Vietnam Visa Update

Jut returned from Millennium Vietnam cruise, so here is the latest on Visa regulations. We were on a 3 port call and with an overnight in Halong Bay.

Before the cruise I found out that, British, German, French, Italian and Spanish passport holders were part of a visa waiver program.

Once onboard, we had to hand in our passports, the following day we were issued with a Vietnamese Passenger's Landing Card, which had to be showed at each port and upon request. As we were part of the visa waiver program, our onboard account was not charged the US $6. This program was only for those passengers staying onboard the ship, for hose passengers overnighting in Hanoi another type of visa was issued.

Credit to the Vietnamese immigration officals, when stamping our passports they used an empty page and put the entry and exit stamps next to each other, a nice touch for us tourists.

Great information.

Thanks so much for sharing this.

Keith

Thanks for posting this...

Vietnam is becoming more open, many countries are visa waved with them. The United States is not but soon I believe it will be. When we cruise to Vietnam I need a visa being a US Passport, my wife is visa waved on a Philippine Passport. But really very little extra time or effort, if on cruise the ship takes care of it if we fly I do a online Visa.

Hi G.M.T,

Not that the $6 was an issue but I travelled on a British passport while my husband is Australian and we were both charged the visa cost.

Diane

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My wife also has been charged and she pays no fee (Philippines Passport) but it still took several trips and time to fix. Cruise lines really seem to not care as much about customer service as in the past. When several hundred people on a ship it seems the personal relationships were better. Now with several thousand it is move the cattle through the system.

Hi G.M.T,

 

Not that the $6 was an issue but I travelled on a British passport while my husband is Australian and we were both charged the visa cost.

 

Diane

 

 

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We were also on the Millennium cruise with GMT and Dianeandmark. We did the overnight stay in Hanoi which required the special visa. The morning we arrived in Halong Bay, we had to report to a conference room on the ship to pick up our passports and visas to take with us. Picking them up was a bit chaotic as no one seemed "in charge" of the procedure so it took about 30 minutes of waiting around but then we were on our way. Our hotel in Hanoi requested both passports & visas at check in. We travel on US passports and were each charged $28 for the visa. Passports & visas had to be given back to Guest Services as soon as we returned from Hanoi. In the next 2 ports in Vietnam we only needed to take our landing cards with us....not the visa or passports.

We were also on the Millennium cruise with GMT and Dianeandmark. We did the overnight stay in Hanoi which required the special visa. The morning we arrived in Halong Bay, we had to report to a conference room on the ship to pick up our passports and visas to take with us. Picking them up was a bit chaotic as no one seemed "in charge" of the procedure so it took about 30 minutes of waiting around but then we were on our way. Our hotel in Hanoi requested both passports & visas at check in. We travel on US passports and were each charged $28 for the visa. Passports & visas had to be given back to Guest Services as soon as we returned from Hanoi. In the next 2 ports in Vietnam we only needed to take our landing cards with us....not the visa or passports.

For the overnight visa did you need to bring two passport photos?

When did you have to inform the ship what your plans were so they knew which type of Visa needed to be issued?

if we fly I do a online Visa.

We'll be flying into Ho Chi Minh City and was looking at the online e-visa.

Is the process easy? Did you have any problems at all?

Want to make sure I do it right.

We'll be flying into Ho Chi Minh City and was looking at the online e-visa.

 

Is the process easy? Did you have any problems at all?

 

Want to make sure I do it right.

Yes easy to do and no one in my group has had any issues, US Passport, AU Passport, EU Passport, and my wife Philippines Passport but no Visa required for her. Just apply online and print out the paperwork they will send you.

Have a great trip I'm back in Vietnam the beginning of July.

Yes easy to do and no one in my group has had any issues, US Passport, AU Passport, EU Passport, and my wife Philippines Passport but no Visa required for her. Just apply online and print out the paperwork they will send you.

 

Have a great trip I'm back in Vietnam the beginning of July.

Thanks!