1. What is a visa? 

According to Clause 11 of Article 3 of the Law on Entry, Exit, Transit, and Residence of Foreigners in Vietnam 2014, a visa is a document issued by a competent authority in Vietnam to permit foreigners to enter Vietnam.

2. What is a visa extension?

When a foreigner's visa period is set to end but they still want to stay in Vietnam for a particular length of time, they must apply for a visa extension. Typically, from 1 to 3 months. When you ask for a visa extension, the Immigration Department will stamp your passport with the length of your stay.

3. What is a visa exemption?

Visa exemption means that foreigners entry a country and reside for a certain period of time without having to apply for a visa.

4. What types of visa are required for entry into Vietnam?

Currently, Vietnamese visas are classified into 26 categories, including the following types of visas: NG1, NG2, NG3, NG4, LV1, LV2, ĐT1, ĐT2, ĐT3, ĐT4, DN1, DN2, NN1, NN2, NN3, DH, HN, PV1, PV2, LD1, LÐ2, DL, TT, VR, SQ, EV. Among them, the six most common types of visas are:

• Tourist visa, symbol DL, issued to foreigners entering Vietnam as tourists.
• Business visa, symbol DN1, DN2, issued to people entering to work with companies in Vietnam.
• Working visa, symbol LĐ1, LĐ2, issued to foreigners working in Vietnam.
• Investment visa, symbol ĐT1, T2, ĐT3, ĐT4, issued to foreigners investing in Vietnam.
• Visitor visa, symbol TT, issued to foreigners who are spouses, children under 18 years old of foreigners issued visas with symbols LV1, LV2, LS, ĐT1, T2, DT3, NN1, NN2, DH, PV1, LĐ1, LĐ2 or foreigners who are fathers, mothers, spouses or children of a Vietnamese citizen.
• E-Visa, symbol EV.

5. What are the visa issuance conditions?

Visa issuance conditions are specified in Article 9 of the Law on Entry, Exit, Transit, and Residence of foreigners in Vietnam 2014 (amended 2019, 2023), including:

• Having a valid passport or international travel document.
• Having an agency, organization, or individual in Vietnam invite or guarantee, except for the cases specified in Articles 16a, 16b, and Clause 3 of Article 17 of the Law on Entry, Exit, Transit, and Residence of foreigners in Vietnam 2014.
• Not falling into the cases that have not been allowed to entry Vietnam specified in Article 21 of the Law on Entry, Exit, Transit, and Residence of foreigners in Vietnam 2014.
• When applying for a visa in the following, the applicant must have documents proving the purpose of entry:

• Foreigners who make investment in Vietnam must have papers proving their investment in Vietnam according to the provisions of the Law on Investment of Vietnam.

Investment for foreign investors: https://phong-partners.com/en/dich-vu-phap-ly/investment-consulting/investment-consulting.html

• Foreigners who practice as a lawyer in Vietnam must have a license to practice  as a lawyer in accordance with the Law on Lawyers of Vietnam;
• Foreign Labor must have a work permit in accordance with the provisions of the Labor Code of Vietnam.
• Foreigners who enter to study must have a written acceptance from the Vietnamese school or educational institution.

• Electronic visas are issued to foreigners who have passports and are not specified in Clauses 1, 2, 3, and 4 of Article 8 of the Law on Entry, Exit, Transit, and Residence of foreigners in Vietnam 2014 (amended 2019, 2023).

6. How long is the visa duration?

The visa duration is specified in Article 9 of the Law on Entry, Exit, Transit, and Residence of foreigners in Vietnam 2014 (amended 2019, 2023) as follows:

• Visa with the symbol SQ is valid for no more than 30 days.
• Visas with the symbols HN, DL and EV are valid for no more than 90 days.
• Visa with the symbol VR is valid for no more than 180 days.
• Visas with the symbols NG1, NG2, NG3, NG4, LV1, LV2, ĐT4, DN1, DN2, NN1, NN2, NN3, DH, PV1, PV2, and TT are valid for no more than 01 year.
• Visas with the symbols LĐ1 and LĐ2  are valid for no more than 02 years.
• Visa with the symbol ĐT3 is valid for no more than 03 years.
• Visas with the symbols LS, ĐT1, and ĐT2 are valid for no more than 05 years.
• When the visa has expired, it will be considered for an extension or a new one.
• Visa validity is shorter than that of a passport or international travel document by at least 30 days.

If there are other provisions in an international treaty to which Vietnam is a contracting party, the visa duration shall be according to the international treaty.

7. Why do you need to extend your visa?

No matter which purpose you enter Vietnam for, if you overstay a visa and do not extend or renew your visa, it shall be consider an illegal residence in Vietnam and an administrative penalty will be applied according to Vietnamese Law with the maximum punishment level being around 700 USD. Even in the most dire of circumstances, a criminal case may be handled. In addition, your entry and exit history will be recorded by the Vietnam Immigration Department which may result in a difficult entry the next time. As a result, a visa extension allows you prolong your stay for a set amount of time in order to complete your tourism or business strategy.

A visa should be extended before it expires due to the fact that it takes you 5 to 8 working days for the approval.

8. Visa extension application

Each type of visa is different, therefore, the application for an extension shall be different. Basically, the dossier may include:

• Document of guarantors (operation license for organization); ID card, passport, document proving family relationship for individual);
• Passport and visa of the applicant (original)
• Applicant of visa extension: following the form of Vietnam law
• Temporary residence declaration
• Document showing that applicant is an investor; foreign labor
• Other required documents.

Form of applicant for visa extension here: Form NA5 Attached to Circular no. 22-2023-TT-BCA.docx

9. Visa Service in Ha Noi

9.1. What services does the Visa Service in Ha Noi offer?

Visa Service in Ha Noi provides all legal services on immigration, specifically:

• Counseling on conditions, documents, procedures related to entry visas, temporary residence cards;
• Counseling on the formats, duration, conditions of visas, temporary residence cards in accordance with the wishes, ensuring the best interests of Clients;
• Counseling on cases of visa exemption;
• Counseling on legal issues related to investment, labor, relatives... related to the issuance of visas, temporary residence cards;
• Drafting and representing the implementation of procedures for applying for entry visas, temporary residence cards;
• Counseling, representing and/or protecting the interests of the Client before third parties or state agencies in case the Client has visa or temporary residence problems.

9.2. How much does it cost for a visa application or visa extension?

Each Firm shall have a different service charge based on many factors such as workload, records, customer requirements, etc. Visa Service in Ha Noi of Phong & Partners Law Firm is dedicated to offering the highest level of service to its Clients..

Contact: 0905.503.678 (Zalo/Whatsapp/Telegram…)

9.3. What make a reliable Visa Service in Ha Noi?

Dedicated, reputable and professional Visa Service in Ha Noi must meet the following basic criteria:

• Being ethical and dedicated to the work, for the legitimate purpose of the Client;
• Being knowledgeable and competencies in immigration law and related laws;
• Having the ability to think logically, sensitively to solve Clients’ problems quickly and effectively;
• Having profound experience working with visa and temporary residence cards authorities;
• Being supporting by a well-organized team capable of coordinating with each other to provide optimal solutions for clients.

9.4. How you can find a qualified Visa Service in Ha Noi?

Language barriers, many regulatory documents, complicated documents and administrative procedures, variety of types of visas according to the purpose of entry... make it difficult for foreigners to enter Vietnam as well as apply for temporary residence cards. Visa Service in Ha Noi helps Clients choose the right type of entry visa, carry out the necessity procedures, ensure the best benefits when entering Vietnam as well as the long-term process of living, investing and doing business in Vietnam; quick procedures and compliance with the law.

Visa Service in Ha Noi belongs to Phong & Partners Law Firm system, which is proud to be a legal service provider highly appreciated and trusted by many foreign individuals and organizations. Phong & Partners Law Firm works with the philosophy of “Honor justice – Respect goodwill”, with high professional experience, a sense of responsibility, and always putting the word “Heart” to the profession on the top, Phong & Partners commits to always giving our Clients satisfaction when experiencing our legal services. If Clients want to learn more about Visa Service in Ha Noi, please contact us via the information below.

10. F&Q

10.1. What is the difference between Visa and Passport?

Passports come first and visas come later. A passport is one of the most important documents to get a visa because, without it, no visa will be issued because the visa is printed or pasted on one or several pages of the passport. Some countries and territories issue separate visas, but even if they leave, the visa must always be clamped to the passport to carry out immigration procedures.

A visa is only valid for the purpose of entry and staying abroad (the visa issuing country), on the other hand a passport, apart from such a purpose, is used domestically and abroad as a kind of optional document identity, personal identity, and in some cases, can replace an ID card.

Although different, a visa and a passport are closely related because both are used for the purpose of entry and exit to one or several countries in the world.

10.2. What is an Entry visa?

An entry visa is a certificate issued by the immigration authorities of a country to verify that you (or someone else) are authorized to enter that country for a specified period of time as the case may be times or many times.

10.3. What is an Exit visa?

An exit visa is a government-issued document granting an individual permission to leave a country. Most concerns about obtaining a visa are related to the entrance to a country by a non-citizen and that person's right to work there or stay long-term. However, some countries require exit visas as well.

10.4. Vietnam's visa exemption policy for 13 countries

On August 14, 2023, the Government issued Resolution no.128/NQ-CP amending Resolution no.32/NQ-CP dated March 15, 2022 on visa exemption for citizens of the countries.

Accordingly, from August 15, 2023, visa exemption will be granted to citizens of the following countries with a temporary stay of 45 days from the date of entry, regardless of passport type or entry purpose, on the basis of satisfying all entry conditions as prescribed by Vietnamese law:

• The Federal Republic of Germany
• The French Republic
• The Republic of Italy
• The Kingdom of Spain
• The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
• The Russia
• The Japan
• The Republic of Korea
• The Kingdom of Denmark
• The Kingdom of Sweden
• The Kingdom of Norway
• The Republic of Finland
• The Republic of Belarus.

The policy of visa exemption on entry to Vietnam for citizens of the above countries is implemented from August 15, 2022, to the end of March 14, 2025, and will be considered for extension according to the regulations of Vietnamese law.

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