Opening a school in Vietnam is a great idea. Now that more and more Vietnamese are recognizing the importance of learning the English language, the education industry here is thriving. Because of this, several foreign entrepreneurs are showing interest in building their own schools in Vietnam. If you are one of those foreigners who are planning to open a school in Vietnam, one of the things that you need to think about is the Vietnam visa. A visa is required for you to be allowed entry into the country and start your school business.
Getting a visa for opening a school in Vietnam should be easy. Depending on your nationality and your intended length of stay, there are various options available for you to choose from. Read on to find out the different visas that you can apply for.
Business Visa
Since you are opening a business in Vietnam, it is appropriate to apply for a Business Visa. Although it is possible to enter the country under a tourist visa, these visas will only allow you to stay in the country for a limited time. Establishing a business could take time. With a business visa, you can choose to stay in the country for six months or one year. That should give you plenty of time to open your school.
The Vietnam Business visa is categorized as a DN visa and is being granted to visitors entering for business purposes. This visa will remain valid for up to a year and you can choose to apply for single or multiple entries. You can apply for the Vietnam Business Visa online or through a Vietnam embassy in your area. The process of application should be easy but make sure you have the proper documents to avoid any issues.
The requirements needed are a passport, application form, and photos. In some cases, a letter from your local business partner in Vietnam will be required. If you will apply from an embassy, you can submit all the requirements in person or through the mail. For those who prefer to apply online, you can look for local agencies that will process the Business visa on your behalf. You will be asked to submit the requirements through their website or via email.
Tourist Visa
If you plan on visiting Vietnam for only a short time to do a survey before opening your school business, you can apply for short-term tourist visas. Once you have decided to push through with your plans to open a school in Vietnam, that’s when you can apply for a Business Visa. Here are your options for a Tourist Visa:
- Vietnam E-visa – this is an electronic visa that you can apply online. You will be asked to fill out an online application form and submit some requirements including a copy of your passport. When the visa is approved, they will send it to your email. This visa is good for single entry and the maximum stay is 30 days.
- Visa on Arrival – if your visit will take more than a month, you can choose the Visa on Arrival. This will allow you to apply for a visa that’s good for up to 60 days and you can choose between single entry and multiple entries. Although this visa will only be issued on arrival at the airport, you need to apply for this visa in advance online. You will be given a pre-approval letter that you need to show at the airport’s visa counter in order to be issued the visa.
Local Business Partner
One of the requirements in applying for a business visa for opening school in Vietnam is a letter from a local business partner. But do you need a local business partner to open a school in Vietnam?
Foreigners can have 100% ownership of their business in Vietnam, which means they do not need to share the ownership with any local business partner. However, there are certain industries that will require foreigners to partner with a local before they can open their business. These include businesses that are in the tourism, entertainment, and advertising industries. Therefore, opening a school in Vietnam will not require you to have a local business partner. You should be able to register your business with no problems and have one hundred percent ownership.
If you need help or assistance in setting up your school in Vietnam, it is best to hire a local agency that is an expert in this field. Aside from helping you establish the business, the agency will also help in the processing of your business visa. They will also explain the different legal entities involved in starting a business in the country including ownerships, licenses, and other important details. This will make the entire process easier and hassle-free.
