Vietnam visa for the Puerto Rico passport holders
The citizens of Puerto Rico is not included in the visa exemption list; therefore, all Puerto Rico travelers need to apply visa to Vietnam for either tourism or business purpose.
Do the Puerto Rico citizens need Vietnam visa?
Yes, Vietnam visa is required for the Puerto Rico citizens to enter Vietnam.
How to apply Vietnam visa for Puerto Rico citizens?
At present, there are several options for the citizens of Puerto Rico applying for Vietnam visa:
1. Apply for a visa at the Vietnam Embassy:
Unfortunately, there is no Vietnam Embassy established in Puerto Rico at present, thus Puerto Rico passport holders and citizens of other countries residing in Puerto Rico may contact the nearest Vietnamese Embassy in Cuba or Venezuela to apply for visa directly.
However, the direct application at the Vietnam Embassy may sometimes not sound convenient, as there are intricacy along the way including:
– Long queues at the embassy during peak seasons as a result of tens of visa applicants that turn out for the procedure.
– The service is not applicable during holidays and weekends as embassies are usually closed.
– The service is not always available as some embassies operate at a few hours on working days.
– Visa applicants having to travel from their countries to foreign nations may incur high travel costs.
The best alternative to acquiring the Vietnam visa for Puerto Rico is the online application for visa on arrival.
2. Apply for Vietnam visa on arrival:
Visa on arrival is an alternative way to obtain a visa to Vietnam in addition to the traditional way of obtaining a visa at Vietnam Embassy in Puerto Rico. Once issued, visa on arrival has same validity with the visa you receive from Vietnam Embassy. However, visa on arrival is applicable for those who travel Vietnam by airplane only.
| UPDATE The Vietnam visa on arrival has been restored after the Vietnamese government re-opened the borders for the tourists on March 15, 2022 after a two-year border closure due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Now the foreigners can get a Vietnam visa on arrival if they satisfy the following requirements: - The foreigners must have a visa approval letter arranged by a legitimate Vietnamese visa agency who is working with the Vietnam Immigration Department on behalf of the customers before their departure; - The foreigners must have a passport with at least 6 months validity from the date of arrival and blank pages for visa stamp; - The foreigners will travel Vietnam by airplane via the international airports. If you travel Vietnam via land border gates or sea port you should apply for a Vietnam e-visa instead; - The visa on arrival is an altenative to the e-visa in case you need to enter Vietnam urgently but your e-visa application is pending or needs to amend at the last minutes, when you are about to board the plane to Vietnam. |
By using the Vietnam visa on arrival service, the Puerto Rico citizens don’t have to wait too long to get a visa approval letter from the Vietnam Immigration Department which gives them permission to enter Vietnam.
Vietnam tourist visa fee (visa on arrival) in 2024
| Cost per person (USD) | Normal processing fee | Rush service | Urgent service | Emergency service | Stamping fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (within 5 working days) | (within 2 working days) | (within 1 working day) | (within 4 working hours) | ||
| 1 month single entry tourist visa | $ 30 | $ 80 | $ 110 | $ 150 | $ 25 |
3. Apply for e-visa for Vietnam
This is new pilot visa system which has just official launched in February 2017. In order to apply for e-visa for Vietnam, the citizens of Puerto Rico will submit a file of passport copy, recent taken photo and pay full non-refundable visa fee.
Now, there are several countries whose citizenship are eligible for e-visa, see full list here. As Puerto Rico is not in the list, Vietnam e-visa is NOT available for Puerto Rico passport holders at present.