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Vietnam Reopening for Tourists, With Conditions

Last activity 22 March 2023 by Bhavna

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pogiwayne
I just applied for another 1-month e-visa to HCMC in August/September.  I hope they start issuing longer visas soon. 

This time I will try the Vietnam Airlines flight from San Francisco, in premium economy.  I hope it is comfortable. 
- @paulmsn

Let us know how the flight goes.
RTLisSB
I hope they start issuing longer visas soon. 

- @paulmsn


You and me, both.
OceanBeach92107
I just applied for another 1-month e-visa to HCMC in August/September.  I hope they start issuing longer visas soon. 

This time I will try the Vietnam Airlines flight from San Francisco, in premium economy.  I hope it is comfortable. 
- @paulmsn
FYI:

The flight departs at 11:55 PM (although my flight left 1 hour late).

The ticket counters (area 7) don't open up until 3.5 hours before the flight (8:25 PM) and prior to that, the screens above the counters will display another airline's logo, without any indication that Vietnam Airlines will be ticketing there.

Passengers (with lots of extra accompanied luggage boxes) start arriving by about 6:30 PM (I arrived via my connecting flight about 6 PM) when airport workers have not yet set up the ropes defining the line.

By the time the ropes are set up at about 7:30 PM, there are probably at least 100 people in line.

By 8:25 PM it's a LONG wait in line.

Good luck!
OceanBeach92107
Thanks for that. I usually go premium economy too. What’s the price range like out of SF? I’m from Vancouver, CA.
- @aubmush7
Please check the airline's website or use their app.

Prices are much higher for these non-stop flights than for flights on other airlines with connections.

Business Class recently jumped from $4,000 USD to $6,000 USD.

Demand is huge right now with every flight routinely sold out.

Book far in advance for best prices with them.
paulmsn
Thanks for that. I usually go premium economy too. What’s the price range like out of SF? I’m from Vancouver, CA.
- @aubmush7

It cost me $1604 .57 USD for roundtrip in PE, but the price varies, so look for the cheapest days to fly.  Right now fares to SE Asia are expensive in general.  VN doesn't fly SFO-SGN every day.
paulmsn
FYI:

The flight departs at 11:55 PM (although my flight left 1 hour late).

The ticket counters (area 7) don't open up until 3.5 hours before the flight (8:25 PM) and prior to that, the screens above the counters will display another airline's logo, without any indication that Vietnam Airlines will be ticketing there.

Passengers (with lots of extra accompanied luggage boxes) start arriving by about 6:30 PM (I arrived via my connecting flight about 6 PM) when airport workers have not yet set up the ropes defining the line.

By the time the ropes are set up at about 7:30 PM, there are probably at least 100 people in line.

By 8:25 PM it's a LONG wait in line.

Good luck!
- @OceanBeach92107

I get to SFO just after 7 pm if my flight isn't late, but I think there will be a separate line for PE.  We'll see.  The only review I found online is for business class, so it wasn't much help.
larsay
For those who do not know yet, with between 500 and 1500 new covid cases a day and no deaths, there are no longer covid restriction to enter Vietnam, you just have to present a proof of vaccination. Everything is open except a few temples and pagodas here and there, and one can go anywhere in the country.
OceanBeach92107
For those who do not know yet, with between 500 and 1500 new covid cases a day and no deaths, there are no longer covid restriction to enter Vietnam, you just have to present a proof of vaccination. Everything is open except a few temples and pagodas here and there, and one can go anywhere in the country.
- @larsay
That is incorrect.

Proof of vaccination is no longer required to enter Vietnam.
paulmsn
I get to SFO just after 7 pm if my flight isn't late, but I think there will be a separate line for PE.  We'll see.  The only review I found online is for business class, so it wasn't much help.
- @paulmsn


I arrived at the VN checkin about an hour before they opened.  There was a line of about 10-15 people (hard to tell, because some people in groups came and went), with tons of luggage.  I saw a worker setting up ropes at the far end, and asked him about a premium economy line.  He pointed it out to me and I stood there at the front.  They started processing people about 8:40 pm.  I was hoping they would offer me a pass to the China lounge they partner with, but I guess premium economy doesn't qualify, so I'm sitting above the gate, which is closed.  Fortunately there is wifi.
paulmsn
I wasn't that impressed with VN's premium economy.  The seats are a little bit wider, but that just means wider armrests between passengers.  The woman next to me still managed to get her blanket onto my seat, and the space underneath the seats couldn't fit my half-full backpack.  Everything felt as tight and close as in economy.  The seats reclined more, but because they just rotated in place, the angle of the seat bottom and back remained the same, which I didn't find comfortable. 

The food service was pretty much the same as in economy, with the foil over the main course and plastic covers over the side dishes, with plastic utensils in a plastic bag.  I had trouble finding a place for all the covers that I took off.  The food seemed better quality, though.  I managed a few hours sleep after the meal, and then a couple of hours later a two-hour sleep, but the rest of the trip was fitful, short little naps.  I don't think I will pay for PE again -- I'll just choose economy if I can't get a flight in business on another airline with miles.  The short two-plane trip was nice, though.

One thing I didn't think of -- the seating is 2-4-2, and I had chosen an aisle seat on the left, but I was moved to the middle section because the PE section was almost full and they chose to accommodate paired customers over singles.  I didn't mind too much -- the couple that ended up in the left pair of seats were a mother and young daughter.
OceanBeach92107
The short two-plane trip was nice, though.

- @paulmsn
Are you including your connecting flight TO San Francisco in that?

Your flight to SGN was non-stop, correct?

Congratulations on your successful reentry!
Salensis

Hello everyone... Does anyone know if regular 30 day and 90 day tourist visas are now available for Australian passport holders. If not any idea when they will be issued again?


The embassy visa website here has been updated recently. No details on what rules have changed. Still asks to go through travel agents.


Sorry if has been covered. I search back on this thread and recent forum posts but didn't see anything recent.

pogiwayne

@Salensis

30 day Evisa is the only visa currently available. Go to the official Vietnam government website to apply. Embassies cannot issue regular tourist visas.

Kurterino

In this context, I was wondering about extensions to the 30 day tourist visa: are they possible, and how do you go about it?

Apparently, a friend of a friend has managed to get an extension, but that’s all the information I could get. Anybody knows more?

pogiwayne

In this context, I was wondering about extensions to the 30 day tourist visa: are they possible, and how do you go about it?
Apparently, a friend of a friend has managed to get an extension, but that’s all the information I could get. Anybody knows more?
-@Kurterino

There are no extensions of the evisa. There are ploys that agents use to sponsor people. Legal or illegal?

AndyHCMC

@Kurterino


As Pogi says be careful of doing such things, you could end up over a thousand bucks poorer and being kicked out and blacklisted if it is a dodgy ploy - ""

OceanBeach92107

In this context, I was wondering about extensions to the 30 day tourist visa: are they possible, and how do you go about it?
Apparently, a friend of a friend has managed to get an extension, but that’s all the information I could get. Anybody knows more?
-@Kurterino


If you pay enough money, you can always get something done illegally in Vietnam.


We usually quash discussions of such things to avoid the scam agent trolls and because of host nation sensitivity.


Especially so when it's not a first-person anecdote, making it impossible to ask clarifying questions.


O.B.

Vietnam forum advisor

expat.com team

Kurterino

@Kurterino
As Pogi says be careful of doing such things, you could end up over a thousand bucks poorer and being kicked out and blacklisted if it is a dodgy ploy - ""
-@AndyHCMC

I wasn’t going to do anything illegal, I have a plane ticket for the day my visa (e-visa) expires, plus I have other plans, namely going to Brazil (I even started a thread in the Brazil forum here about my flight).

Just as I said before, a friend, who is Vietnamese and isn’t the type to do nor recommend illegal things, told me about friends of her who had gotten extensions , naturally I thought that this was a possibility now.

I will talk to her again, but I suspect that she doesn’t know much more than that ‘they got extensions‘…

Kurterino

well, that was quick, I had a short chat on WhatsApp with said friend, and only now she’s telling me that these people managed to get extensions only because they know a government employee personally.

So yes, it was a dumb question, sorry about that

Aidan in HCMC

@Kurterino

NO!

Not a dumb question at all, Kurterino, and a big THANK YOU for reporting back to the forum!


Expats, tourists, travellers. Be very wary of offers to extend your eVisa.

Kurterino

I was wondering if it would be possible to apply for a second e-visa for the day when one’s e-visa expires? I mean is there a chance to get it (the second one), or is there a minimum time period to be observed between visas?

OceanBeach92107

I was wondering if it would be possible to apply for a second e-visa for the day when one’s e-visa expires? I mean is there a chance to get it (the second one), or is there a minimum time period to be observed between visas?
-@Kurterino


That's exactly what many people have done.


No minimum wait.


Re-enter Vietnam immediately after entering and exiting the border country and receiving their entry/exit stamps in your passport

Kurterino

I was wondering if it would be possible to apply for a second e-visa for the day when one’s e-visa expires? I mean is there a chance to get it (the second one), or is there a minimum time period to be observed between visas?
-@Kurterino

That's exactly what many people have done.

No minimum wait.

Re-enter Vietnam immediately after entering and exiting the border country and receiving their entry/exit stamps in your passport
-@OceanBeach92107

But you still have to exit the country, even if it’s just for half a day? So not the same as a regular visa extension, but better than no visa at all, of course

OceanBeach92107

I was wondering if it would be possible to apply for a second e-visa for the day when one’s e-visa expires? I mean is there a chance to get it (the second one), or is there a minimum time period to be observed between visas?
-@Kurterino

That's exactly what many people have done.

No minimum wait.

Re-enter Vietnam immediately after entering and exiting the border country and receiving their entry/exit stamps in your passport
-@OceanBeach92107
But you still have to exit the country, even if it’s just for half a day? So not the same as a regular visa extension, but better than no visa at all, of course
-@Kurterino


In no way, shape or form is it a visa extension or a visa renewal.


It's a totally new visa, not linked to the previous visa at all.


The process also mandates the purchase of a visa to enter Cambodia (visa on arrival or online).


It takes about 20 minutes at Mộc Bài from the moment you exit Vietnam to the moment you reenter, if you get there early in the morning (8 AM) before long lines start slowing things down.


Can also be done at Laos.

Bhavna

Hello everyone,


Please note that I am closing this thread.


You may stay updated by reading the new thread opened on this topic : Latest news on visas


Thank you all

Bhavna


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Closed

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