I am a US citizen and my parents are Vietnamese Americans. Will I be entitled to visa exemption when entering Vietnam? If I will, what procedures will I have to carry out and what are the fees for grant of visa exemption papers?
According to the 2014 Law on Entry, Exit, Transit and Residence of Foreigners in Vietnam, overseas Vietnamese holding passports or international travel documents issued by foreign competent agencies and foreigners who are their spouses or children, and foreigners who are spouses and children of Vietnamese citizens who are exempted from visas under the Government’s regulations, are eligible for visa exemption when they enter Vietnam.
In your case, you may be exempted from entry visa if your parents hold papers proving their Vietnamese origin such as birth certificate, decision on renunciation of Vietnamese citizenship or a certificate of loss of Vietnamese citizenship, or another paper evidencing their Vietnamese citizenship or former Vietnamese citizenship.
To apply for visa exemption, you must satisfy the following conditions:
- Having a passport or an international travel document which is valid for at least one year;
- Having papers proving that you are a child of an overseas Vietnamese;
- Not being subject to suspension from entry or exit under the 2014 Law on Entry, Exit, Transit and Residence of Foreigners in Vietnam.
However, the law prescribes that visa exemption paper may only be issued to a person entering Vietnam on a relative visit or personal business. It will be valid for no more than five years and will expire at least six months prior to the expiry date of the holder’s passport or international travel document.
You must prepare a dossier of application for visa exemption papers, which must comprise:
- Passport, international travel document or permanent residence permit issued by a foreign competent authority, which must be valid for at least one year;
- An application for a visa exemption paper enclosed with two recent photos of you (one photo stuck on the application).
- Papers proving your eligibility for grant of visa exemption papers:
+ A certified copy or a copy enclosed with the original for comparison of the paper proving that you are a child of a Vietnamese citizen or an overseas Vietnamese;
+ Papers proving that your father or mother is Vietnamese or overseas Vietnamese, such as birth certificate, decision on renunciation of Vietnamese citizenship or a certificate of loss of Vietnamese citizenship, or another paper evidencing their Vietnamese citizenship or former Vietnamese citizenship.
Receiving agencies:
You may submit a dossier of application for a visa exemption paper to the Embassy of Vietnam in the US or the Immigration Department (44 Tran Phu street, Hanoi) if you are currently residing in the US or temporarily residing in Vietnam, respectively.
Fee for grant of visa exemption paper:
USD 10 per visa exemption paper.
Time limit for grant of visa exemption paper:
Within five working days after receiving a complete dossier, the Embassy of Vietnam in the US or the Immigration Department will consider the dossier and grant your visa exemption paper.- (VLLF)
