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kattate
Joined: 23 Mar 2008
Posts: 25
Location: Sydney, Australia
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 Posted: Sun Aug 09, 2015 11:48 pm Post subject: How to get 3 month tourist visa outside of Vietnam? |
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It seems the visa situation in Vietnam changes weekly! 
When I went to Vietnam a few years ago (from Australia), there was an option on the visa application form for a 3 month single-entry visa. Looks like that option has since been removed.
I would love your help clarifying this for me please: if I arrive with a 30 day tourist visa, could I arrange for an agent to secure an extension or 3 month visa that I collect from the airport (I am dubious of all the Vietnam agency/embassy sites online and having trouble finding a reputable site for visa info - even the official embassy site doesn't help).
The reason I want a longer tourist visa is I plan to take the CELTA, then travel the north, and then decide on a city to job hunt. So 3 months is preferable, as I'll likely need that much time before securing a work permit.
ILA offer to take care of the 3 month visa, plus accommodation and airport pick-up, all for low low price of $2300! (Hope you can spot my Aussie sarcasm!) Knowing how cheap accomm is, and transport into the city, I am loathe to pay $1000 on top of the CELTA course fee just for a few cheap extras...although the 3 month visa offer is tempting.
Thanks all. |
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kattate
Joined: 23 Mar 2008
Posts: 25
Location: Sydney, Australia
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| Posted: Sun Aug 09, 2015 11:49 pm Post subject: |
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| Oh, other option would be to do the CELTA in a country with simpler visa (looking at Thailand), but I can see benefits to learning in the country I wish to teach - and finding a house with my fellow students. |
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Brunouno
Joined: 18 Apr 2013
Posts: 129
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| Posted: Mon Aug 10, 2015 3:28 am Post subject: |
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| You can still get 3 month visas. I got mine this year at the airport. It's very easy. Go online and buy an invitation letter (around 10-15 USD), fill out the visa on arrival application form at the airport, and pay the fee. You can also get it extended for another 3 months while in Vietnam. You simply just need to hand over your passport to a travel agent and they will take care of it all. Be very careful with who you choose, though. The fees vary dramatically. I paid $110 USD to have mine extended whilst another mob wanted $240! |
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kattate
Joined: 23 Mar 2008
Posts: 25
Location: Sydney, Australia
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| Posted: Mon Aug 10, 2015 3:40 am Post subject: |
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| Awesome, thanks for clarifying brunouno! |
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tideout
Joined: 05 Feb 2011
Posts: 213
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| Posted: Mon Aug 10, 2015 3:33 pm Post subject: Visa extensions etc... |
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| Brunouno wrote: |
| You can still get 3 month visas. I got mine this year at the airport. It's very easy. Go online and buy an invitation letter (around 10-15 USD), fill out the visa on arrival application form at the airport, and pay the fee. You can also get it extended for another 3 months while in Vietnam. You simply just need to hand over your passport to a travel agent and they will take care of it all. Be very careful with who you choose, though. The fees vary dramatically. I paid $110 USD to have mine extended whilst another mob wanted $240! |
Thanks for responding to my all-too-similar-but-different post from yesterday.
No quarrel with you, but if you can get a 3 month visa and then extend it then why are people struggling with getting a police check for work visas?
The problem for some, I thought, was that you weren't legally able to work without the local, Vietnamese police check which wasn't an option until after you'd been in-country past 3 months?
Again, no argument but wanted to clarify what's what. |
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Brunouno
Joined: 18 Apr 2013
Posts: 129
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| Posted: Mon Aug 10, 2015 3:59 pm Post subject: Re: Visa extensions etc... |
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| tideout wrote: |
| Brunouno wrote: |
| You can still get 3 month visas. I got mine this year at the airport. It's very easy. Go online and buy an invitation letter (around 10-15 USD), fill out the visa on arrival application form at the airport, and pay the fee. You can also get it extended for another 3 months while in Vietnam. You simply just need to hand over your passport to a travel agent and they will take care of it all. Be very careful with who you choose, though. The fees vary dramatically. I paid $110 USD to have mine extended whilst another mob wanted $240! |
Thanks for responding to my all-too-similar-but-different post from yesterday.
No quarrel with you, but if you can get a 3 month visa and then extend it then why are people struggling with getting a police check for work visas?
The problem for some, I thought, was that you weren't legally able to work without the local, Vietnamese police check which wasn't an option until after you'd been in-country past 3 months?
Again, no argument but wanted to clarify what's what. |
I've never heard of this before. I thought you only had to produce a local police check if you have lived in the country for more than 6 months (maybe 12. I don't remember). Perhaps others can comment on this, because I've never had a work permit. I only worked there part time while doing my master's degree and just had L visas while I was there. |
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ExpatLuke
Joined: 11 Feb 2012
Posts: 744
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| Posted: Tue Aug 11, 2015 2:51 pm Post subject: Re: Visa extensions etc... |
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| tideout wrote: |
| Brunouno wrote: |
| You can still get 3 month visas. I got mine this year at the airport. It's very easy. Go online and buy an invitation letter (around 10-15 USD), fill out the visa on arrival application form at the airport, and pay the fee. You can also get it extended for another 3 months while in Vietnam. You simply just need to hand over your passport to a travel agent and they will take care of it all. Be very careful with who you choose, though. The fees vary dramatically. I paid $110 USD to have mine extended whilst another mob wanted $240! |
Thanks for responding to my all-too-similar-but-different post from yesterday.
No quarrel with you, but if you can get a 3 month visa and then extend it then why are people struggling with getting a police check for work visas?
The problem for some, I thought, was that you weren't legally able to work without the local, Vietnamese police check which wasn't an option until after you'd been in-country past 3 months?
Again, no argument but wanted to clarify what's what. |
Because it's a 3 month tourist visa. You're not allowed to work on a tourist visa. Even he B3 Business visa is only for temporary workers.
Each time you extend the 3 month visa the price goes up too. So unless you want to pay visa fees every 3 months and risk getting deported or taken advantage of by the school you're working illegally for, then getting a work permit is the best option. |
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