What is the difference between Vietnam visa on arrival and Vietnam E-Visa?

Before travelling to Vietnam, you are searching information about Vietnam, include visa with some questions in your mind, such as What is an E-Visa? What is the difference between a visa on arrival and an E-Visa? Which one is better? How do you know which one you need? You are possibly trying to know that Evisa or visa on arrival is best for you. We would like to explain the difference between the two and show the pros and cons of each one.

At the present, Evisa or visa on arrival is option for visitors who wish to arrive Vietnam. In order to apply either one you are required to have more than 6 months valid passport. Please sure that citizens of most countries need to have a visa to visit Vietnam and should have one before boarding the plane. 

Pros and Cons of the Vietnam E-Visa

One of the main advantages of the Vietnam E-Visa is that you can attach your passport and fill an online form with all of your personal and travel details. The Vietnam E-Visa application should be done online. Therefore, having Internet connection with a tablet, mobile or computer is need.

If you finish the online E-Visa form for Vietnam, it includes stamp fee that you do not need to pay when arrival at the airport. Most applications are processed from one to two working days.

Once approved, the E-Visa will have a 30-day validity to travel within the country. You will be able to use the electronic visa to arrive Vietnam through 28 different ports of entry.

Nevertheless, some of the disadvantages of an E-Visa for Vietnam are that only 81 countries are adequate to get it. An online visa is non-extendable and it is a single entry visa. Travelers should also consider that if the application is negated, they cannot get a compensation from the government of Vietnam. 

To apply for an E-Visa for Vietnam you need:

A digital passport photo, in which you are strongly advised not to wear glasses, scarves, hat, etc. Addition, both ears must be shown. Review all the eVisa photo requirements here.

A digital scan of the passport photo page. It can be in color or black and white but the info should be readable.

A credit or debit card to pay for the visa service fee. 

When filling the Vietnam E-Visa form you should provide exactly your port of entry and your exit point, especial when you choose road or ship port. Your passport should have a minimum validity of six months from the expected date of arrival in Vietnam and must have two blank pages at least.

When E-Visa is approved, you should print a copy to show at the airport. With your electronic visa you can pass over the visa on arrival line and head straight to border control where the immigration officers will stamp your passport. 

Advantages and Drawbacks of the Visa-on-Arrival

The visa on arrival has certain advantages worth considering. It is serviceable to all travelers landing by air and there are types of duration available. Travelers can select a 30-day stay or a 60-day stay. American citizens can apply for a one-year stay visa upon arrival in Vietnam. The processing time takes two working days and the visa can be extended.

On the other hand, there are some drawbacks about the Vietnam visa on arrival. The total price of this type of visa is not the same. Moreover, it is available only at six Vietnam international airports. The visa-on-arrival needs more paperwork than the electronic visa.

To acquire this visa, you demand to have a digital passport photo, with the same requirements as those for the E-Visa. You as well need a debit or credit card to pay for the visa service fee.

There are a few things you need to notice before you apply for a visa on arrival. You will necessity to print your Approval Letter and prepare already two photos of yourself. Upon arrival you should exhibit the Approval Letter and the photos at the immigration office located at the airport earlier getting in the regular immigration line.

You will need to have $25 (single entry) or $50 ( multiple entries) in cash to pay an additional “stamping fee” at the airport, as well as the fee of the visa. You can use USD, Euro or Vietnamese Dong.  ATMS are outside the Customs area, so you will not be able to take out money to pay for the fee.

If you need to obtain the visa-on-arrival, you still essential to finish an online form with your private unit and passport information and pay a fee for service by a debit or credit card.

The E-Visa speeds up the action of pick up a visa and makes approach in Vietnam a better experience. Before applying, please check that you suitable the E-Visa requirements.

No visa required for travel in Phu Quoc Island Vietnam for 30 days. There are two ways to visit Phu Quoc Island: by plane or farry. Some countries have flight direct to Phu Quoc International airport such as from Kuala Lumpur or Singapore. 

If you come from one country that no direct flight, please contact the airplane before departure to ask about Vietnam visa.

Phu Quoc is the largest island in Vietnam, is a part of Kien Giang Province as Phu Quoc District. The best months to visit here are from December until April. The rains don’t start coming down hard until June, but April and May are too hot.

Phu Quoc has an exquisite beach called “Bai Sao”. Bai Sao with smooth and white sand, clean seawater has attracted to lots of tourists. Imagine that you’re laying in seaside with fresh air and here the sound of the waves, so great! Phu Quoc has some small islands called “hòn” like Hòn Dăm Ngang, Hòn Mây Rút and Hòn Móng tay…… You can visit these small islands and you can try snorkeling to see lots of beautiful coral reef in the ocean. There is many kind of reef there, you can find lots of new thing. The aroma and smoke from seafood stalls make visitors want to stop

 Phu Quoc has a spectacular variety of seafood, cooked in many tasty styles. Among these sea food items, sea urchin- fat and nutritious meat is a must-try here. The chefs grilled sea urchins then topped with melted lard, peanuts, and chopped green onions. At night market you should try palmyra juice,  palmyra sweet soup or Steamed Palmyra Sponge Cake as dessert, it is the best food for you with sweet taste and the smell attractive you. Kẹo chỉ (thread sweets) is also the exicted food for tourists surround it to admire the sellers making this dessert. The sugar is spun skillfully until it becomes threads. The threads are placed between two layers of rice pancakes, added with shredded coconut and fruit syrup or coconut milk. Sea food among the stalls of clothes, souvenirs, and peppercorns cooked with fish sauce is a specific in this market.

The most beautiful road of Mu Cang Chai is from the Than Uyen district to Mu Cang Chai district and Nghia Lo town. This time I did not come to the rural Mu Cang Chai of Yen Bai province by the route that I’ve usually come; instead, I went from from Lai Chau province to Binh Lu and Tam Duong. From here I took a motorcycle taxi with a cost that is five times higher than regular bus service in order to get to this foggy town, which is located in Hoang Lien Son mountain range. Mu Cang Chai has a magnificent view. National Highway 32, which is operated by China, was named Huu Nghi, is 60 kilometers long. It is extended from Nam Phat to Kim 3-way Intersection, which was built in 1971. This highway is now paved and is surrounded by beautiful white Bauhinia flowers. Another wonderful sight on the highway is the presence of Nam Kim waterfall, which flows from 2985 meter- Pung Lung peak and passes by ten towns of Mu Cang Chai. This creates a beautiful and romantic scenery for Mu Cang Chai. It is foggy throughout the entire winter here at Mu Cang Chai. On average, fog surrounds Mu Cang Chai for about 40 to 60 days. Mu Cang Chai has two blooming seasons. During winter, we can see wild red peach flowers bloom all over the forest, which are called “hoa to day” by the native Hmong that live here. Winter is also the blooming season of white plum flowers, while March is the season of Bauhinia flowers. I am always amazed by the gorgeous white Bauhinia that bloom on several mountain passes such as Pha Din (Dien Bien Phu city), Son La, or Ma (entrance to Moc Chau plateau). But the breathtaking scenery that impresses me the most is the sight of white Bauhinia nearby Nam Kim waterfall. It is worth a trip to come here to see these beautiful flowers and be amazed by the wonder of nature. Another beautiful scenery of Mu Cang Chai, the district of Yen Bai province, which is on the north of Lao Cai and also on the south of Son La, is the sight of green terrace. The dry season begins from November to May while the rainy season (monsoon) begins from June. The native Hmong at Mu Cang Chai created terrace, a type of farming that is made up of many “steps”. Terrace is used to grow crops that need irrigation such as rice crops. The governor of Yen Bai province is now registering this wonderful type of farming to be the cultural heritage of Vietnam. In this 2150 hectare (5313 acre) of terrace, each paddy field is formed in a unique and spectacular way. Another thing that makes the terrace in Mu Cang Chai look magnificent is that it is formed on the slopes of high mountains, in which Nam Kim River flows by. On the opposite of Mo De town (2100-meter-high) is Lao Chai Son village (1776 meter high). A little farther away, there is Hang Gang hamlet. And a little farther down, there is Ta Dong (1900 meter high). Up to Che Tao is La Hang (2050-meter-high) and Phu Ba (2512 meter high). The key features of Mu Cang Chai Beside the beautiful green terrace, the forest here at Mu Cang Chai is also very impressive. There are 30,000 hectares (74132 acre) of old-growth or primary forest. In the old-growth forest, there is a natural reserve, which protects many wild plants and animals. The rarest animals at this natural reserve are the Rufous-necked Hornbill birds (Aceros nipalensis). There are only about 30 of them at Mu Cang Chai and Phu Nat National Park. Other rare animals are the Black Crested Gibbons, which are about 100 of them that live at Muong La (Mu Cang Chai) and they are currently protected by FFI (Fauna and Flora International). One famous local type of fruit is “tao Meo”, or rose apples, with scientific name Docynia indica. The native at Mu Cang Chai said these rose apples grow naturally. Rose apple trees will bear fruits in September. I have eaten rose apples at Sa Pa, a district at Lao Cai province in north-west Vietnam. These apples were so bitter that I had to eat them with salt. However, they have a very distinctive taste that makes me want to eat them again. The wine made from rose apples is delicious. At the love market in Sapa, I saw many native HMong and Dao girls were happy when their partners offered them rose apple wine. It would be pretty interesting to have a sip of wine while listening to “ken la”, an instrument made from leaves. One rose apple tree can produce 500 kilograms of apples each season while there are 2000 hectares (4942 acres) of rose apple trees at Mu Cang Chai. It is obvious to see how abundant rose apples are at this northern district of Vietnam.

This September, Vietnam is ranked sixth in list of top countries for solo travelers by the top tourism website Travel and Leisure made. The list is chosen relying on two main factors: the safety and the happiness. It means that these countries have to guarantee visitors’ safety and must be a happy place to live.

Ha Long is not only known as a beautiful Bay but also has delicious seafood. This is Ngan. Ngan is bigger than Clam and has many times more nutritious than Clam. It also can treat diseases such as Alzheimer's, arthritis, anemia. Ngan is abundant and easy to catch in the summer-autumn season because they often burrow deeper into the sand during the winter. Experienced anglers in Quang Ninh say it is not easy to catch the clam, which live in saltwater and can only be caught when the tide is low. Local find them by scanning the sand for the tiny holes they create.

Mui Ne sand dunes, Sapa, the Mekong Delta, Phu Quoc Island and the Cu Chi tunnels are Vietnam’s destinations that are listed the 19 destinations in Southeast Asia

The ranked second place is Phu Quoc Island, Mui Ne sand dunes in fourth, the Mekong Delta at the 8th position, 9 th adjacent belonged Sapa and the last is Cu Chi tunnels at the 18th position.

Beside Vietnam, other destinations in Asia countries are in list, include Pai, Mae Sot, White Temple, Ko Lanta, Chiang Dao (Thailand), Bagan, Ngwe Saung Beach, Inle Lake, Mergui Archipelago (Myanmar), Cameron Highlands (Malaysia), Marina Bay Sands (Singapore), Luang Prabang (Laos), Kep and Angkor Wat (Cambodia).

Soak up the sun where white sands and tropical waters entice beachgoers from all over the globe. Snorkeling, scuba diving and fishing are the most popular water sports here. Phu Quoc Island never has a shortage of places to explore and experience while enjoying your holiday on Phu Quoc. Rent a motorbike for your journey and drive around the red dirt roads of this island paradise is the thing that you should not miss.

Although Mui Ne is not far from Saigon, but these sand dunes seem like they belong on another continent entirely. Sled, bike, or just freely frolic down both white and red mountains of bliss is easy for you. You can visit the Fairy Stream, a magical river with a soft, sandy bottom that flows between dry rocks.

Floating markets are special culture in Mekong Delta where is called the largest rice producing of Vietnam. Friendly locals will gladly let you sample their fruit that sold on their boat. Then biking passed the impressive rice paddies is good memory.

The bright green or yellow of Terraced fields are dotted with the colorful clothes of ethnic minority and roofs of French colonial villas are on your view when you travel to SaPa. The grill and boil foods such as pork meats, eggs, corn, Vietnamese potatoes and Tao Meo wine are popular, they are sold on the street, don't forget to try.

During the Vietnam War, Viet Cong soldiers used these narrow tunnels as their house. There have serving communication and supply routes, hospitals, food and countless guerrilla fighters, living places, storage facilities, weapons factories, field hospitals, control centers and cooking spaces where they can stay to sleep and active within many days at once. Experiencing wartime revealed more obviously, when you are enjoying disk boiled cassava, eat together salt and sugar and drink hot tea in the middle of the tunnels.