Rules for entry into Vietnam for Russian citizens. Do Russians need a visa to Vietnam: on their own How many days in Vietnam without a visa

Vietnam visa for Russians: cost, duration, documents

The beautiful and amazing country of Vietnam. Every year our tourists like it more and more. They are especially attracted by the fact that in Vietnam you can relax at sea in autumn, winter and early spring, when it is frosty and snowy in Russia. And as the demand for tourism grows, all sorts of questions arise. One of them, namely: do Russians need a visa to Vietnam in 2020, we will look at today. And so, let's find out about everything and hurry up to relax on the beautiful beaches of Vietnam.

Let's answer your question right away: you don't need a visa to visit Vietnam in 2019! But don’t rush to rejoice. There are rules that you need to follow in order to enter the country and enjoy a holiday you will never forget.

How to get to Vietnam without a visa

An agreement has been signed between Russia and Vietnam that allows tourists from our country to vacation in Vietnam without a visa. The period of stay without a visa should not exceed 14 days. To enter the country for 14 days without a visa, you need to have a return ticket with the exact departure date. And this date must fall on one of the fourteen days of stay in the country. Keep this in mind. You cannot present a return ticket with a departure date that falls on the 15th day of your stay in Vietnam, this will be a violation and you may no longer be allowed into the country.

How to extend a visa in Vietnam

Many tourists, buying a tour for 12-14 days, then want to stay in the country for a short time. In this case, they need to extend their tourist visa, or rather, get a new stamp in their passport. To do this, they need to leave Vietnam and cross the border again. The border guards will give you a new stamp with new date, and it is from this date that you will get new term stay in the country.
Watch the video, which will tell you in more detail how to vacation in Vietnam for almost a month without a visa:

What documents are needed? For holidays in Vietnam

You need valid passport. This is, firstly. Secondly, during the flight the flight attendants will give you migration cards to fill out. Filling them out won't be difficult. Everything is done with a pen and the letters are written in Latin. To do this, you just need to copy the information from your passport into the card. Be sure to indicate your arrival and departure dates. Then you can start your vacation on the day of arrival without any problems. As mentioned above, you must do it within 14 days.
For example, below is an example of filling out a migration card for visiting Vietnam:

How to get visas valid for 3 or 6 months

Yes, many tourists don’t want to bother constantly crossing the border of Vietnam and renewing their visa. They want to enjoy their vacation, rent or even buy a home and rent a car to make their vacation even better. Such tourists apply for a visa for 3 or 6 months.
These visas can be obtained in different ways:
- upon arrival in Vietnam.
- in advance at the Vietnamese consulate in our country.

The most popular option among our tourists is the first option, when a visa is issued at the local airport. If you have all your documents ready, you will receive your visa within 40 minutes. Here are the documents you need:

- Valid foreign passport.
- Completed application form in Vietnamese or English language.
- Two black and white or color photos of standard size 4*6 cm.
- Written confirmation of the Approval Letter.

What is Approval Letter

This is a kind of letter from the Vietnamese government, which confirms that you can get a visa for a period of 3 or 6 months and stay in the country for this period.
You can get such a letter for $25 at the Vietnamese Embassy. Price may vary. When you receive such a letter, you must have a valid credit card that allows you to withdraw money anywhere in the world. There must be a certain amount of money on it. This will ensure that you are able to pay for yourself.

Apply for a visa in advance

If you live in a big city and have a Vietnamese embassy, then you can apply for a visa in advance. The documents needed are the same as at the airport. There is nothing complicated here.

Address of the Vietnamese Embassy in Moscow

If you need to go to the Vietnamese Embassy in Moscow, then look at the address on the map and visit it.

Latest information on obtaining a visa to Vietnam for Russians. Visa-free entry. Self-design. Required documents and deadlines.

Do Russians need a visa to Vietnam 2017 - 2018

For 2017 and 2018, the rules regarding visas to Vietnam remain unchanged; if you are going to spend up to 15 days in Vietnam, then you do not need a visa. If more, then you need to take care of obtaining a visa for a period of 1, 3 or 6 months.

Visa-free entry to Vietnam

Citizens Russian Federation For a stay in Vietnam up to 15 days, a visa is not required. Moreover, this period of time includes the days spent arriving and departing from the country, thus, you only have 13 days left for a proper rest. If for any reason you stay in the country for more than 15 days without a Vietnamese visa, then for each additional day you need to pay a fine of 5 dollars.

Upon arrival in Vietnam without a visa, you need to get a stamp in your passport at any passport control at the airport or at ground border control. This is where the formalities end, and you can calmly go about your business.

For other CIS countries there is no such privilege, and a visa is needed in any case.

Conditions for obtaining visa-free entry to Vietnam:

the purpose of the visit is tourism, transit, business trip or visiting friends or relatives;
there are at least 6 months left before your passport expires;
your stay in the country is no more than 15 days, and during this time you do not plan to visit a neighboring country and then return to Vietnam again. To re-enter, you will need to apply for a visa;
more than 30 days have passed since the previous visa-free visit to Vietnam;
You need to have a printout of your return plane tickets or tickets to another country with you.

If you are planning to relax on Phu Kok Island, then here is open visa-free regime for 30 days. The rest of the rules remain the same as for the 15-day visa-free entry.

Applying for a Vietnam visa yourself

The following options for obtaining a Vietnam visa are available:

By duration: 1, 3 or 6 months.

Type: single and multiple entry visa. A multiple-entry visa will allow you to cross the border of Vietnam throughout the entire period of validity without restrictions. It is needed if you want to visit neighboring countries, for example, Laos or Cambodia. If you are only going to stay in Vietnam and then return home, then a single-entry visa will be enough for you.

By method of receipt:

upon arrival;
in advance at the consulates;
with the help of agencies.

Obtaining a Vietnam visa upon arrival

The possibility of obtaining a visa on arrival is available at all major major airports in Vietnam: Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Da Nang and Nha Trang.

To obtain a visa on arrival you will need:

valid international passport;
2 photo cards 4*6 or 3*4;
completed application/questionnaire;
confirmation letter or Approval Letter.

Applying for a visa to Vietnam is free for Russians; you just need to pay for the Approval Letter. It can be ordered on this website. The issue price is 20 – 35 dollars depending on the period of receipt and type of visa. A confirmation letter will be sent to you by email; you need to print it out and present it at the airport at the Landing Visa Counter. After checking your documents, you will receive the long-awaited stamp.

Obtaining a visa itself takes 30-40 minutes. If you fill out the form in advance, it will be even faster. You can download the application form. It must be filled out in Vietnamese or English.

Keep in mind that the Approval Letter entitles you to obtain a Vietnam visa only upon arrival at the country's international airports. If you are arriving in countries by land or water, then this option is not for you.

Applying for a visa at the consulate

You can apply for a visa at the Vietnamese embassy and consulate in any country; only the amount of the consular fee will differ.

The set of required documents is standard:

a foreign passport, which expires no less than 6 months from the date of arrival in the country;
completed visa application form in English – 2 copies;
2 photos 4*6;
letter of invitation to Vietnam (Visa Approval Code).

The mild tropical climate, beautiful seaside resorts and developed infrastructure - all this attracts tourists from all over the world to Vietnam. In addition, the country has a relaxed visa policy, which allows you to go on vacation without lengthy preparation of documents and bureaucratic red tape.

In 2020, entry conditions for Russians have been simplified to the minimum. For several years now there has been an operation between the Russian Federation and Vietnam visa-free regime. Russians do not need a visa to Vietnam, provided that the trip lasts no more than 15 days and will be of a tourist or business nature, the trip to the country involves transit or is a private visit to relatives or friends.

For a longer visit, you must obtain an entry document. This can be done both upon arrival at the airport and at Vietnamese representative offices located in Russia or any other country in the world. Visas are available for one or three months for a single or multiple visit - the traveler chooses one or another type of entry document independently when submitting an application. The cost of a visa depends on its duration and number of entries, but Russians are not charged a fee for obtaining an entry permit.

Visa-free entry

In a visa-free manner, you can only make a single entry for 15 days without the possibility of extension. In this case, the following conditions must be met:

Upon entering the state Visa fees no fee, an entry stamp with the date of arrival is simply placed at the border. All that is required from a Russian is to present a passport and a return ticket or its reservation. In practice, border guards are extremely rarely even interested in having a return ticket. However, in its absence, there is some probability that the traveler will not be allowed into the country.

Within the framework of visa-free entry, only a one-time visit to the state is possible. This means that having entered Vietnam, a tourist cannot leave the country (and return) to visit other countries, for example, Laos or Cambodia, with which the republic has common borders, since return entry without a visa will be impossible.

Extension of visit

Repeated visa-free entry into Vietnam is available to Russians only 30 days after leaving the country. Having a visa-free status, a tourist cannot extend his stay in the country for the simple reason of not having a visa. To continue staying in Vietnam legally you will need visa document. This means leaving the country and obtaining a visa at Vietnamese diplomatic missions located in other countries, as well as obtaining an entry document upon arrival.

And although visa-free entry is not extended, in a number of situations, if there are serious reasons, the period of residence may be extended. To do this, a written application is submitted from a private or legal entity to the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs. But the reason must be really significant, such as, for example, a serious illness of a tourist, when transportation is strictly contraindicated for him.

Visa on arrival

If a tourist needs to visit Vietnam for the second time in a month, obtain the right to multiple entries into the country or long-term residence, then he will need a visa, which is issued on the basis visa support Afailed letter. This is a kind of absentee permission from the authorities, allowing you to enter the country. Having an Approval letter in hand, a foreigner arriving in Vietnam can receive visa on arrival at one of the country's international airports. At sea and river ports, as well as at land checkpoints, such a document is not issued. Currently, a visa on arrival or the so-called Landing Visa is issued at the airports of Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Da Nang and Nha Trang, and the procedure for issuing it has been simplified to a minimum.

Receiving an Approval letter

And now, in order, about receiving the Approval letter, which is an official letter from the Immigration Department. The tourist does not need to contact this government agency on his own. Intermediaries - all kinds of travel companies - deal with the preparation of this document. For example, you can order an Approval letter online on this website: vietnam-tourist-visa.com or here: myvietnamvisa.com, as well as on any other resource providing similar services. By and large, it doesn’t really matter through which company the letter is ordered, the algorithm for receiving it is almost the same everywhere:

A few days later (usually 1-3 days), an Approval letter will be sent to the email specified during registration, which will indicate all the traveler’s data, place of arrival and visa validity. The letter should be printed and taken with you.

In an Aeroport

At the border you need to show a letter, an international passport and two photographs measuring 4x6 cm. After checking the information and documents, a visa is placed in the tourist’s passport, which gives the right to enter the country and live on its territory within the permitted limits.

Additional fees, in addition to those already paid when applying for visa support, have recently not been charged, that is, the visa is issued free of charge. But this applies only to Russians. For example, Ukrainians must pay a fee of $45.

The procedure for issuing a visa at the airport takes no more than 30 minutes; in rare cases, if there are long queues, this period increases to an hour. The process can be speeded up if you fill out the form in advance. The forms themselves are freely and freely available at airport counters. But for convenience, you can prepare the form in advance by printing and filling it out at home.

Visa at the Consulate General

If a visit is planned for a long period of time, a visa is issued in advance at the Consulates General located in Moscow, Yekaterinburg and Vladivostok, as well as at Vietnamese diplomatic missions in any other country. The list of Vietnamese representative offices around the world can be found at the following link: mofa.gov.vn/en/bng_vietnam/dscqdd/ns050119142406

The following documentation must be prepared:

International passport with a “reserve” of 6 months;
Two photographs measuring 4x6 cm;
Visa support Visa Approval Code is a kind of invitation from the Vietnamese side, which is an official document with a unique code;
in duplicate.

Visa Approval Code is a slightly different document than the Approval letter, but it is also issued via the Internet and has approximately the same cost. (For example, it can be obtained here: vietnam-visa-service.com/Russian/Apply-Vietnam-visa-online.asp). You need to pay in full necessary information, select the appropriate type and frequency of visa and pay for services using a bank card. As a result, a unique code will be sent to your email, which should be reported to the Embassy when submitting documents.

Please note: visa support for a visa on arrival and a visa issued at the Embassy cannot replace each other. For example, if you fly to Vietnam with visa support from the Visa Approval Code, you will not be able to obtain a visa upon arrival and vice versa.

By the way, if a visa is issued in one of the countries of Southeast Asia (SEA), then you do not need to receive visa support.

In some cases, the Embassy requests additional documents: return tickets, certificate from work or study, proof of financial solvency.

Procedure for obtaining a visa

Visa documents are submitted personally by the applicant or through a third party with a power of attorney, or through travel companies. Applications at the Moscow Consulate General are accepted on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 09.00 to 11.30. It is also possible to submit documentation to the Consulates General of Yekaterinburg and Vladivostok. The visa application is processed for 7 days, then the applicant is invited to receive documents.

Valid term of a visa

Entry documents to Vietnam can be single-entry, designed for only one trip, or multiple-entry, allowing you to come to the republic an unlimited number of times. According to the period of residence, entry permits are issued for 30 or 90 days.

Visa cost

Russians only pay for visa support services, Approval letter or Visa Approval Code, the cost of which is set independently by travel companies. There is no consular fee for Russian citizens.

Extension of a visa

The entry document can be extended without leaving the country through local travel companies for 30 or 90 days, depending on the type. Only 3 extensions are allowed. If the next extension is refused, you should leave Vietnam (preferably to one of the Southeast Asian countries), get a new visa there and return back. This can be done an infinite number of times; there is no limit on the number of days that can be spent in the country, such as, for example, in the Schengen zone.

Video: about arranging a trip to Vietnam for more than 15 days

Visit to other countries

A repeat visa-free visit is possible only 30 days after leaving the republic. It does not matter in what order the traveler entered the country: without a visa or with a visa. The only important thing is the fact of leaving Vietnam, from the date of which the 30-day countdown begins.

These new rules, introduced several years ago, made it impossible to frequently travel to neighboring Laos and Cambodia under visa-free entry to explore countries and extend their stay. Now it is no longer possible to do this, since it will not be possible to return back to the republic without a visa.

It is also worth keeping in mind that a visa on arrival can only be issued at international airports. And if you intend to enter through ground checkpoints, then you need a permit, which is issued only at the Embassy. Even if you already have a completed Approval letter in hand, you will not be able to enter Vietnam until the 30-day period counted after your first departure from the country has expired. Or until a visa is obtained from the Vietnamese Embassy of any country in the world.

What to do if a tourist’s plans include a visit to other countries and at the same time there is a desire to return back? There are several options here:

Open a multiple entry visa on arrival. Then you can leave Vietnam and return back without any difficulties. The most convenient option.
Apply in advance at home single entry visa, come to the country visa-free and stay there for 15 days, then go to a neighboring state and return back using your existing visa. In the reverse order, that is, first entering with a visa, leaving and returning without a visa, it will not be possible.
Arrive visa-free, stay in the country for 15 days, go to another state and apply for a visa at the Vietnamese diplomatic mission located there. Return back with a new visa.

Visiting Phu Quoc Island

The island of Phu Quoc in the Gulf of Thailand has special visa conditions that differ from those in the rest of Vietnam. If a tourist comes to the island for the purpose of tourism, then an entry document is not needed to stay in Fukuoka for 30 days. Upon arrival, the traveler's passport is simply stamped.

Are you going to Vietnam? Then you probably know that a mixed visa policy is typical for the republic. To avoid getting into an unpleasant situation upon arrival, find out before your trip what a visa to Vietnam is, when, where and how it needs to be applied for.

Do I need a visa to Vietnam?

Russians are allowed to enter Vietnam without a visa, but only for a period of no more than 15 days. The most important thing is not to forget to purchase before your trip. Just read the post about insurance and you will understand everything for yourself! The purpose of the visit must be touristic: sightseeing, cultural acquaintance, relaxation. In all other cases (work trip, study), a permit is required.

December 21, 2019 Vietnamese authorities extended the agreement more for three years, according to which citizens of the Russian Federation and some other countries, can visit the country without a visa for 15 days.

Residents of Belarus, Denmark, Norway, Finland, Sweden, South Korea and Japan can also visit Vietnam without a visa.

Tourist visa to Vietnam

Russians can freely enter Vietnamese territory if they meet the following criteria:

are not on a government blacklist;

have a passport valid for another 6 months after the trip;

have a return ticket home or to any other state (booked or in hand);

At least 30 days passed between visits to Vietnam.

The days of arrival and departure are considered as full days. In fact, you will have 13 full days for vacation. Once this period has expired, there are penalties for staying without a visa - $5 per day. In practice, this figure is 1.5-2 times higher.

If a tourist goes on an excursion to neighboring countries and will have 2 entries into Vietnam, in this case it is necessary to obtain a permit.

The situation with staying on the Vietnamese island of Phu Quoc is a little different. The government of the country is doing its best to develop this tourist destination, and foreigners can stay on its territory for 30 days, but subject to two conditions:

arrive only by direct flight or with a transfer at Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City International Airport;

You cannot leave Phu Quoc during your entire vacation.

Options for stays longer than 15 days

If a tourist is going to Vietnam and his stay in the country will be longer than 15 days, he can apply for a visa:

upon arrival at the airport;

through the Embassy;

via the Internet (E-Visa).

Upon arrival, the tourist issues a permit to enter the republic for a period of 30, 90 or 180 days. In this case, a monthly visa can be multiple or single. In the first case, a Russian has the right to visit the country several times. In the second, the validity of the permit expires immediately after leaving Vietnam. Permits for 90 and 180 days are only multiple-entry (multivisa), but in practice they are rarely issued to foreign citizens.

Visa cost

Now about the prices. A single-entry monthly visa will cost a tourist $45, a multiple-entry visa costs more - $65. The price for a permit for 90 days is $95, for 180 days – $135. This is the cost of the visa itself upon arrival at the airport. You will need to pay separately for the invitation letter - Approval Letter. Its cost is from $10 to 50. More detailed information about the invitation is below.

If for some reason a tourist is not satisfied with the paperwork upon arrival, this can be done at the Embassy of his native country or while, for example, on an excursion in an Asian country neighboring Vietnam. As practice shows, Russians most often turn to the Vietnamese representative office in Malaysia for help.

What is the algorithm of action here? The tourist prepares the necessary package of documents (originals + copies), pays a visit to the Embassy, where he submits documents and pays for all the necessary paperwork. The consular fee varies from $25 to 100, and depends on the validity period of the permit and its type. You need to clarify the information directly during the preparation of documents. If a tourist does not have the opportunity to personally visit the representative office, he draws up a power of attorney and instead, the legal representative collects and prepares documents.

Another way to arrange a long tourist visa- through the Internet. It became available in 2017. Price – about $25. This option is suitable for those who do not want to spend a lot of time on paperwork. There are two nuances here - you can only get a one-month single-entry visa to Vietnam and entry into the country must go through one of 28 checkpoints (8 international airports, 13 land points and 7 sea ports).

Extension and registration of a visa in Vietnam

You can only extend your residence permit in Vietnam once for one or three months. This process is called prolongation, which is Latin for “to lengthen.” A visa for a period of 90 days is rarely extended. It is important to follow a number of rules.

While on the territory of the republic, a tourist should not be prosecuted for violating Vietnamese laws. Even if he received administrative penalty, the renewal of the permit will most likely be refused. Handles the renewal process Migration Service Vietnam. The cost of a visa in this case is from $25 to $50.

Until 2017, a process called visaran was practiced in Asian countries, including the Republic of Vietnam. The tourist traveled to any neighboring state and returned back. Most often, travelers visited Thailand, Malaysia or Cambodia for one or two days. On the way back, they passed through a customs control point and went through the same procedure for entering Vietnam. In this case, the visa was extended automatically. However, now, when at least a month must pass between visits to the republic, visaran has become impossible.

Visa on arrival to Vietnam

The easiest way for Russians to obtain a residence permit in the country is upon arrival. This method will require a minimum of time and effort.

An Approval Letter (or Invitation Letter) must be obtained prior to departure. An invitation, without which you will not receive a visa, must be ordered in advance, 2-3 weeks in advance. The letter must be printed and taken with you on the plane.

If you decide to buy air tickets, I recommend the following service for purchasing them since I use it myself.

As a rule, the processing time takes 3 working days.

The resource where you can obtain these documents is Vietnam Visa Online Application Sample confirmation letter that allows travelers to obtain Vietnam visa at Vietnam airport

While at the customs point in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Nha Trang or Da Nang, the tourist approaches the registration window, above which Landing Visa is written. He takes the form and fills out the migration card. Enter information about yourself in English or Vietnamese. There is an example hanging near the window; you can use it as a hint. In case of urgent need, customs inspectors answer the questions of those arriving.

In order not to waste time filling it out when arriving at the airport, it is better to fill it out at home or on the plane.

The questionnaire itself can be downloaded here – DOWNLOAD APPLICATION

Having correctly filled out all the fields, the Russian submits the documents. The package, in addition to the migration card, includes the following papers:

invitation letter;
2 photographs size 4*6;
international passport.

The inspector checks whether everything is in order with the documents, and after 15-30 minutes the permit to enter Vietnam is ready.

Documents required for visa application

The standard package of documents includes the following items:

international passport (remember that it must be valid for at least another six months after leaving the republic);

invitation letter;

2 photographs (there are also requirements for them);

migration card.

Since 2015, Vietnam has introduced for everyone foreign citizens medical examination. It consists of filling out a form in which the tourist indicates the presence (absence) of chronic diseases and the constant use of certain medications, for example, insulin. This can be done at the airport upon arrival.

Not long ago, the government of the country introduced another document required for entry into Vietnam. This is an invitation letter or Approval Letter. It represents a permit from the Vietnamese authorities and is issued by the immigration department. You must receive it in advance, before arriving in the country. It is impossible to pass customs control without it.

The invitation is issued via the Internet. On a specialized website, a tourist fills out a short form in English or Vietnamese. In addition, you will need to provide a scan of a credit card or any other document confirming your solvency. The invitation is paid, payment is made using an international credit card.

Verification of information takes from 24 to 48 business hours (weekends do not count). After this period, the tourist will receive an invitation in Vietnamese by email. It must be printed and shown when going through customs control.

Approval Letterhas a one-time term. In other words, the next time you enter the Republic of Vietnam, you will need to create a new document.

As for the photographs that are presented after arriving in Vietnam, they must also meet certain requirements:

the photographs were taken no more than six months ago;

there is an obvious visual similarity to a tourist;

normalized photo size – 4*6;

straight profile with moderate makeup (for women) and bare head (only the national headdress of Vietnam is allowed).

Entry rules for children

Foreign minors can travel in Vietnam accompanied by:

both parents;

one of the parents;

third party.

If a child visits the republic with one of the parents, a power of attorney from the second is required. If the child does not have a second parent, at customs control it is necessary to present a document confirming this - a death certificate, a certificate of deprivation of parental rights. To accompany a third person, you cannot do without a power of attorney from the father and mother, which must indicate the full details of the accompanying person.

A minor child often fits into the passport of one of the parents. In this case, one permit is made for two people, but payment is made as for two people.

The cost of a visa for a child is equal to a similar permit for a foreigner. Documents you will need are a birth certificate or a passport.

Work Visa

To work or study in the Republic of Vietnam you need to obtain a permit. Good specialists in the field of IT technologies, education, medicine are hired here at official employment. The procedure is carried out by the country's Department of Labor. A prerequisite for successfully obtaining a visa is an application from the employing company.

A work permit is issued for a period of 12 months, less often – for 36.

The foreigner prepares a package of documents, which consists of:

international passports;

certificates of good conduct;

medical professional examination;

work questionnaire;

migration card;

copies of certificates, certificate confirming profession;

three color photographs 3*4.

The Department of Labor considers the application of a citizen of another country within 15 working days. If the outcome of the case is positive, he receives a visa with which he can work. A foreigner is prohibited from changing his place of work. If this happens for any reason, the work permit must be issued again.

The Vietnamese government is interested in a large flow of tourists. That is why for traditional vacation period, 2 weeks, visa-free regime applies. Obtaining a permit is not difficult; in practice, it is issued to everyone who has not been convicted of violating Vietnamese laws and has filled out the documents correctly.