If you’re a foreigner living in Thu Duc City, Ho Chi Minh, and your visa is due to expire soon, you can apply for a Vietnam visa extension if you do not have any intention to go out of the country yet. The Vietnam visa extension can be applied at any of the Immigration Offices in Ho Chi Minh City. There’s an office located in District 1 and another office in District 3.
The visa extension service for foreigners in Thu Duc City comes with a fee. But this is much cheaper than applying for a visa renewal. With a visa extension service, only the validity of your current visa will be extended. But with the visa renewal, a new visa will be issued to you, which is why it costs more.
What is a Visa Extension?
A visa extension is a process of extending the validity of your Vietnam visa. As you know, being a foreign visitor in Vietnam means your visa is only valid for a limited time. For most tourists, their visa is usually valid only for 30 days or 60 days. Even business visas have a limited validity too. So if you do not want to go out of Vietnam just yet, but your visa is already expiring, you can apply for a visa extension from the Vietnam Immigration Office.
When applying for the visa extension, you can only get your visa extended for the same duration as that of your existing visa. For example, if you are holding a tourist visa that’s valid for 30 days, you can only extend the validity of that visa for 30 days or less. In addition, the new validity of the visa will only apply after you exit and re-enter the country.
Take note that, unlike the visa renewal where you will be stamped a new visa in your passport, you will not get a new visa when applying for a visa extension. You will be using the same visa, but with extended validity. It is for this reason why this option is much cheaper than applying for a visa renewal.
But it’s important to note that the visa extension will only apply to foreigners who are holding a Vietnam visa. If you do not have a visa since you are among those nationalities who are eligible for a visa-free entry, then the visa extension service will not be applicable for you.
How To Get Visa Extension in Thu Duc City
To apply for a visa extension service in Thu Duc City, the first thing you need to do is to fill out the NA5 form. This form can be downloaded online, from the website of Vietnam Immigration. Print the form and fill it out completely. Bring this to the Immigration Office along with your original passport and visa copy. If you cannot print the form ahead, you can get a copy of the form from the Immigration Office.
When you arrive at the Immigration Office, submit the form to the staff along with the other requirements. The staff will check your application form and the requirements that you submit. If everything is all set, they will accept the form and ask you to pay for the processing fee. All you need to do next is to wait for a call from the Immigration Office. Once your visa extension is approved, they will call you to collect your passport. Check your passport and you will find a stamp indicating the new validity of your visa.
https://www.vietnamimmigration.org/ho-chi-minh-city-immigration-office/
Hire a Local Agency to Assist you with your Visa Extension
Applying for a Vietnam visa extension service can be a bit daunting for some foreigners, which is why hiring a local agency for assistance is a good idea. For a minimal fee, the agency can process the visa extension request on your behalf. All you need to do on your end is to fill out the application form and prepare the requirements. The agency will take charge of sending your application to the Vietnam Immigration Office in Ho Chi Minh City. And once your visa extension is approved, they will be the ones to claim the passport and forward it to you.
Another advantage of using a local agency for the Vietnam visa extension service is that they can offer advice on whether the visa extension service is the right option for you or not. And if you need your visa extension request to be expedited since your visa is expiring very soon they may be able to help you with that as well. Of course, rush processing comes with an added cost, but it’s still cheaper than having to pay for the expensive penalty if you end up overstaying your visa in Vietnam.
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