What are the visa conditions for foreigners in 2024?

Article 10 of the Law on Entry, Exit, Transit and Residence of Foreigners in Vietnam 2014, amended by Point a, Clause 5, Article 1 of the Law on Entry, Exit, Transit and Residence of Foreigners in Vietnam, amended in 2019, stipulates the conditions for granting visas to foreigners as follows:

Visa conditions

1. Have a passport or valid international travel document.

2. Having an agency, organization or individual in Vietnam inviting or guaranteeing, except for the cases specified in Article 16a, Article 16b and Clause 3, Article 17 of this Law.

3. Not falling under the cases of not being allowed to enter the country as prescribed in Article 21 of this Law.

4. The following cases require visa applications with documents proving the purpose of entry:

a) Foreigners investing must have documents proving their investment in Vietnam according to the provisions of the Investment Law;

b) Foreigners practicing law in Vietnam must have a practice license according to the provisions of the Law on Lawyers;

c) Foreigners coming to work must have a work permit according to the provisions of the Labor Code;

d) Foreigners coming to study must have a letter of acceptance from a Vietnamese school or educational institution.

5. Electronic visas are issued to foreigners with passports and are not subject to the provisions of Clauses 1, 2, 3 and 4, Article 8 of this Law.

Thus, conditions for granting visas to foreigners include:

(1) Have a passport or valid international travel document.

(2) Having an agency, organization or individual in Vietnam inviting or sponsoring, except in the following cases:

- Issue electronic visas upon request of foreigners

- Issue electronic visas upon request of agencies and organizations

- Granting visas to foreigners who need to enter Vietnam for market research, tourism, visiting relatives, or medical treatment.

(3) Not in the following cases where entry is not allowed:

- Not eligible for visa

- Children under 14 years old not accompanied by a parent, guardian or authorized person.

- Forging documents, making false statements to obtain valid entry, exit, and residence documents.

- People with mental illness or infectious diseases that endanger public health.

- Being expelled from Vietnam within 03 years from the effective date of the deportation decision.

- Forced to leave Vietnam within 06 months from the effective date of the decision to force the exit.

(4) The following cases require visa application documents proving the purpose of entry:

- Foreigners investing must have documents proving their investment in Vietnam;

- Foreigners practicing law in Vietnam must have a practice license;

- Foreigners coming to work must have a work permit;

- Foreigners coming to study must have a letter of acceptance from a Vietnamese school or educational institution.

(5) Electronic visas are issued to foreigners with passports who are not:

- Issued to members of the delegation invited by the General Secretary of the Central Executive Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam, the President, the Chairman of the National Assembly, and the Prime Minister.

- Issued to members of the delegation invited by the Standing Committee of the Central Secretariat of the Communist Party of Vietnam, Vice President, Vice Chairman of the National Assembly, Deputy Prime Minister, Chairman of the Central Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front, Chief Justice of the Supreme People's Court, Chief Prosecutor of the Supreme People's Procuracy, State Auditor General;

Members of the guest delegation at the same level as Minister and equivalent, Provincial Party Secretary, City Party Secretary, Chairman of People's Council, Chairman of People's Committee of province and centrally-run city.

- Issued to members of diplomatic missions, consular offices, representative offices of international organizations under the United Nations, representative offices of intergovernmental organizations and their spouses, children under 18 years old, and accompanying servants during their term of office.