had our hostel host get our Cambodian visas ahead of time.

 

[Mark3000]

I paid a bit extra for the concierge / fast track service. with these guys
http://www.vietnam-evisa.org

A guy meets you at the gate and then jumps straight to the front of the long line to process it faster. From memory it wasn't much more and saved heaps of time

There are two options for choosing:A. Fast track : Our staff will meet you at the aircraft gate with your name on the welcome board and assist you to get visa stamp and visa sticker without getting line as others. Just 5 -10 minutes (it depends on the number of applicants at Visa Landing Counter) you will at the luggage lounge to wait for your belonging.B. VIP Fast track : Our staff will meet you at the aircraft gate with your name on the welcome board and assist you to get visa stamp and visa sticker without getting line as others. After that, our staff will escort you go to luggage lounge to assist you take care your luggage as baggage porters.

 

[sail0r]

I had the letter, organised by others, but there was a miscommunication in the amount I needed to pay on arrival. I was just a little bit short, so I had to leave my passport at the office, without yet having a visa, and go to the public side ATMs. Very trusting of them, and pretty unnerving for me, passing a thousand people without my passport or visa in a foreign country! I'll not make that same mistake again this time.

 

[travelislife]

The cost for the visa is listed very clearly online on the official Vietnam immigration websites so not sure how a miscommunication could happen?

USD$25 for single entry and USD$50 for multiple entry 'stamp fee' on arrival with a pre approved letter.

 

[ethernet]

It will also cut out their mistakes! a few years back i had a multiple visa and going out one trip the Customs Officer accidently stamped it [used]. He realised the mistake and called me back and preceded to use liquid paper to cover it up. Boy, did it cause me problems, even going into other countries!

JAN 2018 - E-VISA's (only for 30 day single entry out for Australians) See my other 2017 post- search for it.
Cost will be USD $25 plus 96 cents for processing fee.

What a laugh since 2007 it took another 10 years and we still need visas despite 30+ others having exceptions.

In October 2017 the Visa on Arrival line took 1.5 hours after midnight and another 1 hour for the lines. A previous trip was about the same.Yet still, Vietnam's arrivals have stalled or going backwards because of negative initial experiences, except for 1.5 million extra Cn and .Korean tour groups.