On March 19th, at the Government’s meeting with the FDI Business Community and the Vietnam Business Forum, Mr. Denzel Eades – Deputy Chairman of the British Business Association in Vietnam – noted that Vietnam’s visa policy has not been adjusted as quickly as its competitors in the tourism market.
Vietnam is expected to relax its visa policy in the near future.
In order to adapt to the post-COVID-19 context, the association representative wishes the country to consider emergency measures to keep up with the growth rate of its competitors, including granting visa exemptions to key markets such as China, India, Europe, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and the United States.
Agreeing with the above proposal, Mr. Gabor Fluit – Chairman of the European Chamber of Commerce in Vietnam (EuroCham) – emphasized the need to grant visa exemptions to all EU member countries, issue special visas for conferences, exhibitions, and sports events, and rationalize immigration procedures in general to enhance Vietnam’s attractiveness as a top destination for tourists and investors.
Moreover, international tourism promotion agencies propose that Vietnam should diversify its visa types. Currently, investment visas for individuals contributing at least 50 billion VND are valid for 5 years. Therefore, most multi-level work visas for long-term foreign residents are only valid for 2 years. At the same time, the documentation and procedures for visa extension are quite complex. Therefore, associations suggest that the Vietnamese Government should study simplifying the documentation and procedures as soon as possible.
In fact, on March 18th, Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son stated that the managing agency is negotiating with many countries on mutual visa exemptions. Apart from the 13 countries that unilaterally exempt Vietnam from visas, the country is negotiating with 15 countries to implement mutual visa exemptions, creating more flexible conditions for entry and exit. If expectations are met, Vietnamese citizens will be able to travel freely to 28 countries without visas.
