Discussion
Myself and the OH are planning to do a bit of backpacking in Vietnam in the summer. Ideally we'd like to get our visas sorted before booking flights, anyone got any experience/tips as to the best way to go about applying. My first plan was to go through the Vietnamese embassy but I've come across websites such as vietnamvisa.com that appear to offer a more simple way of going about it. I've also heard it's possible to get one on arrival in the country, but as mentioned earlier I'd prefer to have it before committing myself to booking flights. I'm going overseas twice before the summer so if possible I'd rather not have to send off my passport. Any advice as to which is the best option would be much appreciated.
Shay HTFC said:
The vietnamvisa.com type websites work a treat.
You paypal your money to them and they email you some PDFs to print off which you then show to the immigration desk.
Cheap, quick and easy. No complaints at all from when I did it.
Depends where and how you are arriving I suspect.You paypal your money to them and they email you some PDFs to print off which you then show to the immigration desk.
Cheap, quick and easy. No complaints at all from when I did it.
I did it this way and it was a pain in the arse. Massive posse of people on the same flight with the same idea meant it takes about 90 mins to 2hrs to get sorted and the organisation at Hanoi airport was only notable by its absence.
If you're going to be in a city with an embassy then that's where I'd be going to get it sorted.
I obtained the Visa application form and faxed it to the Vietnamese Embassy in London for the fast-track process. I went in there a few days later in person with my Passport, paid £20 or so and the Visa was stuck in my passport straight away.
I had the single visit visa which was for a 30 day period, but IIRC, there are alternative timings for this.
U.S immigration love my passport with Vietnam & Chinese Visas stuck in it.
I had the single visit visa which was for a 30 day period, but IIRC, there are alternative timings for this.
U.S immigration love my passport with Vietnam & Chinese Visas stuck in it.
I have just got back from Vietnam last week. I used http://www.myvietnamvisa.com/ for a letter of approval which you just present to the immigration staff upon arrival, they then issue your visa there an then. I have done this twice now in the last year and it works very well.
I was advised to get my visa from the embassy in London before I travelled there last year. I asked my sister (who lives there) about getting one in the airport and she said you could queue for hours. Mine took less than a week to arrive and gave me peace of mind before I travelled. I'm going again in October and will get mine in advance at the embassy. I'm also wondering about any questions about the visa when I go to the USA in May.
jayfrancis said:
I'm also wondering about any questions about the visa when I go to the USA in May.
US Immigration: Y'all been terrr Vietnaaam recently? You: Yes.
US Immigration: Did ya'll have a good time?
You: Yes, thank you.
That's about as far as it will go. I passed through LAX on my way home from the same trip referred to above which included visiting Vietnam and having the obligatory huge visa sticker plus stamps. It wasn't mentioned.
I think US Immigration folk are a bit more concerned by places like Yemen and Somalia these days.
mantis84 said:
US Immigration: Y'all been terrr Vietnaaam recently?
You: Yes.
US Immigration: Did ya'll have a good time?
You: Yes, thank you.
That's about as far as it will go. I passed through LAX on my way home from the same trip referred to above which included visiting Vietnam and having the obligatory huge visa sticker plus stamps. It wasn't mentioned.
I think US Immigration folk are a bit more concerned by places like Yemen and Somalia these days.
Few through Newark last week with Vietnamese & cambodia visas, along with a large number of africa ones including Zimbabwe. No issues at all.You: Yes.
US Immigration: Did ya'll have a good time?
You: Yes, thank you.
That's about as far as it will go. I passed through LAX on my way home from the same trip referred to above which included visiting Vietnam and having the obligatory huge visa sticker plus stamps. It wasn't mentioned.
I think US Immigration folk are a bit more concerned by places like Yemen and Somalia these days.
Personally I wouldn't want to fly to 'nam without the stamp already in my passport, not least because when I went they weren't the most friendly of people, and I wouldn't want the hassle after a 12hr flight.
VxDuncan said:
Few through Newark last week with Vietnamese & cambodia visas, along with a large number of africa ones including Zimbabwe. No issues at all.
Personally I wouldn't want to fly to 'nam without the stamp already in my passport, not least because when I went they weren't the most friendly of people, and I wouldn't want the hassle after a 12hr flight.
Good to know.Personally I wouldn't want to fly to 'nam without the stamp already in my passport, not least because when I went they weren't the most friendly of people, and I wouldn't want the hassle after a 12hr flight.
Can anyone recommend cheap flights to Nam. I'm planning to visit my sister in late October and the few flights I've looked at are expensive. Last time I went from Heathrow via Hong Kong with Cathay Pacific it was just over £500 return. The same flights are nearly a grand now!
jayfrancis said:
Good to know.
Can anyone recommend cheap flights to Nam. I'm planning to visit my sister in late October and the few flights I've looked at are expensive. Last time I went from Heathrow via Hong Kong with Cathay Pacific it was just over £500 return. The same flights are nearly a grand now!
I flew with Kingfisher Airlines to Bangkok via Mumbai and then with AirAsia from BK to HCMC and it was pretty reasonable. Not sure how 'connected' it all is at Bangkok - I spent a couple days there so never had to make a quick connection.Can anyone recommend cheap flights to Nam. I'm planning to visit my sister in late October and the few flights I've looked at are expensive. Last time I went from Heathrow via Hong Kong with Cathay Pacific it was just over £500 return. The same flights are nearly a grand now!
I did this last year- going through the Vietnamese embassy was easy- downloaded the forms, sent it off with the cheque and bang, you're done.
Vietnam is an amazing country. The food, sights, sounds and smells- my travelling buddy asked me to try and some it up in one sentence: its an assault on the senses that will leave you wanting more was the best I could do!
Im not sure where you are travelling into and where you're going, but check out the Lam Bihn hotel in HCMC: its a two star hotel- but we soon figured out that it would be a 3 or 4 star in the UK! http://www.lambinhhotel.com/
If you go to Mui Ne, get a moped! its basically one straight road! Check out Joe's Cafe! There is a Vietnamese guy there who plays an acoustic guitar singing English and German songs!
Finally, eat everything! we did! Pho is their national dish, so simple, tasty and nutritious! They have some weird and wonderful food that you will never get anywhere else!
PS my only regret was not being able to meet up with ShayHTFC- because I lost my phone! Doh!
Vietnam is an amazing country. The food, sights, sounds and smells- my travelling buddy asked me to try and some it up in one sentence: its an assault on the senses that will leave you wanting more was the best I could do!
Im not sure where you are travelling into and where you're going, but check out the Lam Bihn hotel in HCMC: its a two star hotel- but we soon figured out that it would be a 3 or 4 star in the UK! http://www.lambinhhotel.com/
If you go to Mui Ne, get a moped! its basically one straight road! Check out Joe's Cafe! There is a Vietnamese guy there who plays an acoustic guitar singing English and German songs!
Finally, eat everything! we did! Pho is their national dish, so simple, tasty and nutritious! They have some weird and wonderful food that you will never get anywhere else!
PS my only regret was not being able to meet up with ShayHTFC- because I lost my phone! Doh!
DarrenL said:
PS my only regret was not being able to meet up with ShayHTFC- because I lost my phone! Doh!
Oh yeah, I forgot about that. I was ready to show you some of the 'sights' of Vietnamese nightlife 
And yeah to the OP, rent out a bike if you can. They're great fun in VN
As a small, but probably irrelevant teaser, here's my bike being ziplined across a river we came across. Quality times!
SammyW said:
Thanks for all the replies and advice. I think I'll probably get it sorted at the embassy, mainly for peace of mind. The plan is to fly into HCMC then travel north over 4 weeks taking in as much as we can, and then fly back from Hanoi. Really can't wait!
Definitely try to do the 'Easy Rider' tour thing - i.e. sticking yourselves and your backpacks on the back of a bike and being taken around the best bits of the countryside. One of the best experiences of 6 months backpacking for me. jayfrancis said:
VxDuncan said:
Few through Newark last week with Vietnamese & cambodia visas, along with a large number of africa ones including Zimbabwe. No issues at all.
Personally I wouldn't want to fly to 'nam without the stamp already in my passport, not least because when I went they weren't the most friendly of people, and I wouldn't want the hassle after a 12hr flight.
Good to know.Personally I wouldn't want to fly to 'nam without the stamp already in my passport, not least because when I went they weren't the most friendly of people, and I wouldn't want the hassle after a 12hr flight.
Can anyone recommend cheap flights to Nam. I'm planning to visit my sister in late October and the few flights I've looked at are expensive. Last time I went from Heathrow via Hong Kong with Cathay Pacific it was just over £500 return. The same flights are nearly a grand now!
5potTurbo said:
I obtained the Visa application form and faxed it to the Vietnamese Embassy in London for the fast-track process. I went in there a few days later in person with my Passport, paid £20 or so and the Visa was stuck in my passport straight away.
I had the single visit visa which was for a 30 day period, but IIRC, there are alternative timings for this.
U.S immigration love my passport with Vietnam & Chinese Visas stuck in it.
.I had the single visit visa which was for a 30 day period, but IIRC, there are alternative timings for this.
U.S immigration love my passport with Vietnam & Chinese Visas stuck in it.
.
Well they would love me even more, with several Vietnam, and more Chinese visa's than I can remember.
vette
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