Does British Passport Need Visa For Vietnam

ByMrlome

It’s not required for most British passport holders to apply for a visa before visiting Vietnam. Nationals from the US and UK as well as many European countries can enter Vietnam without a visa for a period of up to around two weeks. When you want to find out about whether you need a visa for Vietnam, the Embassy of Vietnam asks that you do your research online prior to your arrival. Look at their website and review the information available.

Need a British Passport visa for Vietnam? What you should know if you’re travelling to Vietnam with your British passport. At the very least, if you are planning to take a short trip to Vietnam, make sure you know if your British passport requires a visa or not. I’ll tell you what other documents you might need on this page too!

Does British Passport Need Visa For Vietnam

With the Vietnam visa on arrival option, travel to Vietnam has become much more accessible for British passport holders. Essentially, this means that you can now enter Vietnam without having made arrangements for a visa in advance. The benefit of the visa on arrival option is mainly for those who only have a short time to organize their trip to Vietnam and for people who will be traveling by land (not by air). New regulations that were implemented effective January 1, 2016 allow all eligible nationalities (there are 31) to apply in advance via an online system before they arrive in Vietnam.

For trips less than 15 days, citizens of the United Kingdom can enter Vietnam without a visa. Upon their arrival, visa requirements state that a British traveler must have their UK passport on hand, and their passport must be valid for six months after their arrival date.

For trips greater than 15 days, UK citizens will have to apply for a Vietnam visa. For many visa types, UK citizens can obtain a visa on arrival. However, they must first apply online for their visa on arrival to ensure a smooth entry into Vietnam.

Applying for a Vietnam visa on arrival online

British citizen visa requirements for Vietnam state that UK citizens who wish to stay for more than 15 days must obtain a visa. To apply online for a visa on arrival, UK travelers need to complete the following steps:

British travelers must arrive by air to receive a visa on arrival. Vietnam International airports that participate in the visa on arrival program include Ha Noi, Ho Chi Minh City, Nha Trang, and Da Nang.

How to help ensure a successful Vietnam visa application

When completing their online application for a Vietnam visa, British citizens can take several steps to help ensure that their application is successful. To help avoid visa denials, British citizens should follow the checklist below:

  • Travelers must enter their name exactly how it appears on their passport. The order of each traveler’s first and last name does not matter. Any order is fine.
  • Travelers must list the nationality of their passport that they use to enter Vietnam as the nationality on their application form.
  • Travelers must enter their date of birth in the DD/MM/YY format.
  • Travelers must enter their passport number exactly as it appears in their passport. Errors with the passport number frequently cause delays.
  • Travelers must bring passport photos with them for their arrival in Vietnam.

Also, on the visa on the arrival application form, UK travelers will need to submit their intended arrival and departure gates. Travelers should be aware of the impact of their submitted arrival and departure dates. While they can enter Vietnam after their listed arrival date, they must leave the country by their listed departure date. Also, the Vietnam visa cost UK citizens must pay varies with the type of visa the traveler needs.

Travel ideas for UK citizens vacationing in Vietnam

British travelers to Vietnam will quickly realize that there are many more places to see in Vietnam than they can get to in just 15 days. To help plan a trip to Vietnam, check out our guides on popular Vietnam travel destinations, including Ho Chi Minh City and Halong Bay. Other popular Vietnam travel destinations include Hoi An and Hoa Lu in Ninh Binh.

Also, traveling to Vietnam can be either inexpensive or extremely costly, depending on how a person wishes to travel. To get a better idea about the cost of a trip to Vietnam, check out our guide on Vietnam vacation costs. Budget travelers should check out our guide on the seven best places to backpack in Vietnam.

According to the U.K. government, Britons are making trips to Vietnam more than 200,000 times a year. With beautiful bays, peaceful beaches, exciting city life, and large coffee plantations, this small Asian gem has a lot to offer. For starters, British travelers enjoy the inexpensive dining and shopping, as well as the many river cruise options throughout the country.

What may be driving British citizens to visit Vietnam, aside from the destination itself, is that London started offering direct flights to Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi in 2011. These nonstop flights are available on Vietnam Airlines, or you can fly to either airport, as well as the one in Da Nang, via connecting flights on any of the following airlines:

  • Singapore Airlines
  • Emirates
  • Cathay Pacific
  • China Eastern
  • Asiana Airlines
  • Etihad Airways

Travelers flying to Vietnam out of England can leave from London, Manchester, or a few other international airports, while Scottish tourists can fly out of Edinburgh or Glasgow. Flights from Cardiff in Wales only go to the Hanoi airport, and there aren’t any nonstop options. Most tourists from the U.K. fly into Hanoi and out of Ho Chi Minh City, as it gives them a chance to explore both areas.

Britons may have to get a visa before visiting Vietnam, so make sure you get that squared away before booking a flight.

Do U.K. Citizens Need a Vietnam Visa?

According to the latest Vietnam Immigration Regulations, United Kingdom citizens holding an ordinary passport valid at least 06 months more from date of arrival into Vietnam airport, and stay up to 15 days ONLY, are on the Vietnam visa exemption list until June 30, 2019.

Between the two exempted entries period (counting from the exit date of the 1st exempted entry to the 2nd exempted entry date), the applicant MUST ALSO WAIT FOR AT LEAST 30 DAYS.

That means the following:

  • If a United Kingdom citizen’s length of stay in Vietnam is LESS THAN 15 days, they do not need a visa to travel.
  • If a United Kingdom citizen’s length of stay in Vietnam is LONGER THAN 15 days, a Vietnam Visa is required.

In either case, the traveler’s passport must be valid for at least six months from the date of entry into Vietnam.

How to Get a Vietnam Visa from the U.K.

British tourists have two options for obtaining their visa, depending on their length of stay. If your trip is 30 days or less and you are traveling by air, you can get your Vietnam visa online. This is known as a Visa On Arrival. To obtain a Vietnam Visa On Arrival, travelers just need to complete the following simple steps:

  • Submit an application form online via our secured network to receive an approval letter.
  • Take your approval letter and passport on your trip and have an immigrations officer give you your stamp and entry visa upon arrival at one of Vietnam’s international airports.

The second option for securing your visa is to go through the Vietnam Embassy. Take your passport and the following information to your closest consulate to apply for a visa:

  • Name: Your full name, exactly as it is on your passport
  • Birthday: The date (DD/MM/YY)
  • Arrival: The date you will arrive in Vietnam. You may enter the country later, but not earlier than your specified arrival date
  • Passport number
  • Nationality: As shown on the passport you are using to enter Vietnam

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