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ENTRY REQUIREMENTS AND VISA
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All foreign nationals need a visa to enter Vietnam. Tourist visas
are generally valid for thirty days, cost $50-100, and take seven to ten
days to process . In Southeast Asia, Bangkok is the most popular place
to apply for a Vietnamese visa (four to five working days; $80).
At the time of writing, the majority of visas were being issued with
specific start and end dates indicating the period of validity within
which you can enter and leave Vietnam. However, a number of embassies
and consulates, including that in London, are currently issuing visas
with just the issue date and an expiry date, allowing greater
flexibility; in this case the thirty days start ticking once you pass
through Vietnamese immigration and you must have left the country before
the visa expires. On arrival, you'll need the copy of your visa
application form given to you when you collected your visa, plus a
completed Arrival and Departure Card and a Baggage Declaration form.
You'll need the Departure Card to register at hotels, and you'll need
both forms when you eventually leave the country. Get all your shots
recorded on an International Certificate of Vaccination , as some
travellers entering Vietnam from China have been fined if they try to
enter without one.
At the time of writing, thirty-day visa extensions were being issued
through tour agents and travellers' cafés in Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi and
Da Nang ($30-40; three or four days), but the situation changes
frequently, so check with the embassy before you leave. The fine for
overstaying your visa is at least $50.
Airport departure tax
Airport departure tax is $10 for international flights (payable in dong
or dollars) and $1.50 on domestics
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