As a foreigner in Vietnam, your stay in the country is only limited to the validity period of your visa. For instance, if you’re holding a tourist visa with a 30-day validity period, this means your stay in the country cannot go beyond 30 days. But if you wanted to stay longer, you can either extend or renew your visa, depending on what suits you best.
Here’s a guide when it comes to extending your visa validity in Vietnam.
Requirements to Extend or Renew Vietnam Visa
When requesting for an extension of your visa in Vietnam, you are required to submit an original copy of your passport. The passport should be valid for at least six months from the date of extension. Also, the passport should have two extra blank pages for the new visa to be attached.
Visa Extension Rules and Regulations
You are able to extend the validity of your Vietnam visa depending on the length of your existing visa. For instance, if the tourist visa that you currently have is only good for 3 months, you can possibly extend it for another 3 months. You cannot have it extended for more than 3 months.
The extension is only good for single entry and up to a maximum period of 3 months. When your visa extension is approved, your passport will receive an extension stamp that indicates the new validity period. Furthermore, you are only allowed to extend your visa up to two times.
Visa Renewal Rules and Regulations
Another option for extending the length of your stay in the country is to opt for a visa renewal. Visa renewal is a good option for tourists who wanted to receive a new visa without having to exit Vietnam.
Unlike visa extension where you can only get a single-entry extension, the visa renewal will let you apply for both single entry and multiple entries. Also, instead of an extension stamp, a new visa will be attached to your passport.
How to Apply for An Extension of your Vietnam Visa
It is possible to apply for a visa extension on your own. But if you want a more convenient and hassle-free way of getting your visa extended, you can do it through a local agency. Here are the steps on how to extend your Vietnam visa:
- Prepare the application form for visa renewal or extension. This is known as the NA5 form and you can download this online.
- Fill out the form and submit this along with your passport. You can submit these documents to the Vietnam Immigration office in Ho Chi Minh, Hanoi, or Da Nang.
- Wait for up to five working days to get the result. For a one-month visa extension, you can get it within 5 to 7 working days. However, for 3-month visa extensions, the processing could take up to 10 working days.
Extending Visa Due to Covid-19 Restrictions
When the Covid-19 pandemic started in March, Vietnam decided to close its borders in an effort to protect its citizens. International flights were also banned, making it difficult for some foreigners to get out of the country. This has posed problems to many tourists whose Vietnam visas are about to expire. Thankfully, the Vietnam government has given them an exemption and has decided to grant them an automatic visa extension.
Under the automatic visa extension, tourists who were stuck in Vietnam due to the Covid-19 pandemic can stay in Vietnam for one more month beyond the validity of their visa. This applies to tourists who entered the country under the visa waiver program, as well as those holding the e-visa and the standard Vietnam visa.
According to this new rule, their visas will be automatically extended so there is no longer a need for them to request for an extension or a renewal. They are able to stay legally in the country without submitting any paperwork.
Automatic Visa Extension
All foreigners who came to Vietnam before March 1st will also be eligible for the automatic visa extension, but they have to provide proof that they were not able to leave the country due to the Covid-19 pandemic. In cases like these, they can ask for a certification from their country’s diplomatic mission in Vietnam. This can come in the form of a diplomatic note, which must be translated in the Vietnamese language.
They can also request for certifications from Vietnamese authorities as proof that they have undergone treatment or quarantine due to Covid-19. These certifications must prove that they were stuck in the country beyond their control so they must be eligible for the automatic visa extension.
As of now, Vietnam’s borders are still closed to all foreign tourists. Only Vietnamese nationals, residents and those on diplomatic missions and official business will be allowed to visit.
