Get a Vietnam Visa
- When is the best time to apply for my Vietnam visa? The best time to apply for your Vietnam visa is 1-2 months before your travel date.
- Do I have to send you my passport to get a Vietnam visa? Is it safe to send a passport? You will need to send your actual passport, not a copy of it. The Vietnam visa is stamped on your passport and will become one of your passport pages. Visa requests cannot be processed without your original passport. Because of the importance of your passport, we strongly suggest that you send your application and passport to CIBTvisas in a secure way, using a traceable courier such as FedEx, UPS, Express Mail or Certified Mail.
Business Visa Application Requirements for a Vietnam Visa
Passport
You must provide your actual signed passport, including one copy of the personal information page of your passport. Your passport must:
- Be valid for the next six months
- Have at least one blank visa page (amendments and endorsement pages cannot be used to fulfill this requirement)
- Not be frayed, torn, separating, or altered in any other way
If your passport does not meet these requirements, please contact CIBTvisas at 800-929-2428 for further details.
Photographs
You must provide one color, passport-type photograph that meets the following criteria:
- Be taken within the last three months and printed on high-quality photo paper
- Be taken against an all white background
- Be two inches by two inches
- Provide the full frontal view of your head with your face centered in the middle and displaying a neutral (non-smiling) expression
- You may wear neither eyeglasses nor headwear except for religious purposes
- Your photo should not be affixed to your application and it may not display evidence of adhesive tape or staples
Business Cover Letter
You are required to provide a Business Cover Letter from your U.S.-based company. All letters must be printed on company letterhead that displays a U.S. mailing address. Use the included sample Business Cover Letter to complete your letter.
CIBTvisas Order Form
Provide the CIBTvisas Order Form included in this kit.
Visa Application Form
The Consulate of Vietnam requires that the visa application be completed online, printed and submitted to CIBTvisas with the rest of your documents. The form can be found at https://visa.mofa.gov.vn and is best accessed using Explorer, Firefox, or Chrome. Be patient as load times can be protracted. Finally, the form will open in Vietnamese. You must click "English", located in the upper-right corner of the page, to complete the form in English. Your completed application must:
- Be completed in 15 minutes or fewer
- Must list a "Sponsor." This is the Vietnamese business or organization with which you will be working
- For "Place of Submission" select the city to which you will send your documents. (If your city is Washington DC then select "Viet Nam Embassy in the United States of America")
- Be signed in blue or black ink in the lower right portion of the form, underneath the date you completed the application
Letter of Invitation
You must submit a Ministry of Foreign Affairs approved invitation. The organization you will be visiting is responsible for obtaining this invitation on your behalf. This is not required if you are applying for a one-month validity visa.
Loose-Leaf Visa
The Consulate of Vietnam offers a loose-leaf visa; this is a process that permits you to apply for the visa without submitting your passport to the Consulate.
If you elect for a loose-leaf visa, all of the above requirements apply with the exceptions that you only need to send a copy of your passport information page (not the actual passport) and you must provide two photographs.
You must secure the loose-leaf visa in your passport after receipt.
Letter of Approval
You must provide a Letter of Approval issued by the Department of the Ministry of Public Security in Vietnam.
Urgent Applications
If you have an urgent visa application that carries a tight deadline, CIBTvisas can help you to save valuable time and avoid expensive delays. A CIBTvisas expert will review all of your documents to certify your application is accurate, complete and ready for submission. We will contact you personally to quickly handle any mistakes ensuring your application is submitted correctly. Visit https://cibtvisas.com/visa-pre-check-service to learn more about this service.
Tourist Application Requirements for a Vietnam Visa
Passport
You must provide your actual signed passport, including one copy of the personal information page of your passport. Your passport must:
- Be valid for the next six months
- Have at least one blank visa page (amendments and endorsement pages cannot be used to fulfill this requirement)
- Not be frayed, torn, separating, or altered in any other way
If your passport does not meet these requirements, please contact CIBTvisas at 800-929-2428 for further details.
Photographs
You must provide one color, passport-type photograph that meets the following criteria:
- Be taken within the last three months and printed on high-quality photo paper
- Be taken against an all white background
- Be two inches by two inches
- Provide the full frontal view of your head with your face centered in the middle and displaying a neutral (non-smiling) expression
- You may wear neither eyeglasses nor headwear except for religious purposes
- Your photo should not be affixed to your application and it may not display evidence of adhesive tape or staples
CIBTvisas Order Form
Provide the CIBTvisas Order Form included in this kit.
Visa Application Form
The Consulate of Vietnam requires that the visa application be completed online, printed and submitted to CIBTvisas with the rest of your documents. The form can be found at https://visa.mofa.gov.vn/Homepage.aspx and is best accessed using Explorer, Firefox or Chrome. Be patient as load times can be protracted. Finally, the form will open in Vietnamese. You must click "English", located in the upper-right corner of the page, to complete the form in English. Your completed application must:
- Completed in 15 minutes or fewer
- For "Place of Visa Submission" and "Place of Visa Collection" select the city to which you will send your documents. (If your city is Washington DC then select "Viet Nam Embassy in the United States of America")
- Include the "Sponsor" name as 'Vietnam' for a Tourist visa
- Be signed in blue or black ink in the lower right portion of the form, underneath the date you completed the application
Loose-Leaf Visa
The Consulate of Vietnam offers a loose-leaf visa; this is a process that permits you to apply for the visa without submitting your passport to the Consulate.
If you elect for a loose-leaf visa, all of the above requirements apply with the exceptions that you only need to send a copy of your passport information page (not the actual passport) and you must provide two photographs.
You must secure the loose-leaf visa in your passport after receipt.
Letter of Approval
Provide a copy of the approval letter issued by the Immigration Department of the Ministry of Public Security in Vietnam.
Applicants Under the Age of 18
Minors traveling alone or with one parent or legal guardian must provide an original notarized letter from the absent parent or guardian approving the minor's travel. The non-traveling parent(s) or guardian(s) must also provide of copy of his or her identification. The visa applicant may sign their visa application form. If a parent or guardian decides to sign the visa application form, then they need to indicate their relationship with the visa applicant next to their signature, ex: "Mother", "Father", "Legal guardian".
A sample letter can be found by clicking the following link: https://cibtvisas.com/forms?formname=ParentalConsent.pdf
Urgent Applications
If you have an urgent visa application that carries a tight deadline, CIBTvisas can help you to save valuable time and avoid expensive delays. A CIBTvisas expert will review all of your documents to certify your application is accurate, complete and ready for submission. We will contact you personally to quickly handle any mistakes ensuring your application is submitted correctly. Visit https://cibtvisas.com/visa-pre-check-service to learn more about this service.