Frequently Asks About Vietnam Visa Extension

Applying for the Vietnam visa extension or renewal should be easy. Here are the steps to follow.

1 👉 First, find out if there is a Vietnam Immigration Office near the place you live. If there is, find out their address. You can visit or call them to inquire about the process of applying for the visa extension or renewal.

2 👉 Next, fill out the application form for visa renewal or extension. You can download the form from the website of Vietnam Immigration and fill it out in advance. Then bring the filled-out form to the Vietnam Immigration Office. If you do not have the option to print, just go directly to the Vietnam Immigration Office and they will give you the forms that you need to fill out.

3 👉 Submit the application form to the staff at the Immigration Office together with your passport and visa copy. The staff will check your documents and will inform you if more documents are needed.

4 👉 If there are no problems, they will collect the fees for your visa extension or visa renewal. After you pay, they will ask you to wait for their call. This will usually take a week or more for them to process the visa extension or renewal.

5 👉 Once your application is approved, they will give your passport back. You will find the stamp or a visa sticker in the passport indicating the new duration of your stay in Vietnam.

When applying for a visa extension or renewal in Vietnam, you must prepare the documents and requirements in advance. This will save you time as it prevents you from having to come back and forth to the Vietnam Immigration Office.

Below are the documents you need to submit:

👉 Passport – the most important requirement that you need to present is your passport. Your passport should be valid for at least six months from the date you applied for the extension or renewal. It must also have at least two extra blank pages for the visa stamp and sticker.

👉 Application form – you need to fill out an application form when applying for a visa extension or renewal from the Vietnam Immigration Office. To save time, download the forms in advance. You will find this from the website of Vietnam Immigration. Print the form and fill it out in advance. So when you arrive at the Immigration Office, all you need to do is to submit the form together with your passport and other requirements. Form NA5 for visa extension

👉 Visa copy – if you are applying for a visa extension since your visa is already about to expire, then you need to submit a copy of the visa. Most visas are already attached to the passport. But if your visa is a separate sheet, then you need to submit the visa copy separately.

👉 Other documents – there are times when the Vietnam Immigration would require additional documents depending on your situation. For example, if you would like to extend your stay due to some emergency reasons, they might ask you to provide a document as proof. Again, it is best to call the Vietnam Immigration Office ahead to find out what the requirements are.

The first question that foreigners often have when it comes to getting their visa extended or renewed is where to apply? Applying for a visa extension or renewal in Vietnam can be done at any of the Immigration Offices in Vietnam. The good news is, there are Immigration Offices all over the country so there is really no need for you to travel far just to get a visa extension or renewal. Aside from the Vietnam Immigration Office in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, there are immigration offices in more than 60 cities all over the country.

So the first thing that you need to do when getting a visa extension or renewal is to find out if there is an immigration office near the place you reside. You will find this information from the website of Vietnam Immigration. The website will also provide the address and contact number of the office. You will also find information on which days they are open and their time of operation.

Call the office in advance to find out the requirements that you need to bring for your visa extension or renewal application. Usually, they would require you to bring the original copy of your passport. If you have a visa, bring a copy of your visa as well. There is also a fee for applying for a visa extension or renewal and the fees would vary. So it is best to call the office in advance so you will know how much money to bring.

You can extend the validity of your visa depending on the type of visa that you have. Usually, this can be extended for up to six months. To give you an idea:

👉 Visa exemption entry – can be extended for 15 days, 1 month, or 3 months.

👉 Vietnam E-visa – can be extended for 1 month or 2 months.

👉 Tourist visa (DL) – can be extended for 1 month, 2 months, or 3 months.

👉 Business visa (DN) – can be extended for 1 month or 3 months.

👉 Working visa (LD) – can be extended for 1 month or 3 months.

👉 Visit relatives (TT) – can be extended for 1 month, 3 months, or 6 months.

👉 5 years visa exemption – can be extended for 1 month, 3 months, or 6 months.

If you will choose to process the extension of your visa by yourself, you need to first prepare the required documents. Here are the documents needed:

Download the NA5 form online and print the form (Form NA5 for visa extension). Fill out the form completely.

Original copy of your passport

Documents showing proof of temporary residence declaration

Once you have all these documents with you, here are the steps to follow:

Bring the form to the Immigration Office along with your passport and the temporary residence declaration document. They are open from 8 AM to 11: 30 AM from Mondays to Saturdays. From Mondays to Fridays, the office is only open from 1:30 PM to 4 PM.

Wait for up to 5 business days for the result of your visa extension request. The normal process is 5 – 7 working days if you’re requesting a one-month visa but this could take up to 10 working days if you’re requesting a 3-month visa.

Depending on the type of visa that you currently have, you will need to have a sponsoring entity for the extension of your visa. The NA5 form that you will submit must be signed and stamped by the direction of the entity before you submit the form to the immigration office. To give you an idea on who should sign and stamp your NA5 form, refer to the following below:

👉 Visa exemption entry – International Travel Company or at the embassy or consulate-general of your country.

👉 Vietnam E-visa – International Travel Company or at the embassy or consulate-general of your country.

👉 Tourist visa (DL) – International Travel Company or at the embassy or consulate-general of your country.

👉 Business visa (DN) – Company that sponsored your previous visa

👉 Working visa (LD) – Company that sponsored your previous visa

👉 Business visa (TT) – Company that sponsored your previous visa or your relatives.

👉 Holders of 5 years visa exemption – Relative who sponsored your visa and the form must be signed and stamped by the local police where you reside in Vietnam.

Those who will not be able to get out of the country before their e-Visa expires will have to pay for a hefty penalty. If you are holding an e-Visa and you have overstayed for less than 3 days, you will have to pay for around $22 per day at the Vietnam Immigration. After paying the fine, you will be given an exit visa and be ordered to leave the country. So to avoid these hassles, make sure you knew when your e-Visa is due to expire. And if you plan on staying longer in the country, make sure you go out before it expires and apply for another Vietnam e-visa once you’re outside Vietnam.

👉 For tourist visa

– If you hold an e-visa with tourist purpose (DL type), you can get your e-visa extended for 15 days with price of US $85 | extend for 1 month with price of US $110 | extend for 2 months with price of US $185

– If you hold a 1-month visa with tourist purpose (DL type), you can get your visa extended for 1 month with price of US $100 | extend for 3 months with price of US $290

– If you hold a 3-month visa with tourist purpose (DL type), you can get your visa extended for 1 month with price of US $120 | extend for 3 months with price of US $330

– If you are US citizen and you hold a 1-year visa with tourist purpose ((DL type), you can get your visa extended for 3 months with price of US $360

👉 For business visa

– If you hold a 1-month visa with business purpose (DN type), you can get your visa extended for 1 month with price of US $130 | extend for 3 months with price of US $175

– If you hold a 3-month visa with business purpose (DN type), you can get your visa extended for 1 month with price of US $130 | extend for 3 months with price of US $180

– Renew for 3-month multiple entry business visa (DN type) : US $270

It is usually takes 5-7 business days to get your visa extended and please note that your visa and passport will be kept by the Immigration Department of Vietnam during this period.

Your e-visa can be extended faster if you are stay in Hanoi city because Hanoi is the only place for e-visa extension.

Use your phone and take pictures of your passport, which contains your current visa, and send them to our email info@evisa.vn. Then we will send it to Vietnam Immigration Department to check before extending/renewing your visa.

We will inform you about whether your visa can be extended or renewed and the fee to process.

Send your original passport to our office if our price is acceptable.

E-visa is to cater to the specific needs of visitors who intend to stay in Vietnam for less than 30 days and is un-extendable. You should apply for a visa on arrival if you wish to need permission to stay in Vietnam for more than 30 days.

There is another option for visitors who want to stay more in Vietnam – the visa run. This means that you will make a short trip to another country, such as Cambodia, Laos, Or China, then apply for a new e-visa or visa on arrival for returning to Vietnam. Many travel agencies in Vietnam do a visa run for their customers. You can do some research if you are interested.

As per regulation from the Immigration Department of Vietnam, e-visa holders can get their visa extended if they have a company or someone in Vietnam sponsoring or guaranteeing their stay in Vietnam. Therefore you need to contact a travel agent in Vietnam for support.

If you have applied for an e-visa, then you can extend it for the next 30 days. And if required, repeat the renewal application once more, which implies that you can apply for the same not more than two times. Please note that unexpected requirements can happen anytime.

For visitors who wanted to stay in the country for more than 30 days, it may be best to opt for the Visa on Arrival. The Vietnam Visa on Arrival will give you an option to apply for a multiple-entry visa and stay in the country for a maximum of 60 days. For this option, you’ll have to request a pre-approval letter online.

When you arrive at the airport, that’s when they will process your Vietnam visa on arrival. This is a great option for those who needed to stay longer in Vietnam but the only catch is that it can be a hassle to queue for the visa as you arrive at the airport. In addition, this visa can only be accepted at the airports of Vietnam. So if you’re entering Vietnam through land border or seaport, this visa option will not work for you.