Is it recommended to get a Visa from the Vietnamese Embassy ahead of time? They have quoted me $100 CAD pp. Or is it just as easy and cheaper to get the visa on landing in Hanoi? I don't mind paying for the convenience if necessary as we land at 10 pm, will be tired, and will want to get out of the airport as quickly as possible.
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1
pidalono
I am Canadian and when I researched this in November, I understood that visas "upon arrival" are risky. They are supposed to serve for emergency departures (the possible emergency reasons are listed somewhere on their site I think). If you are not going for one of these urgent matters, the authorities could (but will not necessarily) refuse your entry... Many do it upon arrival because it's (much!!) cheaper... We decided not to risk this and go through the VIetnamese Embassy. We paid around 500$CAD for our family of 5.
2
larsay
Visas on Arrival are ABSOLUTELY NOT risky ! The airport authorities CANNOT refuse you entry for a simple reason. The Letter of invitation is issued BY THE IMMIGRATION OFFICE, NOT by the agency, which is only an intermediary) AND IT CONFIRMS THAT YOUR VISA IS AVAILABLE ON ARRIVAL ; cannot be safer !
Besides, it is cheaper than through a consulate (and if there is none in your town it avoids mailing your passport back and forth, a thing never good to do !)
3
zauberberg
Canadians qualify for an E-Visa, takes 3 days , USD 25.- , easy, great option. We just got ours without any problems. No letter of invitation necessary. Note, they don' t email you when the visa is processed, you have to check on their website. This is the official government site: https://evisa.immigration.gov.vn/
The Vietnamese Consulate in Australia charges AUD 140.-...
4
pidalono
Visas on Arrival are ABSOLUTELY NOT risky !
Well, we got our visas through the Vietnam Embassy in Canada, and it is written on their website:
Visas on arrival (or VOA) is a special facility reserved only for extreme emergency situations, mostly for humanitarian purposes and not designed for regular visitors. Abuse of the facility may lead to penalty and denied entry. Please click here for details on eligibility and our warning on the so-called "visa-on-arrival services".
This is the list of reasons allowing a VOA:
On official invitation by the Vietnamese government;Attending funerals of family members;
Providing care for family members who are seriously ill;
Providing technical emergency support; medical care for seriously-ill patients; or assisting in natural disaster and epidemic relief in Viet Nam;
Others extreme emergencies.
Falsely declaring emergencies to use this facility is a serious abuse and would result in heavy penalty or denied entry to the country.
And it goes on for a full page. We chose to go by the rules and pay the price. Probably, we would not have had any problem (I know many do it - for now), but we're arriving in the middle of the night with 3 kids after 20 hour of traveling. Bof, I don't want any trouble.
5
jjack
Always lots of debate around this issue. VOA is used by lots of people without problems, however it does require you to line up when you arrive to get the visa. As that's something I would rather not do after a long flight I ask the travel agency where I book my flight to sort it out. I hand over our passports, and in less than a week the travel agent calls me to advise the passports are ready to be picked up. Total cost including all fees - $80 per visa.
A VOA requires a pre-authorization letter, which is around $25USD, or about $32 Canadian. So yes it's cheaper, but I like the comfort of arriving with my visa already stamped in my passport so I know there won't be a problem, and I won't have to line up.
6
ddpraha_love
Thanks to everyone for all their responses. I prefer the comfort solution and will get my Visa ahead of time from the Embassy.
7
jjack
I'm curious why you wouldn't simply have your travel agent do it. So much simpler. Unless you booked your flight online?
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