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What is Special interest tourism?

Special interest tourism, or specialist interest tourism, is a niche and tailored form of tourism that focuses on specific hobbies, activities, or experiences of a particular group of tourists. In Vietnam, there are some types of special interest inbound tourism such as golf/sport tourism, health tourism, and traveling by private jet that have become more and more popular to foreigners.

Why the new proposal?

Up to now, international visitors traveling to Vietnam looking for a unique experience still have to apply for a visa, causing trouble and inconvenience since they only stay in Vietnam for a short term, especially when most of them travel by themselves without tours. It is also not consistent with the general international rules about visa policies. 

Seeing this opportunity, the Tourism Advisory Board (TAB) has proposed to grant 30-day visa exemption for those kinds of tourism on the draft Law amending and supplementing a number of articles of the Law on Entry, Exit, Transit, and Residence of Foreigners in Vietnam.

"Proposal to consider issuing visas at the border with a temporary residence period of 30 days and valid once on the basis of on-site personnel approval for both independent travelers and tourists traveling in groups", Mr. Hoang Nhan Chinh said.

Vietnam has seen more and more individual visitors. Therefore, requiring tourists to have a visa application at the international border gate creates additional services, causing inconvenience to international tourists who want to enjoy their interests in Vietnam.

What is more?

In addition, to attract foreigners to buy houses in Vietnam, high-tech workers working long-term in the tourism industry and foreigners working remotely (digital nomad) into Vietnam, TAB proposes to add a new type of visa granted to foreign individuals purchasing residential real estate in Vietnam, with a validity of 5 years.

Besides all the proposals, starting from August 15, 2023, the Government has decided to issue e-visas to all foreign arrivals at 42 ports of entry with a 90-day validity period, multiple entries. Furthermore, the temporary residence period for citizens of the 13 countries that Vietnam offers a unilateral visa exemption policy will be increased from 15 days to 45 days.

Article 1 of Resolution No.128/NQ-CP

"Visa waiver will be applicable to nationals of the Federal Republic of Germany, The French Republic, Italian Republic, Kingdom of Spain, The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Russian Federation, Japan, Republic of Korea, Kingdom of Denmark, Kingdom of Sweden, Kingdom of Norway, Republic of Finland, and the Republic of Belarus with a maximum temporary residence period of 45 days from the date of entry, no matter what visa types they currently hold or their purposes of entry, on the basis of eligibility for entry in accordance with Vietnamese laws."