Looking to start your own business in Vietnam? According to the World Bank, it is one of the best and fastest-growing economies in South East Asia. Vietnam’s posh lifestyle makes a very good appeal to all those trying their hand at entrepreneurship. Or perhaps you have a business meeting to attend there? The first and perhaps the only challenge one will be faced with is to acquire a business visa for Vietnam. We will be providing a detailed, step by step guide on how to acquire the aforementioned Visa, as quickly as possible, without much technical hassle so you can embark on your professional journey to the land of the “Ascending Dragon”.
Before we begin with the process of acquiring the said Visa, it is imperative to first know certain facts related to the Visa granted for business purposes by the Vietnamese government.
- It is a short-stay visa, categorized under DN, ergo it will permit you to stay for no longer than a period of 12 months. If you wish to extend your stay, you will be required to renew the Visa before it expires.
- How much will this cost you? The minimum sum amounts to around 130USD for the overall process, including the stamping fee and various other official service charges. However, this is for single entry and can vary if you increase the number of entries. We place the maximum limit on around 430USD.
- You can apply and obtain this Visa even if you do not have a sponsor.
Now, onto the process itself. You can apply for a business visa in two ways:
- Vietnam Visa on Arrival
- Apply at an embassy in your country
We shall now discuss both the cases separately.
Visa on Arrival
This is perhaps the easier one of the two ways because it can be done from home just at the push of a few buttons. The documents required for this Visa are:
- A passport that is valid for the next 6 months and has at least 2 blank pages.
- A few recent passport size photographs.
- Any address/ID proof if mandated by your country’s government.
It should be noted that this method is only applicable to those arriving via air transportation and is not supported at international railway junctions or Vietnamese ports. This letter permits you to get a valid visa at Vietnam International Airports.
After applying for a Vietnam visa on arrival and paying charges online, you will get an endorsement letter by the Immigration Department of the Ministry of Public Security.
All you have to do is-
- Go on an official Vietnamese Visa application website, look up the application form for Visa on arrival, fill in the correct details. Please note that the discovery of any fraudulent information shall be treated with immense severity. Thus, ensure that you put in the details correctly. Mismatch of even a single letter in say, your middle name, can cause you to get sent back from the airport itself.
- After filling the form, submit and get the online confirmation from the visa office and pay the service charges online.
- The visa agent shall process your completed application, and an approval letter will be issued and sent to you on the email address you provide in your application.
- Get a few printouts of this approval letter and carry it with you when you travel to Vietnam. You will be asked to produce this approval letter at the “Visa on Arrival” counter at the airport, along with a few passport size photographs. You shall also be asked to pay the stamping fee at the counter. This can be paid in either USD or Vietnam Dong.
Apply for Visa through Embassy
Many times, one wishes to acquire a visa beforehand because they might have a business meeting to attend to immediately. Whatever the reasons may be, it is very much possible to get a business visa before you make your way to Vietnam. This involves the very generic method of applying through the Vietnamese embassy/consulate in your country of residence.
Once again, the required documents consist of a passport that is valid for the next 6 months and your general ID proof along with a few recent passport size photographs.
The curious case of Sponsorship
If you are a foreign national or an expatriate being employed by a corporation in Vietnam, you will have to contact your business partner/employer to provide you with a sponsorship letter.
The following should be mentioned in the letter:
- Your various details as given in your passport. This includes your full name, passport number, date of issue and expiry, etc.
- The duration of your stay.
- The type of Visa to be given.
Your sponsor will then have to apply for a visa for you at the Vietnamese Immigration Office. Once he/she receives the letter of approval, it has to be mailed to you. You should then send this letter along with the Visa application form and a passport-sized photograph fixed to it to the nearest Vietnamese embassy in your country. After the validity of the application and the approval letter has been confirmed, you shall be granted the Visa. This entire process may take up to 10-12 working days at maximum.
No Sponsor? No worries.
However, in case you don’t have a sponsor, you can still apply for the Visa yourself. This is how you will do so:
- Locate the nearest Vietnamese embassy/consulate in your country.
- In the office, ask for a business visa application form.
- Fill out this form and submit, along with an application/service fee.
- You may or may not have to appear for an interview/biometric once your application has been processed.
- You may or may not have to pay an additional fee for the Visa. This varies from country to country.
- Your Visa will then be sanctioned and sent to you.
NOTE- As mentioned earlier, if you plan to arrive in Vietnam by any means other than air travel, you shall have to acquire a visa beforehand. Thus, application through the embassy is your only option.
In conclusion, Vietnamese immigration laws are strict, as they should be, but also very well structured hence making the visa application process quite straightforward. Even so, if you are stuck in any way, you can always contact the Vietnam embassy, and they will guide you through the various nuances and dogmas of the application process.
