US visa fee increased by 250 USD: Impact on Vietnamese tourists

(NLDO) – If the new US visa policy is applied, the additional fee of 250 USD will affect the travel costs of Vietnamese tourists to this destination.

According to the provisions of the One Big Beautiful Bill recently issued by the administration of US President Donald Trump, people traveling , working, studying and working in the US will soon have to pay an additional visa fee of at least 250 USD.

Speaking to reporters from the Lao Dong Newspaper, many travel companies said they are still waiting for official notice from the US Consulate in Vietnam.

Tour prices to the US are being sold by some travel companies for the summer of 2025.

The US visa fee increase of 250 USD (about 6.6 million VND) will put great pressure on package tour prices, especially for families and students.

Mr. Pham Anh Vu, Deputy Director of Viet Travel Company, commented: "The increase in visa costs will cause the price of US tours to increase by at least 6-7 million VND per customer. Travel companies will definitely have to adjust their price lists and include this fee in their input costs."

The business representative added that this increase could affect the competitiveness of US tours, especially for group travelers, when compared to other destinations in the region.

Currently, popular package tours to the US (8–11 days) range from 54.9 million to 99.9 million VND/person, including round-trip airfare, hotel, meals and sightseeing tickets. More upscale tours (11–15 days or combined US – Canada) cost from 109.9 million to 175.9 million VND, often using 5-star airlines and high-end services. Visa fees only account for a small part of the total tour cost, with the majority of the budget focused on airfare, hotel and transportation services.

US visa fee increased by 250 USD and things to know

Mr. Tran Thanh Vu, General Director of Vinagroup Company, said that the current fee for a US tourist visa is 185 USD. If a new fee of 250 USD is applied, the total visa fee will increase significantly. "As we understand, this new fee is almost a guarantee that the customer will return on time as stated in the visa application, and on time of stay in the US" - Mr. Vu shared.

However, businesses have yet to receive specific instructions on how to pay this fee – through which bank or account – as well as the refund mechanism or sanctions in case of violation. “If applied, the new fee will certainly affect the psychology and costs of tourists when applying for a US visa,” he added.

Vinagroup recorded that the number of customers traveling to the US recently increased by about 10-15% compared to the same period last year, mainly due to summer travel demand and returning family groups.

Demand for customers booking tours to the US increased compared to the same period last year this summer.

According to Ms. Nguyen Nguyet Van Khanh, Marketing Director of Vietravel Company, the current standard visa fee paid at the US Consulate is about 3.84 million VND (160 USD). If the US applies an additional Visa Integrity Fee of 250 USD, the total visa application fee could be up to 410 USD (equivalent to 10 million VND), accounting for about 10-15% of the US tour price (with a tour worth about 3,500 USD).

Currently, the US tour at Vietravel has prices ranging from 77-87 million VND/person for a 7-9 day West Coast trip (Los Angeles - Las Vegas - Grand Canyon - San Francisco), and about 78 million VND/person for a 7 day East Coast trip (New York - Washington DC).

Ms. Khanh said that if the new fee is officially applied, Vietravel will update information in a timely manner to advise customers. At the same time, the company also plans to subsidize or promote US tours in the initial phase to limit the impact of increased costs.

In addition, Vietravel is promoting high-end, specialized tours and diversifying destinations such as Europe, Japan, and Korea to disperse cost pressure as well as serve groups of customers willing to spend.

Source: https://nld.com.vn/gia-tour-du-lich-my-co-the-tang-cao-voi-muc-phi-visa-moi-196250722133012413.htm