Visa for Vietnam

Hi - i just got back from an Exodus trip to Vietnam - you do need to get your visa from the embassy before you go.  I just read the trip notes from Exodus which has all the details about where to send it and what forms to fill in.

This site has all the info http://www.vietnamembassy.org.uk/

I hope you enjoy your trip!

Hi there

i've also been to vietnam with exodus......another option is to purchase a visa from a company called travcour http://www.travcour.com/ which exodus advise to use. More expensive than the embassy but very reliable. I think i applied and received 2 visas within 2 weeks.

If you are in vietnam once you need a single entry visa if you enter and leave the country more often you may need a multi entry visa

enjoy your trip

I'm heading out to Vietnam on 19th November. I've already received my visa - the Vietnamese Embassy is surprisingly quick - just over a week! I applied direct, using the forms on the Embassy website and had no hassles at all. A top tip from one of the travel websites, slightly extend your length of stay on the visa form, just in case there are any changes in travel plans.

I'm heading out in a few weeks too, I applied direct to the embassy and all was very easy and quick. 

---Jenna "Pika"---

I've heard from many people who have used the Visa on Arrival option when flying from Laos into Hanoi, as we will be doing on this trip. They have all found it to work well, with no problems.

Good to see one post at least in this thread that confirms that the visa on arrival option 'works'!  We paid up for this and then when trying to establish exactly what the requirement is for photo size (given the option on the form of 2"x2" or 4x6cm!?) we visited the Vietnamese Embassy site and read a paragraph stating that visa-on-arrival may be refused by border post employees.  Since heard from our travel agent that they have used this option with several other travellers to Vietnam without any hitch.  So, fingers crossed!  Unless anyone knows different of course?  In which case we still have just under 6 weeks until departure so could still go down the "official" Embassy visa route if needed.  Any thoughts out there?

Cheers

Andy 

Hi guys,

We recommend obtaining your visa prior to travel from the Embassy in London. I heard that the 'visa on arrival' works most of the time, however if you want a hassle free start of your holiday, you should obtain it prior to travelling.

Regards

Aurelija 

Thank you for your input Aurelija.  

It's a shame that this information is not published in the travel notes for this trip.  Perhaps for the benefit of others in the future, the Exodus team will now include it as part of those notes.  

We will now spend some extra money getting our visas from the Embassy, in order to achieve the peace of mind that we will have a hassle free start to a trip that we are really looking forward to.

Hi, I am off on the cycling vietnam tour at the end of October and I need to get a visa. I have heard of various ways to apply for a visa and it seems like doing it in person at the embassy isnt necessarily the cheapest or easiest option.

Reading the travel notes, I see that Exodus do recommend an agent who can do this, but charge a significant service fee. Lonely Planet suggests using one of the online agencies to get a permission to enter and then getting it stamped on arrival (which is apparently cheaper than going to the embassy).

Is anyone able to comment on how they have gotten their visa?  And whether they can recommend an online agent?