Photo: Freepik

Vietnam has welcomed 8.9 million international visitors in the first nine months, exceeding the target of eight million for the whole year.

The socio-economic situation report released by the General Statistics Office on September 29, shows that September 2023 recorded 1.05 million foreign arrivals, marking the third consecutive month when foreign tourist arrivals exceeded 1 million. Compared to August 2023, international visitors to Vietnam decreased by 13.4% and 2.4 times higher than the same period last year.

With the number of international visitors continuing to surpass the 1 million mark in September, during the first 9 months of 2023, Vietnamese tourism has welcomed nearly 8.9 million visitors, completing and exceeding the target of welcoming 8 million international visitors for the whole year. 

However, compared to the same period in 2022, international visitors to Vietnam in the past nine months still only reached 69%.

10 largest sources of tourist arrivals to Vietnam (Source: Nhân Dân)

The Republic of Korea continues to be the largest source of tourist arrivals, with over 2.5 million in the first nine months, followed by China. 

Taiwan (China) surpassed the U.S. (548,866) to become the third biggest tourist sender with 575,101, and Japan came fifth with 414,444.

Out of the 8.9 million tourists, 7.8 million arrived in Vietnam by air (87.5%), one million by road (11.8%), and 64,000 by sea (0.7%).

The majority of the arrivals were from Asia (6.85 million), followed by Europe (1.015 million), the Americas (682,800), Oceania (311,100), and Africa (20,400).

Revenue from accommodation and catering services in this period rose by 16% and earnings from travel and tourism services increased 47.7% year-on-year.

Some localities with increasing travel service revenue, in the first nine months of 2023, compared to the same period last year are as follows: Da Nang increased by 139.9%; Quang Ninh increased by 98.8%; Ho Chi Minh City increased by 91.3%; Hanoi increased by 67.4%; Hai Phong increased by 50.9%; Can Tho increased by 39.6%.

The fact that Vietnam has completed the year's target of welcoming international visitors in just nine months shows the efforts of the entire tourism industry to overcome difficulties after the pandemic. At the same time, it also shows the correct policies of the Government in supporting the tourism industry to promote recovery and increase competitiveness with destinations in the region and the world.

Experts and businesses in the field of tourism and travel expect that, with the Government's recent decision to loosen visa policies and the efforts of the entire tourism industry, the possibility of Vietnam tourism receiving from 10 to 12 million international visitors in 2023 is completely achievable.

Source: Nhân Dân

Photo: Collected

Visa overstay in Vietnam is the cases in which foreign citizens enter Vietnam with a visa exemption certificate, a temporary residence card for foreign settlement, a visa stamped at the Embassy or an entry letter at the airport to enter Vietnam. Overstaying the time allowed from 1 day onwards is called overstay visa. For more information, please refer to the article: Penalty for overstay Vietnam visa? (2023 updated)

1. The most popular ways to apply for a Vietnam visa for foreigners today

Option 1: Submit documents at the Vietnamese embassy or consulate in your country

For this visa application, you can apply for many types of visas and are affixed directly to your passport. But to successfully apply for a visa, you need to prepare a lot of documents, for busy people, this application will be very difficult because it takes time to prepare documents. Having to wait for the embassy/consulate to review the application for a long time, it is not easy to get a visa, the risk of not being granted a visa is also quite high. (The common reason is often lack of documents, not proving or meeting the necessary conditions.)

In case your country does not have an embassy/consulate of Vietnam. You can prepare all documents and submit them at the Vietnamese embassy/Vietnamese consulate in the neighboring country near your country.

Option 2: Apply for a visa directly at the international border gate in Vietnam

This visa application is usually applied to tourists entering Vietnam to travel organized by an international travel company in Vietnam, or visit a seriously ill relative, attend a funeral, etc. To get approval from the competent authority. For visa issuance, you need to prepare all documents and have to go through 4 steps at the border gate, waiting for the approval of the application and receiving the results. There are almost very few foreign nationals who choose this method to apply for a visa, because the chances of getting a visa are not too high, the control officer may refuse to let you enter if you feel suspicious. It will cost you time and airfare if your visa is denied.

Option 3: Apply for an entry letter

First of all, to know how to apply for an entry letter, you should refer to the article below to know what an entry letter is? How to get an entry visa to Vietnam?

After reading the above article, you will know the entry letter, which is a certificate of acceptance of Vietnam visa. You just need to print it out, when you arrive at the Vietnam international border gate and present it, you will be stamped by the visa officer in your passport and enter Vietnam with the time limit in the entry letter. Many foreign nationals who want to apply for a Vietnam visa have chosen this solution through our service. The cost is not too expensive compared to the cost of visa application in other ways, our service is reputable, quality, fast processing for you. 100% guarantee will get an official letter for you to enter Vietnam

Option 4: Apply for an e-visa online

For this way of applying, not all citizens of any country can apply. From February 1, 2017, this policy began to apply to 40 countries to pilot electronic visa issuance. If you want to apply for this e-visa, you should refer to the article below.

If your country is on the list of countries allowed to apply under this form, prepare all the documents and documents to fill out the online form. But you should note that this application also has its limitations. It is very easy to be refused a visa if the information is incorrect or incorrect, the fee will not be refunded, and you will have to wait longer for approval than other ways of applying.

In addition to the above popular ways to apply for a Vietnam visa, you should refer to the article below to know more about which countries are exempt from Vietnam visa with a term.

2. How many types of visas are there for foreigners?

– Tourist visa  (Visa symbol is issued DL)

– Commercial Visa (Visa symbol is issued DN)

– Business visa, visit relatives  (Visa symbol is issued VR or TT)

– Work visa  (Sign of visa granted LD)

3. Penalty for overstay Vietnam visa? (2023 updated)

How is the Vietnam visa overstayed?

Vietnam Visa is a visa approved by the Immigration Department of Vietnam for foreigners to enter and stay short-term in Vietnam for the purpose of tourism, work, visiting relatives, investment, etc. Currently, the duration of the Vietnam visa allows foreigners to stay for no more than 90 days with a period of 1 month and 3 months.

Thus, it can be understood that an overdue visa means that you are still staying in Vietnam but have exceeded the visa period granted on entry, and you have not submitted an application to apply for an additional period of stay. Those cases are classified as illegal stay, violating the Immigration Law in Vietnam.

What is the penalty for overstaying a visa in Vietnam? How is the influence?

As analyzed above, overstaying the visa is classified as illegal stay, violating the law. And according to the Immigration Law of Vietnam and Circular 167, foreigners who overstay their visas in Vietnam will be subject to administrative fines. The penalty for overstaying the visa depends on the short or long overstay period. As follows:

 + Expiry, overstay visa from 1 to 10 days: 1,250,000 VND

 + Overdue visa 1 month: 4,000,000 VND

 + Overdue visa over 1-3 months: 10,000,000 VND

 + Overdue visa for 3 months or more: fine from 16,000,000 VND

 + Violations for 8 months or more will be fined from several tens of millions of dollars.

 + Foreigners residing in Vietnam without permission from competent authorities: A fine of from VND 30,000,000 to VND 40,000,000

After paying the main penalty with the visa overstay penalty fee. If the case is mild, you can apply for a visa extension to stay in Vietnam for a short period of time. But with serious cases, visas overstayed for many days, illegal entry, foreigners are forced to exit or deport back home. Even banned from re-entry for a definite or permanent time, the dossier is blacklisted according to the provisions of Vietnamese law.

So what to do when the visa is overstayed in Vietnam?

First, it is necessary to "prevention is better than cure", in order to avoid overstay of visa before intending to enter the country, tourists should consider depending on the purpose of the trip that they choose to apply for a visa with a corresponding time limit. Or, after entering the country, if you want to stay longer, you need to extend your visa, or apply for a temporary residence card.

In case foreigners have overstayed their visas in Vietnam, there will be 2 solutions:

Option 1: Extend visa if the time is too short:

In case you are only overdue for less than 5 days at a mild level, after paying the full fine, if you still want to stay in Vietnam, apply for a visa extension. To apply for a visa extension or a new visa, you can apply directly at the Immigration Department to resolve overstay status, as well as apply for a visa extension.

Dossier to apply for a Vietnam visa extension includes:
 + Original passport valid for more than 6 months
 + Visa extension application form (NA5)
 + For foreigners entering Vietnam on a working basis, a guarantee application from a Vietnamese enterprise or organization, labor contract, and a temporary residence card is required.
 + In case of new visa issuance, foreigners must add passports and photos.
 + To extend a Vietnam visa for children, it is necessary to have a birth certificate, a guarantee form of a Vietnamese parent.

Option 2: Exit from Vietnam. When you want to return to Vietnam, apply for a re-entry visa.
In cases where foreigners who have overstayed their visas in Vietnam are on the "black list" they will be banned from entering Vietnam for 5 years. When the ban period expires, they will be allowed to re-enter Vietnam in accordance with the law.
Above are our answers about Penalty for overstaying a Vietnamese visa (2022 updated). In the process of researching, if you need ACC Law Firm's guidance on legal issues, please contact us for answers.

Source: accgroup.vn

Photo: Freepik

EVisa is one of the methods for foreigners who wish to enter Vietnam, especially after August 15, 2023, all applicants are eligible to apply for e-visa regardless of their entry purposes and nationalities.

With Evisa, you will no longer have to visit Vietnam Embassies but your paperwork would be issued electronically by the Vietnam Immigration Department. The visa validity also changed to up to 90 days for single or multiple entries.

However, many foreigners are said to struggle with the Online Service Portal mostly due to the lack of understanding of Vietnam’s administrative requirements. That being said, let us walk you through some common mistakes leading to application rejection so that you can travel to Vietnam without hassle. 

1. Input typos or wrong information

After filling out an online form, applicants often get too tired to double-check their application, which in turn may unfortunately leave some typos or even wrong data, and eventually get rejected. 

Therefore, it is advised to keep your application information on another online document such as Microsoft Word or Notes (Macbook), and you only need to copy and paste the information to the official website when you are ready. You can also download the PDF file to review in only one document!

2. Unqualified passport and/or portrait photos

Another error that leads to an unsuccessful application is not being aware of the photos’ requirements, according to the report of the Vietnamese Government. Here’s a detailed guide on Vietnam passport and portrait photos that you can refer to:

Passport photo: Passport is valid for at least 06 months from the entry date and has 02 blank pages. Photos are clear, not blurry.

Portrait photo:

• Jpeg format, size ≤ 2MB, taken no more than 6 months ago.
• Color photo, printed on white background photo paper.
• The five senses are clearly visible, the face is clear, the background is a light color.
• Do not wear hats or anything else, unless for religious reasons it is necessary to show your face clearly.
• Do not smile and wear glasses unless they are nearsighted/ farsighted/ vision glasses and do not cover your face.

3. Inconsistent data details

It often occurs when applicants type different information from the details on their official passport. Despite the passport page being displayed above, individuals may still input inaccurate details such as missing full names, reversed name order, incorrect date of birth, and wrong passport numbers.

Since they also submit the passport photo, the authority in charge may issue an eVisa for them without a problem but foreigners are likely to get denial at Vietnam entry ports due to the unmatched information. Hence, it is crucial to ensure accurate data entry and thoroughly review the form before submission.

4. Wrong date format

The date format can be completely different from country to country. In British English, the correct order is dd/mm/yyyy and it is the other way around in American English, mm/dd/yyyy. 

Please make sure to pay attention to the note below each field in the Vietnam eVisa application form, the date format is explicitly indicated as dd/mm/yyyy. This mistake commonly occurs in fields such as date of birth, passport date, and expected date of entry. This is significant as airlines may not allow your boarding with an incorrect visa date unless a new visa is obtained.

5. No checking the status after submitting the application

A lot of foreigners are not proactive enough to check their application’s status on the website or they might assume that the result will be automatically delivered to the provided email. 

However, in order to be prepared for any mishaps, at least after three working days, it is essential to manually verify the approval status of your application. You can reapply or even proceed to buy an airline ticket for your trip to Vietnam.

6. Apply too close to the departure date

Applicants should request for a visa to enter Vietnam before their expected arrival date at the Vietnam ports; besides, submitting too late may cause panic and the longer processing time compared to their plan as the substantial volume of daily applications.

Therefore, our recommended time is 1 month before the departure date to Vietnam. You can even reach out to Vietnam visa agencies for the most detailed advice on your case.

We - Vietnam-immi.Org is one of the leading visa agencies in Vietnam and proud of having more than 15 years of experience. You can trust us on utilizing and making the most of your trip with our visa services. If you want to know more information, please do not hesitate to contact us at

• Phone: +84.28.6685.1315
• Hotline: +84.357.522.522
• Email: sales@vietnam-immi.org 

7. Skip applying for their children

When applying for an eVisa, you will encounter the option: "Under 14 years old accompanying child(ren) included in your passport (if any)." It's important to clarify that this option is applicable only if your children's names are included in your passport. If your children possess their own passports, they must obtain a separate visa, similar to adults. 

Some parents may be unaware of this and include their children's names on the same visa application, even when the children have their own passports. This implies that your children do not have a valid visa and will be unable to board the plane.With these tips in mind, it is now possible for travelers to easily obtain an eVisa and enjoy their trip to Vietnam!

(Photo: Luat ACC)

What is the Vietnam Visa overstay?

Visa overstay in Vietnam is the case in which a foreign nationality remains in Vietnam after the expiration date of their visa.

For the expiration date, this date is the last day of being allowed to stay in the country legally, and after the expiration date, if they remain in that country, they are considered to have overstayed their visa.

What is the penalty for Vietnam Visa overstay?

The penalty for overstaying the visa depends on the short or long overstay period. As follows:

 + Expiry, overstay visa from 1 to 10 days: 1,250,000 VND

 + Overdue visa 1 month: 4,000,000 VND

 + Overdue visa over 1-3 months: 10,000,000 VND

 + Overdue visa for 3 months or more: fine from 16,000,000 VND

 + Violations for 8 months or more will be fined from several tens of millions of dollars.

 + Foreigners residing in Vietnam without permission from competent authorities: A fine of from VND 30,000,000 to VND 40,000,000

How to Avoid Vietnam Visa Overstayed?

Some following tips can help you to avoid this case:

+ Always check the expiration date on the visa stamp right at Vietnam airports. There are cases in which the officials provide a wrong date on the stamp. That can be a huge issue and the travelers cannot explain all the details upon being caught violating Vietnam laws. So, please make sure that your visa shows correct details, especially the valid dates.

+ Take a note or set an alarm of the last date you must leave the country. Sometimes, you may not remember that date due to hospital treatment, an extended trip, lost documents or a wedding, which leads to overstaying your visa. Therefore, always remind yourself of this important date to avoid penalty.