HCMC – The Vietnamese Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Public Security are working on a plan to expand the list of countries whose citizens are eligible for a unilateral visa waiver to attract more international tourists.
Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son said that a report on the plan would be presented at the 31st session of the National Assembly Standing Committee, which is scheduled to begin on March 18.
Currently, Vietnam offers a unilateral visa waiver to passport holders from Germany, France, Italy, Spain, the UK, Russia, Japan, South Korea, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland and Belarus.
Building upon this policy, the Foreign Ministry and the Ministry of Public Security are working together to propose a policy for expanding the roster of countries eligible for a unilateral visa waiver.
As part of its effort to push up inbound tourism, the Government decided in August 2023 to issue e-visas to citizens of all countries and territories in the world.
The validity of e-visa was also extended from 30 to 90 days, allowing for multiple entries. Moreover, citizens from the 13 countries eligible for the unilateral visa waiver have their temporary residence duration increasing from 15 to 45 days.
In late February 2024, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh told the Ministry of Public Security to work with relevant ministries to expand the list of countries eligible for the unilateral visa exemption.
In 2023, Vietnam saw a significant surge in international tourist arrivals, welcoming 12.6 million visitors, a 3.5-fold increase compared to 2022.
This year, the tourism sector aims to attract around 18 million international tourists and cater to around 110 million domestic tourists.
