Vietnam’s Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính has recently asked relevant agencies to prioritize measures to facilitate tourism growth in Vietnam.
With the aim of boosting tourism, Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính is considering introducing visas on arrival and extending the duration of residence visas to 36 months with multiple entries, VisaGuide.World reports.
Currently, visitors from 13 countries enjoy visa-free entry for stays of up to 45 days. As previously reported by VisaGuide, this includes South Korea, Japan, Russia, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland, France, Belarus, Germany, the United Kingdom, Spain, and Italy.
Starting in August 2023, Vietnam has implemented e-visas for all nations’ citizens, extending their stay from 30 to 90 days with multiple entries. In addition, citizens of countries enjoying unilateral visa exemptions now benefit from an extended stay in Vietnam, which increased from 15 to 45 days.
New Visa Initiatives Aim to Attract Rich Tourists & Retirees to Vietnam
Regarding the directive mentioned above, it notes the need to investigate visa exemptions for short-term stays (ranging from 6 to 12 months) for tourists from high-spending key markets.
In addition, there are plans to pilot the issuance of long-term (12-36 months) multiple-entry visas to attract affluent tourist and retiree segments from key markets as follows:
- Europe
- North-East Asia
- North America
- India
- The Middle East
33 New Countries to Be Added to Vietnam’s Visa Exemption List
According to local media, the Board of Tourism Advisors has analyzed the criteria for expanding the scope of countries that benefit from the visa exemption in Vietnam. These include factors such as a significant number of international tourists with growth potential, potential for high spending, and many others.
As a result, a further 33 countries are now unilaterally exempted from visas, including the remaining 20 EU countries (Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia), as well as the United States, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Switzerland, Israel, South Africa, Turkey, Brazil, Argentina, Arabia Saudi, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates.
Vietnam Ministry of Public Security is also tasked with leading the charge in reforming the administrative procedure, using technological advances to improve processes, including the possibility of applying for visas on arrival at border gates. A comprehensive report on this matter will be submitted to the Prime Minister within the second quarter 2024.
Moreover, Hoàng Nhân Chính, from the Tourism Advisory Board (TAB), highlighted Vietnam’s tourism recovery in 2023, reaching 70 percent of pre-pandemic levels with 12.6 million foreign visitors, down from 19 million. He also emphasized the importance of new visa policies post-COVID-19, aligning with regional trends.