How to get Vietnam visa in Seattle,United States

Vietnamese visa policy for US citizens now has allowed US passport holders to apply for Vietnam 1-month visas, 3-month visas and now available with the new 6-month visas. Stamping fees changed accordingly.  

The two old ways to get a Vietnam visa now are joined with the third - E-visa which literally enables you to apply for visa directly with Vietnamese authority through an online site. Compared to the traditional way of applying with embassies, E-visa is more convenient, but Visa on Arrival still has an advantage that is the service fee is refundable when your application gets rejected.

From Seattle, US citizens and other nationals can get visa to Vietnam with embassy or visa on arrival while waiting for E-visa to be officially launched (from 1^st Feb 2017).

1, Apply for Visa on arrival

Vietnam visa on arrival is the favorite option of foreign travelers including the US today with easier, quicker and cheaper process. If there is a chance to save money, time and energy, the experienced travelers will always take it with quick consideration. Why should you apply for a visa on arrival and with Vietnam visa easy? Here is our answer:

• Time saving: 1-2 working days processing
• Money saving: at least 30% cheaper than the traditional way
• Convenience: no passport send off, no embassy chase-down.
• Accessibility: 100% online, send and receive via email.

Vietnam visa on arrival policy allows you to get visa stamp at Vietnam airports upon your arrival.  However, be aware of that you need obtain a visa approval in advance before you board the plane. One more thing, the approval letter works well at any of Vietnam’s international airports (Hanoi, Da Nang, Ho Chi Minh) but it’s powerless at land borders.

No more than four steps, you will get your visa on arrival approval in no time:

• Fill out online visa application form provided by the Visa on arrival agent (based in Vietnam) with exact information as shown in passport. Double check to avoid mistakes.

• Pay processing fee online through secured payment gateway with your credit or debit card.
• Print out Visa approval letter sent to your email after 2 processing days together with entry-exit form NA1.
• Get visa stamped at arrival airport in Vietnam.

Standard processing time for a tourist visa is 2 days, and business visa 5 days. For emergency services, please check out our price structure here.

At the airport’s visa on arrival counter, present all the said documents with your passport and stamping fee:

• $25 for single entry 1-month and 3-month visas.
• $50 for multiple entry 1-month and 3-month visas.
• $95 for multiple entry 6-month visas.
• $135 for multiple entry 1-year visas.

Please take note that you are allowed to enter Vietnam from the date of entry submitted in the application form.

Upon arrival, you should head to the Visa on Arrival/Landing Visa counter and submit the passport, visa approval, 01 passport photo, entry-exit form and pay stamping fee. Then take a seat and wait for your name to be called. Depending on the queue, the stamping process may take around 10-20 minutes. If you desire an urgent visa stamp, it’s time to use stamping assistance service.

2, Apply through a Vietnam embassy

The nearest embassy to Seattle is the Consulate General of Vietnam in San Francisco and it will take a lot of time to come in person to the office. You can apply by post but make sure to include a pre-paid certified mail with your address.

Check more on how to get a Vietnam visa in San Francisco.

Documents needed for a Vietnam visa application:

• Your original passport with 6 month validity and blank pages left.
• A completed and signed visa application form (the form is available at Vietnam Ministry of Foreign Affairs page http://visa.mofa.gov.vn).
• 01 passport-sized photograph if you apply for traditional visa and 02 passport photographs for loose-leaf visa request.
• Prepaid return envelope if you want the passport and visa to be delivered by post.
• Fees (including stamping fee) is slightly various at each embassy/consulate in different countries. No refund in case your application is rejected. Contact with the embassy at which you apply for the visa to get the exact information.

The process takes 3 business days as standard process. The visa application could be submitted by mail or in person as early as 6 months prior to the date of arrival to Vietnam.

Notes:

• Visa on Arrival is only applicable for air travelers.
• Different staying durations allowed with different long-term visas: 90 days (6-month and 1-year multiple entry tourist visas); 180 days (6-month multiple entry business visa); 365 days (1-year multiple entry business visa).

For other nations in Seattle:

• Please not that for most of other countries there are only 10 (or only 8 for some countries) Vietnam visa types which are applicable: 1-month single/multiple entry tourist/business visas, 3-month single/multiple entry tourist/business visas, 6-month multiple entry business visa and 1-year multiple entry business visa (while US citizens can apply for 6-month and 1-year multiple entry tourist visas). 
• Some nationals from Africa and Middle East can actually obtain a Vietnam visa without a Vietnamese sponsor. Vietnam visa for Africans will cost more than other countries.
• And click here for visa process for Europe citizens.

Should you have any concerns about Vietnam  visa for US citizens in Seattle, please feel free to contact us at hotline +84 966.53.93.63 or support email: support@vietnamvisa-easy.com or skype: vietnamvisaeasy.