The visa bottleneck must be removed soon.

Người Lao Động•17/03/2023

After one year of reopening, the tourism industry is still struggling to resolve its biggest bottleneck: visa policy. At the 2023 National Online Tourism Conference themed "Accelerating Recovery - Speeding Up Development" on March 15th, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh requested ministries, agencies, and localities to revise and improve policies on entry and exit procedures for international visitors, aiming to increase the number of countries granted visa exemptions and extend the length of stay with reasonable fees, and expand the use of electronic visas (e-visas).

It's difficult to compete with other countries.

Recently, many businesses have continuously proposed visa policy changes such as: expanding the visa-exempt markets, increasing the length of stay for tourists from 15 days to 30 days, or even 45-60 days or 90 days for key markets, high-end and luxury tourists...

Ms. Nguyen Thu Huong, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Mong Cai City ( Quang Ninh province), presents flowers to congratulate a group of Chinese tourists visiting the province on March 15. Photo: TRONG DUC

In Thailand, tourist visas are valid for 60 days and can be extended for another 30 days; while the "Special Tourist Visa" (STV), effective from September 2022, is valid for up to 90 days and allows for two 90-day extensions at the local immigration office. With an STV, visitors can stay in Thailand continuously for 9 months. Additionally, visitors from 64 countries can enter the country without a visa under the "visa on arrival" rule or visa waiver program, allowing a maximum stay of 30-45 days.

Singapore grants visa-free entry to citizens of 164 countries for stays ranging from 30 to 90 days. Countries with visa-free stays of up to 90 days include European Union (EU) member states, Switzerland, Norway, the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, South Korea, and Japan. For other countries, visitors can apply for an e-visa online (processed in just one day) or a regular visa depending on their nationality. From March 11, 2022, all international visitors to Singapore also receive an email notification about their e-Pass – a digital entry card indicating the granted length of stay and the last permitted date of stay.

The Philippines also lists up to 157 countries whose citizens are visa-free for tourism or business purposes, mostly for a 30-day stay. For those wishing to stay longer, they can opt for a non-resident tourist visa, including a single-entry temporary tourist visa (valid for 3 months and a maximum stay of 59 days) or a multiple-entry tourist visa (valid for 6 months or 1 year, with a maximum stay of 59 days per visit). Indonesia, on the other hand, only requires a visa for 28 countries; citizens from all other nations can enter and stay in the country for 30 days without a visa.

According to Ms. Nguyen Thi Nga, Chairwoman of the Board of Directors of BRG Group , Vietnam currently grants visas to 24 countries with a validity period of 15 days. Therefore, Ms. Nga suggested expanding the list of visa-exempt countries and improving and upgrading the e-visa software, as this is a tool to attract international tourists.

Meanwhile, Mr. Le Hong Ha, General Director of Vietnam Airlines, suggested that Vietnam consider waiving visas for tourists from the US, Australia, India, and all EU countries; and that more flexible e-visa and visa-on-arrival policies should be applied to countries that are not yet eligible for visa exemption.

"Extending the visa exemption period to a minimum of 30 or 45 days, like Thailand, and allowing tourists to use multiple-entry visas to enter Vietnam instead of the current single-entry visa, will prioritize the US, Europe, and Australia – markets with a tendency to travel for extended periods," said Mr. Le Hong Ha.

A proposal has been made to expand the scope of visa exemptions.

At the 2023 National Online Tourism Conference, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Do Hung Viet stated that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in coordination with relevant ministries and agencies, had summarized and evaluated the implementation of the unilateral visa exemption policy and, based on that, had proposed to the Government to consider expanding the scope of application of this policy in the future. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has been and is currently promoting negotiations on visa exemption agreements with countries, especially partners with a similar or higher level of development than Vietnam, such as Latin American countries, Qatar, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, and Maldives.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs recommends that the Government assign the Ministry of Public Security to continue researching measures to facilitate the entry of tourists into Vietnam; it is necessary to research measures to facilitate the application of traditional visas for visitors, without requiring a sponsorship from an agency or organization in Vietnam for short-term entries (similar to the principle of issuing e-visas).

According to Deputy Spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Pham Thu Hang, from March 15, 2022, the Vietnamese Government decided to restore immigration policies to pre-COVID-19 levels, including the restoration of visa procedures as stipulated in the Law on Entry, Exit, Transit and Residence of Foreigners of 2014, amended and supplemented in 2019, and its implementing guidelines. This aims to facilitate the entry of tourists, as well as foreign experts and investors, into Vietnam, contributing to economic recovery and development after the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has noted information regarding some difficulties and obstacles faced by foreigners in the visa application process for entry into Vietnam. In the coming period, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will coordinate with relevant domestic agencies to study and report to the Government on options to further facilitate the entry of international tourists into Vietnam.

According to Ms. Hang, Russia is preparing a draft intergovernmental agreement to simplify visa procedures for Vietnamese citizens. Vietnam welcomes Russia's consideration of simplifying visa procedures for Vietnamese citizens and supports measures that facilitate trade, travel, and people-to-people exchanges between Vietnamese citizens and other countries, contributing to the development of friendly relations between Vietnam and other countries.

Streamline immigration procedures.

Colonel Dang Tuan Viet, Deputy Director of the Immigration Department (Ministry of Public Security), stated that citizens of 13 countries are exempt from visa requirements to enter Vietnam for a stay of 15 days, regardless of purpose. After this period, the police may extend the temporary stay (not strictly limited to 15 days).

"Foreigners entering tourist areas and border economic zones are exempt from visa requirements for 30 days. Therefore, international visitors can enter these areas at any time," said Colonel Dang Tuan Viet, adding that Vietnam has implemented e-visas with a 30-day temporary stay period.

Foreign visitors only need to use their phone or computer to register on the Ministry of Public Security's online portal and fill out the information, with an e-visa fee of 25 USD. After 3 days, the Immigration Department will provide the results online. Regarding the duration of stay, the law stipulates that border officials only stamp the visa for 30 days. After the expiration date, visitors need to return to apply for an extension, which can extend the stay up to 90 days. In addition, Vietnam is also applying a visa exemption policy for people of Vietnamese origin and their families, with a temporary stay period of up to 6 months.

Colonel Dang Tuan Viet also affirmed that in the coming time, the Immigration Department will listen to contributions from businesses and experts to continue amending some articles of the Immigration Law as soon as possible with streamlined procedures.