Vietnam visa approval letter, for a long time, has become an important paper for those who want to get a visa on arrival or a visa at the Vietnam embassy/consulate.
So now, let’s go in detail about this type of document.
Table of Contents
What is the Vietnam visa approval letter?
“Vietnam Visa approval letter” is a document issued by the Vietnam Immigration Department (Vietnam Ministry of Public Security) to travelers to Vietnam. It functions as an official permission allowing its owner(s) to board the flight to Vietnam and get visa stamped onto the passport upon arrival at Vietnam airport.
So, please keep in mind that the Visa approval letter is not a visa, it’s just a required document to obtain a visa on arrival for Vietnam.
What does a Vietnam visa approval letter look like?
An approval letter for Vietnam visa contains:
- Statement on allowing its holder(s) to enter Vietnam and get visa stamped at Vietnam airport;
- Details of those permitted to enter Vietnam with this letter, including full name, passport number, date of birth, nationality,
- Permitted duration to stay in Vietnam.
- Electronic signature of the Vietnam Immigration Department (not the red stamp like before).
Here is a sample of the latest visa approval letter for Vietnam:
Vietnam visa approval letter exemption cases
The following travelers to Vietnam will be NOT required to get a visa approval letter:
- Those who enter Vietnam with either of the following papers:
- A valid Vietnam visa, such as eVisa,
- A valid Permanent Residence card for Vietnam,
- A valid Vietnam temporary residence card,
- A valid Vietnam 5-year visa exemption certificate,
- A valid APEC Travel Card which covers Vietnam
- Those entering Vietnam under bilateral or unilateral Vietnam visa exemption
Otherwise, a visa approval letter is required to get a visa for Vietnam.
In case you are not sure whether you need a visa approval letter for your coming Vietnam trip, please feel free to consult us via our Hotline/Whatsapp/Zalo +84.946.583.583 or email us at [email protected].
Conditions to get Visa approval letter for Vietnam
In order to get an approval letter for Vietnam visa, you are required to meet the following conditions:
- having sponsorship from a company legally established and operating in Vietnam, which can be:
- A foreign-invested company,
- A State-owned company,
- a representative office of a foreign trader,
- a tour company in Vietnam,
- etc.
- Not being listed on Vietnam Immigration Blacklist,
Vietnam visa approval letter types
The Vietnam visa approval letter types may vary depending on the grouping criteria as follows:
- Vietnam visa approval letter types by the purpose of visit:
- Tourist visa approval letter,
- Business visa approval letter,
- Family-visit visa approval letter,
- Vietnam visa approval letter types by place of getting visa stamped:
- Visa on arrival approval letter, and
- Embassy visa approval letter.
Vietnam visa on arrival approval letter Vietnam embassy visa approval letter
How long is Vietnam visa approval letter good for?
A Vietnam visa approval letter can be valid for 10 to up to 90 days, depending on your purpose of visit (tourist or business), and detailed itinerary in Vietnam.
How much does Vietnam visa approval letter cost?
The visa approval letter is issued for free.
However, your sponsoring company in Vietnam will need to cover the charges to:
- Prepare documents to apply for Visa approval letter, and
- Costs to complete the visa approval letter procedure.
In addition, the visa approval letter holders will need to pay for visa stamping fee, which can be:
- US $25 for a single entry visa, or
- US $50 for a multiple entry visa valid for up to 90 days.
Required documents to get visa approval letter for Vietnam
Depending on the purpose of entry, the required documents for visa approval letter for Vietnam will be different, specifically as follows:
1. Required documents for Vietnam business visa approval letter
Those documents will be prepared by the sponsoring company in Vietnam:
- Certified copy of Business Registration Certificate
- Vietnam entry application form (Form NA2)
- Introduction form of sample signature and seal of the sponsoring company (Form NA16)
- Copy of Foreigner’s Passport
- Other documents upon request.
2 . Required documents for Vietnam tourist visa approval letter
Those documents will be prepared by the sponsoring company in Vietnam:
- Certified copy of Business Registration Certificate
- Vietnam entry application form (Form NA2)
- Introduction form of sample signature and seal of the sponsoring company (Form NA16)
- Copy of Passport of the Foreigner who will be visiting Vietnam,
- Copy of Passport of the Foreigner who is family member of the Foreigner who will be visiting Vietnam and has a valid residence paper in Vietnam,
- Other documents upon request.
3. Required documents for Vietnam family visit visa approval letter
- Certified copy of Business Registration Certificate
- Vietnam entry application form (Form NA2)
- Introduction form of sample signature and seal of the sponsoring company (Form NA16)
- Copy of Foreigner’s Passport
- Detailed itinerary in Vietnam
- Other documents upon request.
How to get a visa approval letter for Vietnam?
The procedure to get a Vietnam visa approval letter will be done online by your sponsoring company via its account on the Public Service Portal, Ministry of Public Security.
In case you cannot find your sponsor company for your leisure trip to Vietnam, or your sponsor company don’t know how to get started, reach us for assistance.
Help me with Vietnam visa approval letter
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How long does it take to get an approval letter for a Vietnam visa?
The letter processing time depends on the type of visa you wish to get and how fast you want to get it.
Processing of a Vietnam tourist visa on arrival letter
- normally takes 07 – 10 working days;
- can be faster in 3 – 5 working day or even same day depending on your emergency.
Frequently Asked Questions
It is completely legitimate. Please be informed that a visa approval letter for Vietnam is issued by the Vietnam immigration department via legally operated Vietnam travel agency, not by the travel agency you work with. So, with a valid approval letter, you completely can get the visa stamped upon arrival at Vietnam airport.
No. Unlike visa on arrival for Cambodia, etc. which can be picked up right at the border gate when you are there without doing anything before departure, a visa on arrival for Vietnam is issued only when you have a valid visa approval letter. Without it, you cannot board the flight to Vietnam, not to say get the visa stamped.
Yes. You can get your visa stamped at Vietnam embassy/consulate with visa approval letter.
However, please be noted that the letter to get visa stamped at Vietnam embassy/consulate is different from that to get visa upon arrival at Vietnam airport. In addition to the letter, you also get a Reference Letter from the Vietnam Immigration Department kindly requesting the Embassy/Consulate to stamp visa for you.
In case you want to get Vietnam visa in this way, please inform us and we will ask the Vietnam Immigration Department to process the letter for you.
Here is a sample visa approval letter to get visa stamped at Vietnam embassy/consulate:
Approval letter to get visa stamped at Vietnam embassy/consulate
And this is the reference letter of the Vietnam immigration Department to the foreign mission of Vietnam:
Reference letter from Vietnam Immigration Department
Please be informed that the visa approval letter will be valid from the arrival date until the exit date granted on it, not from the date you apply for or receive it via email.
As such, you can submit the application for a visa approval letter to Vietnam at any time convenient for you.