Vietnam was one of the first Asian countries to lift Covid restrictions on international visitors.. The idea was that by 2022, the country could attract between 5 and 6 million travellers after two years of being closed to the outside world. In vain: last year, Vietnam only welcomed 3.36 million international touristsa far cry from the 18 million before Covid.
This mediocre performance is essentially due to one factor: visa policystill restrictive. Hanoi only offers visa on arrival only for 25 countries (including France). By way of comparison, the Thailand grants a visa on arrival to 64 nationalities, and Malaysia to 66. However, 80 other countries can obtain a Vietnamese e-visa online.
In a recent position paper, the European Union Chamber of Commerce had called for all EU and Schengen area citizens to be eligible for a visa on arrival. But it seems that the government has decided not to extend this facility to new countries. This means that citizens of Switzerland, Belgium and Luxembourg will not benefit in the short term.
From 15 days to 30 days for French nationals with a visa on arrival
On the other hand, the National Assembly is expected to approve a extension of the duration of the visa on arrival. Its validity should thus be increased to 30 days instead of the current 15. As for the countries eligible for e-visa (including all French-speaking countries in Europe), its validity will be extended to 90 days. Visitors will be able to apply for a multiple-entry visawhich could prove very attractive to business travellers. All the more so as the visa waiver for the nations concerned comes with the restriction that they must allow a period of 30 days before benefiting from this facility again.
Vietnam hopes that this policy will enable it to welcome 8 million international tourists this year. A figure that is still a long way off the record for 2019.
