Policies for foreigners in VN since January 1, 2017

Fees on entry, exit, transit, residence in VN

Circular No.219/2016/TT-BTC on collection, payment and management of fees for issuance of passports, visas, and documents related to entry, exit, transit, and residence in Viet Nam will be applied for fee payers, organizations and individuals related to or in charge of collecting fees in entry, exit, transit, and residence in Viet Nam.

The fee for issuing new passport is VND200,000 per one; reissuing passport because of damage and loss is VND400,000 per one; and renewing passport is VND100,000 per one. The fee for exit permit is VND200,000 per one and fee for diplomatic note for issuance of entry visa is VND10,000 per one. The fee for adjustment of passport/laissez-passer is 25% of the fee. The fee charged on children going with their family who have passports or equivalent documents is 25% of the fee.

Regarding the fees paid by foreigners and Vietnamese citizens residing overseas, the Circular stipulates the fee for single-entry visa is US$25 per one and the fee for multiple-entry visa with the duration from three months to 12 months ranges from US$50-US$155.

Fee exemptions will be given to   invited guests (including their spouses and children) of the Communist Party, the State, the Government, the National Assembly and Employees of foreign diplomatic missions, consular offices, and representative agencies of international organizations in Vietnam, their family (spouses and children under 18) who are not Vietnamese citizens and not residing in Viet Nam are exempt from immigration fees on the principle of reciprocity.

Children, poor households, the elderly, the handicapped, people contributing to the revolution and ethnic minorities will be exempted from the fees.  

Fees for overseas Vietnamese diplomatic representative missions

According to Circular No.264/2016/TT-BTC guides the collection, remittance, management and use of consular charges and fees by overseas Vietnamese diplomatic representative missions and consular representative missions, Vietnamese and foreign organizations and individuals provided with public services and served with State management works by the overseas Vietnamese diplomatic representative missions will have to pay fees and expenditures in the diplomatic areas.

The collection, remittance, management and use of consular charges and fees include naturalization costing US$250 per person, restoration of nationality costing US$200 per person, registration for retention of nationality requiring US$200 per person, issuance of new passport costing US$70 per person and extension of diplomatic and public passport charging US$30 per person.

Consular fees shall not be collected in the following cases:

Foreign guests (including their accompanying spouses and/or children) invited in their personal capacity by the Party, the National Assembly, the State and the Government or by leaders of the Party, the National Assembly, the State and the Government of the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam,

Employees, administrative and technical staff (including their spouses and minor children) of foreign diplomatic representative missions, consular representative missions and international organizations, who are eligible for privileges and immunities on the principle of reciprocity.

Circular on license fees for international tourism agency

Circular No. 177/2016/TT-BTC regulates the collection, payment, management and use of fees for assessment and issuance of international tourism business licenses, tour guide licenses, demonstrator certificates and licensing fees for the establishment of a branch or a representative office of foreign travel companies in Viet Nam. 

The fees for assessment and issuance of licenses for an international tourism agency (including new issuance, renewal, and re-issuance) are defined as VND3 million per one while the assessment fee for issuance of tour guide licenses is VND650,000 per one.

The fee for granting a new license on the establishment of a branch or a representative office of a foreign travel company is VND3 million per one and for the licence renewal, extension and re-issuance is VND1.5 million per one and the fee for granting a demonstrator certificate (including new issuance, renewal and re-issuance) is VND200,000 per one.

Fee for establishment of foreign advertisement enterprise’s representative office

Circular No.165/2016/TT-BTC stipulatesthe collection rate, collection and payment of the license fee on the establishment of a representative office of a foreign advertisement enterprise in Viet Nam.

License fee is VND3 million for the establishment of a representative office of a foreign advertisement enterprise in Viet Nam and VND1.5 million for re-license and amending.

State agencies authorized for granting the license for the establishment of a representative office of a foreign advertisement enterprise in Viet Nam are regulated at Decree No. 181/2013/ND-CP on detailing some articles of the law on advertising.

Additional fee for setting up trade promotion office
Regarding Circular 143/2016/TT-BTC prescribing the rates, collection and payment of the licensing fee for Viet Nam-based representative offices of foreign trade promotion organizations and traders, trade promotion organizations need to pay the establishment license payment fees for representative offices in Viet Nam.

The amount of fees to establish representative offices of foreign trade promotion organizations and foreign traders in Viet Nam is VND3 million per onenew license and VND1.5 million per one reissued, amended, supplemented, or extended license.

Fees for issuance of working holiday permits with respect to New Zealand and Australia working holiday makers

Circular No. 140/2016/TT-BTC defines on collection and payment of fees for issuance of working holiday permits with respect to New Zealand and Australia working holiday makers.

According to this Circular, the amount of fees for issuance of working holiday permits to New Zealand and Australia working holiday makers is VND 600,000/issuance/person (for initial issuance) andVND 500,000/issuance/person (for reissuance)

New levels of fees for issuance of permits for traveling ashore, boarding foreign ships

Circular No. 138/2016/TT-BTC instructs collection and payment of fees for issuance of permits to foreign crewmembers for traveling ashore, permits for boarding foreign ships, permits for stopping alongside foreign ships and permits to Vietnamese people and foreigners for engaging in press activities, scientific research and toursim using foreign ships.

According to this Circular, fees for issuance of permits to foreign crewmembers for traveling ashore and permits for boarding foreign ships are specified as follows: Fees for issuance of permits to foreign crewmembers for travelling ashore: USD 03/permit and USD 05/permit if they stay overnight, fees for issuance of permits for boarding foreign boats, shipsVND 30,000/permit

The fees for issuance of permits to Vietnamese watercraft operators for stopping alongside foreign ships are VND 20,000/permit and the fees for issuance of permits to Vietnamese people and foreigners for engaging in press activities, scientific research and tourism in connection with use of foreign boats, ships are from VND 10,000/permit - VND 20,000/permit.

By Thuy Dung