Vietnam Visa Exemptions For More International Visitors

Vietnam National Administration of Tourism will propose more visa exemptions to the authorities for visitors from certain markets in North America, Europe, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Australia, while extending the visa-free duration for other markets to attract more foreign travelers to Vietnam.

The proposal was forwarded to VNAT after a meeting between representatives of local tourism and trade agencies, tour operators, transport companies, big hotels and the European Chamber of Commerce in Vietnam (EuroCham) in Hanoi, 10 July.

At the meeting, experts said visa exemptions were limited and needed to be widened to include more countries to boost tourism.

The meeting noted that even the visa-on-arrival facility was complicated and required travelers to complete some advance paperwork to ensure it worked properly.

It is also likely that Vietnam will increase the visa-free stay from 15 to 30 days for citizens from Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Norway, Russia, Japan and South Korea.

VNAT has also urged the government to streamline visa-on-arrival procedures and introduce electronic visas.

Similar changes were also suggested by the Tourism Working Group under the Vietnam Business Forum at a mid-term dialogue between the government and the business community in Hanoi last month.

Vietnam already allows nationals of 17 countries to enter the country without a visa. The length of stay differs.

Citizens of Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and Kyrgyzstan get a visa-free stay of up to 30 days. Citizens of the Philippines get 21 days. Citizens of Brunei and Myanmar get 14 days.

Citizens of Denmark, Finland, Norway, Sweden, Russia, Japan, and South Korea get 15 days.

All travelers can visit Phu Quoc for 30 days without a visa, but they must, either enter through the island’s seaport, or through its airport after transiting through Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City’s international airports.

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Visa-free Travel To Myanmar For Thailand

Thai government spokesman, Teerat Ratanasevi, says Thailand and Myanmar will sign an agreement on visa exemption between the two countries, this December,which will give citizens of the two countries a 14-day visa-free stay.

Mr Teerarat said the Cabinet on Tuesday approved the draft agreement on the visa exemption.

“The draft will now be presented to the premiers of the two countries to sign when Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra visits Myanmar this December.”

The Thai PM will visit Myanmar, 11 and 12 December, to participate in the SEA Games opening ceremony.

He added: “The draft agreement was submitted to the Cabinet for approval in line with Article 190 of the Constitution, but does not have to be approved by Parliament.”

Under ASEAN membership rules all 10 countries are supposed to allow visa-free travel for the group’s citizens. Myanmar is the last of the member countries to comply with the rule.

However, ASEAN rules are based on voluntary participation and in the case of visa-free travel, bilateral agreements need to be ratified first that comply with national immigration laws.

Once the bilateral accord is signed the visa exemption will apply to departures and arrivals at 23 airports in Thailand.

The airports are: Suvarnabhumi; Don Mueang; Chiang Mai; Chiang Rai; Hat Yai; Phuket; Nan; Phitsanulok; Mae Sot; Mae Hong Son; Khon Kaen; Nakhon Ratchasima; Udon Thani; Ubon Ratchathani; Krabi; Trang; Narathiwat; Ranong; Surat Thani; Hua Hin; Samui; Sukhothai; and U-tapao.

Airports in Myanmar have yet to be identified.

However, the two countries reserve the right to deny entry to certain citizens, or reduce their stay without having to inform them of the reasons, he said.

The spokesman cited that the agreement could also be suspended for security and public health reasons by informing the other country at least 15 days in advance. It can be annulled by either country through a notice presented through diplomatic channels at least 60 days in advance.

Earlier this month, Myanmar’s Foreign Minister U Wunna Maung Lwin and Vietnamese Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh signed a bilateral agreement in New York to allow Vietnamese travellers, the first in ASEAN, to gain visa-free entry to Myanmar.

Visa-free travel between the two countries applied 26 October this year.

According to the visa exemption pact between Vietnam and Myanmar, citizens need to have passports valid for a minimum of six months, and their stay must not exceed 14 days, without any facility to extend.

Myanmar authorities have also granted pre-arranged visa-on-arrival for visitors from 48 countries. It requires pre-approval from authorities. Once the traveller has confirmation that the visa on arrival has been approved they take a flight to Yangon and have the visa stamped into their passport on arrival.

The visa-free entry between Thailand and Myanmar will be limited to airline travel only, which excludes travellers who might want to travel over the border at Mae Sai in Chiang Rai province and then fly from Tachilek airport to Yangon, Mandalay or Bagan. They will still need a visa to pass through the overland checkpoint.

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Advantages of Japan visa-free for Thais

Kasikorn Research Centre says Japan visa exemption for Thais will encourage outbound travel to reach around 300,000 trips this year up around 50% on last year’s trends.

Japan confirmed that the new visa-free rule would be effective, 1 July, giving Thai visitors a stay of up to 15 days in the country. For longer stays visitors will need to apply for a visa at the Japanese embassy in Bangkok. The visa-free stay is not extendable.

The bank noted that Japan’s tourism has made a quick recovery in the aftermath of the great East Japan earthquake disaster of March 2011, and through the introduction of visa-free entry, travel to the country should continue to expand.

The centre said the Japanese government intends to increase international tourist arrivals to 18 million by 2016 and 25 million by 2020, focusing on ASEAN markets including Thailand.

Outbound travel from Thailand performs well below par when compared to Singapore and Malaysia. Thais face considerable hassle to obtain visas, while the low value of the Thai baht compared with most currencies in the past made overseas travel expensive.

Japan will give visa-free entry to both Thai and Malaysian tourists. The government of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe approved the scheme, 11 June, although he did not elaborate at the time when the new measure would take effect. He suggested it would be introduced ahead of the summer season. A 1 July launch has now been officially confirmed by the Japanese government.

Other factors that attract foreign visitors to Japan are the diverse tourism products along with numerous breathtaking natural attractions, fine weather, exotic food and a mix of traditional and high tech lifestyles. The bank noted that Japan should welcome 10 million visitors this year, up 20% year-on -year.

Outbound travel from Thailand is growing mainly because of the rapid rise in the baht against the yen since the fourth quarter of 2012. Japan is viewed as a top shopping destination.

Although the baht is expected to weaken substantially in the second half of this year a visa-free policy when combined with creative packaging by Thai travel agents should maintain a steady moderate growth.

The bank estimated Thai travelers will spend around Bt12 billion on trips to Japan this year.

Kasikorn Research Centre is a subsidiary company of Kasikorn Bank, which conducts tourism and business research mainly on Thailand’s economy including tourism with reliable recommendations and indicators on business prospects.

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Vietnam Gaining Visa-free Travel

Tourism expert continue to present the case for visa-free travel to the national government claiming it is essential to build the economy, revenue and jobs in tourism.

They are lobbying to stop a Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ proposal to close the visa-free scheme particularly for seven countries.

Vietnam has in place a pilot visa exemption programme for tourists from Japan, South Korea, Russia, Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Finland. It has been running for eight years for some of the countries, but has met resistance from the country’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Another visa-free stay programme for ASEAN visitors has not been targeted for review.

The ministry bemoans the loss of visa fee collection claiming the losses it incurs make the scheme unviable.

A tourist visa to Vietnam currently costs US$45 and if the exemption programme continues the ministry loses US$50 million a year in revenue, although tourism experts point out the positive earnings from tourism far outweigh the loss.

They also argue that a visa-free policy saves costs for the ministry, which can reduce its consulate staff payroll at embassies in the seven countries.

Vietnam Tourism Association vice president, Vu The Binh, argues that the loss of visa fees is just a drop in the ocean compared to the huge amount of revenue the tourism sector brings in every year.

Last year, the country attracted approximately 1.5 million visitors from Japan, Korea and Russia. If each visitor spent an average of US$1,500 during their stay, the tourism sector would earn US$2.1 billion and contribute US$210 million in VAT to the State budget.

“While Vietnam may lose several millions from visa exemptions each year, it will gain billions in tourism revenue,” he said.

“We also earn US$210 million in VAT, not to mention the other benefits such as generating more jobs,” he said.

Visit us at Threeland Travel Vietnam to get further information about traveling around the world and Vietnam tours; to have access to the best travel services and to meet our professional consultants who're always available for help. For any inquiry please contact us.

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