All about Vietnam visa for Bhutanese citizens
The section guide you how to apply for Vietnam visa from Bhutan. The requirements and procedures that Bhutanese citizens should keep in mind when applying for Vietnam visa and the instruction on how to obtain an emergency visa when the Bhutanese citizens forget to apply for a visa for Vietnam before departure.
Do Bhutanese citizens need visa to Vietnam?
Yes, Vietnam visa is required for the Bhutanese citizens travelling to Vietnam.
At present, there are 2 options for the Bhutanese citizens applying for Vietnam visa:
1. Apply for Vietnam visa on arrival
The Bhutan 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 via email within 2 working days (normal service), 8 working hours (urgent service), 4 working hours (super urgent service) or even 1 hour (last minutes service) depending on which option the applicant has chosen when submitting online application form.
How to apply for emergency visa on arrival for Vietnam?
- Step 1: Make a phone call to the visa agency to ensure it is possible to arrange visa at the time you are calling. Our hotline is open 24/7 at the number +84.912.685.141 (telephone and Whatsapp) to support you
- Step 2: Once you got a confirmation that the visa can be expedited at the time of calling, you should take a copy of passport attached with the date of arrival, visa type and flight number to send to the email vietnamvisabooking@gmail.com. If you are not too hurry you can spend couple of minutes to fill out the visa application form and check the entered information carefully before you submit.
- Step 3: You will receive a link for payment from the visa agency where you can pay with credit cards, PayPal or bank wire transfer.
- Step 4: After several hours, you will receive a visa approval letter delivered to your email. You need to print out the letter, bringing with your passport, recent taken photo and stamping fee to get on the plane.
- Step 5: Upon arrival, you present all the documents at the visa counter, pay the stamping fee and get visa stamped onto passport within couple of minutes.
At present, visa on arrival is a simple 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 Bhutan and more flexible than e-visa (the Bhutanese citizens are not eligible for e-visa for Vietnam at present).
| UPDATE The Vietnam visa on arrival process has been changed since 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, who are NOT eligible for Vietnam e-visa, wish to travel Vietnam on a tourist visa must 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; - The foreigners must have a round trip air ticket, a hotel booking confirmation and a detailed itinerary; - If the foreigners enter Vietnam from the 3rd countries, they must have a visa or visa exemption for those countries; - The visa validity will be following the time on the flight ticket; - The foreigners commit to leave Vietnam before the date of expiry of the Vietnam visa. |
By using the Vietnam visa on arrival service, the Bhutanese 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 2023
| Cost per person (USD) | Normal processing fee (within 7 working days) | Rush service fee (within 3 working days) | Stamping fee | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1-2 pax | 3-5 pax | 6-9 pax | 10 pax + | |||
| 1 month single entry tourist visa | $ 125 | $ 123 | $ 121 | $ 119 | $ 175 | $ 25 |
2. 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 Bhutan therefore the Bhutanese citizens and the foreigners living in Bhutan may apply for visa in person at the Vietnam Embassy in Bangladesh, Myanmar, India, Laos, China or Thailand instead.
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 Bhutan is the online application for visa on arrival.