Vietnam plans to ease visa requirements; Here's what we know so far

HANOI - Vietnam would be relaxing visa requirements to attract more visitors to the country that has multiple tourists hotspots.  

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has ordered officials to relax visa requirements as hiccups in obtaining tourist visas hinder globetrotters across the world from visiting the country. 

In 2022, less than 3.7 million foreign travelers landed in the country known for street food, a long coastline dotted with beaches and the UNESCO World Heritage Site Halong Bay.

The premier has now instructed his cabinet to amend immigration procedures, including offering more visa waivers, increasing the length of stays for foreign tourists with reasonable fees and expanding the

country’s e-visa program.

At present, Vietnam has granted visa waivers to visitors from 13 nations who can stay in the country for 15 days. On the other hand, tourists from nine Asean countries can stay in the country visa-free for as long as 30 days. 

Vietnam’s ministry of tourism vows that a more relaxed visa policy is pivotal to drawing more international tourists and in this regard, the country targets attracting eight million foreign tourists this year.

Before the pandemic disrupted routine life across continents, the country reported a record of more than 18 million international tourists in 2019.

There has been efforts across the globe to attract more and more tourists after the Covid restrictions have been lifted by countries. Recent statistics show that the hotel occupancy rates have shot up primarily because social distancing protocols have been removed. The aviation industry is also rebounding on the heels of 'unofficial ending of Covid 19'. Recently, China also started issuing all types of visas, 3 years after the pandemic shut the country to the tourists and students.