Job Discussion Forums

[greg8282]

To whom it may concern

I was hoping someone could give me advice about Visa's for Vietnam.I would like to know if its best to apply for a tourist visa and then convert to a business visa once I arrive in Vietnam.All responses would be appreciated.

[happywithlife]

A lot depends on where you are currently located.

Business visas are a bit tricky to get. Officially you need a reference from a business in Vietnam � and they will be contacted by the Vietnamese government, in Vietnam. But, if you are close to Vietnamese embassy, there is nothing to stop you from going in and pleading your case. Tell them why you want a business visa and any other particulars about your intended trip. I have had two friends, one in Hong Kong and one in LA, who did this and both did get business visas. However, I would not advise doing this by mail (possibly by telephone, might be okay), but do not lie on your application about any false relationships with Vietnamese businesses, as you references will be checked out.

As far as converting to a business Visa while there: any large corporation could do it for you, a school can get you a work permit, but in my experience, immigration offices will not do it. Not for new-comers anyway. If you know someone of importance � yes possibly�

Getting a business visa for Vietnam, is a bit of an accomplishment!

[Mr Wind-up Bird]

6-month multiple-entry business visas are very easy to get. Just come in on a normal tourist visa, then pretty much any travel agent/tour operator will arrange a business visa for you, for around $100-$150. In theory you should have a work permit to get one, but in practice they never ask.

If you have arranged work in Vietnam before coming out here, then take a copy of the work contract to the nearest VN embassy and they'll do the business visa for you, though if the UK embassy is anything to go by it costs more than doing it in VN itself.

I was recently told that if you have a work permit you can get a 2-year residency permit instead of buying new visas every 6 months. Does anyone know anything more about this?

[spycatcher reincarnated]

I believe the work permit is a prerequisite, for most people, for getting the Temporary Residency Permit (TRP). If one has a work permit I believe it is relatively easy to get the TRP.

Can't remember the duration of the TRP, but 2-3 years sounds right. Maybe the duration is linked to the duration of one's work permit?

If you have a TRP you don't need a visa.

The TRP is supposed to be interchangable with your passport when you are in Vietnam. You can check in to a hotel, ect. with your TRP (eventhough I find some of the smaller/newer hotels are reluctant to accept it). I have also found that if I check in to a hotel with just my passport this raises many questions as they ask where my valid Vietnamese visa is. Because of these issues I usually travel in Vietnam with both my passport and my TRP.

I have never had any issues entering the country or getting on a flight to enter the country with my TRP. There is a special line at the airports for TRP holders, etc. in Vietnam, so this speeds things up.

Overall I would say that the benefits of getting a TRP are very minimal:
They save you money on not having to get visas
They save you the hassle of getting visas as often
You get a little respect from the local authorities when they come to inspect you

[johnyarrington]

Dear greg8282,

It depends on what you want to do. Why "convert" to a business visa?? Just get a business visa to begin with.

In my personal experience, getting a multiple enty business visa from the Vietnamese Embassy in Bangkok is really very easy. No questions, no bribe money, no negotiation for price, no problems at Immigration when you arrive in the country, and no problems when you are there. In short, if you're going to be entering and/or leaving Vietnam more than 3 times within a 6 month period, the multiple entry business visa is the best choice.

[Mr Wind-up Bird]

How much does the TP cost?

[slug93]

will still not allow you to "legally" teach in institutes. I was offer a work visa by a business, BUT i was told at the institute that they still need a WORK permit/visa as a TEACHER to legally teach. so if you're planning to teach in VN, you can a) do it w/o ANY visa or b) get a Work permit(for teacher)

[spycatcher reincarnated]

Mr Wind-up Bird

Just received this:


There are 3 levels of Temporary Residence Permit:


1 year : 60 USD

> 1 year to 2 years : 80 USD

> 2 years to 3 years : 100 USD