The government of Vietnam said that under a two-year pilot plan an electronic visa system would be launched for international tourists entering its territory beginning from 1 February. Its directive, released on 25 January, stated that nationals of 40 countries would be entitled to apply for these e-visas. With these visas, tourists are eligible to enter the country once and stay for up to 30 days.

The top source countries from which tourists come to the Southeast Asian country such as the US, the UK, China, South Korea, Japan, Sweden and Germany are all included in this list.

Hereafter, applicants would need to fill up a form which they can download from two separate websites operated by the country’s Ministry of Public Security, with one being in English and the other in Vietnamese. An application code would be sent following this and the applicants would then be asked to make a payment for a non-refundable fee online.

VnExpress.net quotes the directive as stating that the applicants would be able to know in three working days about the status of their applications. Successful applicants can take a printout of their e-visa after they receive them. Using these visas, visitors can enter Vietnam through one of its eight international airports. Included in that list are in Hanoi’s Noi Bai, Da Nang in the central region and Ho Chi Minh City’s Tan Son Nhat. They are also eligible to arrive in the Socialist Republic of Vietnam through 13 international border entrances through land and also via seven seaports.

Vietnam’s National Assembly had voted in November 2016 in favour of the plan to let foreign tourists apply for visas online.

On the other hand, Vietnam offers visa exemptions to citizens of Asean (Association of South East Asian Nation) and of up to 15 days for nationals of Belarus, Denmark, France, Italy, Germany, Norway, Poland, Russia, South Korea, Spain and Sweden.

Tourism authorities of Vietnam are hoping that 11.5 million overseas tourists will visit their nation in 2017, an increase of 15 percent when compared to 2016.

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