VIETNAM plans to issue
electronic visas for visitors,
starting next year.
Nguyen Zuan Phuc, Prime
Minister of Vietnam, said
the programme would be up
and running by January. The
announcement was made
at a tourism development
conference in Hanoi recently.
“We anticipate that this will
have a positive impact on
visitor arrivals, provided that
the visa fees are kept in line
with existing fees and at similar
levels to our neighbouring
countries,” said Kenneth M
Atkinson, vice chairman of
the Tourism Advisory Board in
Vietnam.
Kenneth told TNW that the
country was also looking
at expanding the list of
visa-exempt countries and
increasing the length of stay
from 15 to 30 days.
Currently, applicants have
to apply for visas through the
Embassy of Vietnam in Pretoria.
Craig Cassim of Visas
International in Johannesburg,
said a lot of countries already
offered electronic visas. “I don’t
think it will persuade tourists
to choose e-visa destinations
but it will make the process
easier.” When applying through
an embassy, travellers have to
take the required documents
to the embassy where the visa
is pasted in their passport.
Electronic visas can be applied
for online, printed out from
an email confirmation and
presented to immigration on
arrival.
Vietnam to introduce e-visa
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