Vietnam visa requirement for the Uganda passport holders
The citizens of Uganda is not included in the visa exemption list; therefore, all Ugandan need to apply visa to Vietnam for either tourism or business purpose.
There are 2 ways for the Ugandan citizens applying for Vietnam visa before departure. See below for details about each option:
Apply for Vietnam visa on arrival
The Uganda passport holders can apply Vietnam visa on arrival from anywhere outside of Vietnam. The visa will be picked up at Vietnamese airport after showing the printed visa approval letter and paying the stamping fee.
The approval letter will be sent to your email within 3 – 5 working days (normal service) and no rush visa service available for Ugandan passport holders.
At present, visa on arrival is the best way to get a Vietnam visa, however it is available for those traveling Vietnam by air only. Applying visa on arrival is much faster and cheaper than applying visa at the Vietnam Embassy or Consulate in Uganda and more flexible than e-visa (the Ugandan citizens are not eligible for e-visa for Vietnam at present).
By using the Vietnam visa on arrival service, the Ugandan 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.
Apply for Vietnam visa directly at the Vietnamese Embassy or Consulates
Those who want to get a Vietnam visa beforehand or who want to travel to Vietnam by land or sea, can go to the Vietnamese Embassy to apply for visa directly.
However, Vietnam hasn’t established the embassy in Uganda therefore the Ugandan citizens and the foreigners living in Uganda may apply for visa in person at the Vietnam Embassy in neighboring countries: Greece, Bulgaria, Italy, Romania or Hungary.
The direct application procedure 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 Uganda is the online application for visa on arrival.