Vietnam negotiates visa waiver agreements with 15 countries

As the country seeks to facilitate entry and exit for foreigners as well as its own citizens, the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs has announced that it is in the process of negotiating visa waiver agreements with 15 countries.

Developing the visa waiver policy

Vietnam's Foreign Minister, Bui Thanh Sonrecently indicated during a question session at the French National Assembly that negotiations were underway with 15 countries on mutual visa exemption. They also include a reciprocal visa waiver for holders of diplomatic passports from 80 other nations. This news comes at a time when Vietnam is seeking to integrate further into the international community and promote exchanges between its territory and foreign countries.

• Since August 2023, Vietnam issues e-visas for all nationalities
• Maximum length of stay extended from 30 to 90 days
• Unlimited entries are allowed for e-visa holders

Moreover, as Bui Thanh Son reminded us, Vietnam currently has a unilateral visa waiver policy for 13 countriesconsidered key tourist areas.

The MP Hoang Van Cuong expressed scepticism about the effectiveness of this visa-free policy. He pointed out that, even adding the 15 countries with which Vietnam is currently negotiating, only 28 countries to finally benefit from visa-free travel. However, other nations in the region with strategies to attract tourists have long since extended their visa programs.

Hoang Van Cuong suggests that Vietnam plans to grant visa exemptions to developed and high-income countrieswith low crime rates.

A case in point: the visa waiver policy between Vietnam and Macao

To illustrate these diplomatic dynamics, the Vietnamese Consul General in Hong Kong and Macao, Pham Binh Damrecently proposed that the Macau authorities take steps to boost and develop two-way tourism, notably by relaxing visa policies for Vietnamese visitors.

This follows Hong Kong China's decision in October 2023 to relax its visa policy for Vietnamese citizens, marking an important step forward in bilateral relations between the 2 territories.

• Vietnam

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