Vietnam: What are the differences between visa and passport? What are the conditions for issuing a visa under the latest regulations?
What are the differences between visa and passport in Vietnam?
The below contents are criteria to distinguish visa from passport:
Distinguishing criteria | Visa | Passport |
Concept | Visa is a document issued by a competent authority of Vietnam to a foreigner to grant entry into Vietnam. (Pursuant to Clause 11 Article 3 of the Law on entry, exit, transit and residence of foreigners in Vietnam 2014) | “Passports” are documents owned by the Government and issued by competent authorities of Vietnam to Vietnamese citizens to make entry, exit and prove nationality and personal record. (Pursuant to Clause 3 Article 2 of the Law on Entry and Exit of Vietnamese Citizens 2019) |
Value of use | - A visa may be used one or multiple times and its purpose must not be changed.. - Visas issued to children under 14 in the same passports of their parents or guardians shall ve valid once | - Diplomatic passports and service passports shall be effective from 1 to 5 years; can be extended no more than 3 years per instance. - Validity of regular passports is as follows: + Regular passports issued to persons from 14 years of age shall be effective for 10 years and shall not be extended; + Regular passports issued to persons under 14 years of age shall be effective for 05 years and shall not be extended; + Regular passports issued by shortened procedures shall be effective for no more than 12 months and shall not be extended. |
Uses | Is a legal proof confirming that someone is authorized to enter or exit the country issuing the visa. | Used for exit, entry, proof of nationality and identity. |
Classify | - Entry visa - Exit visa - Transit visa | - Diplomatic passport; - Official passport; - Regular passport; |
Issuing authority | - Overseas visa-issuing authorities of Vietnam include diplomatic missions or other agencies of Vietnam located overseas and authorized to act as consulates. - Procedures for issuing visas to Vietnamese citizens applying for visas to go abroad: The procedures depend on the regulations of each country that the citizen shall come to | - Regular passport: The application for an regular passport shall be made at the office of the Immigration Department or electronically at the national public service portal or the public service portal of the Ministry of Public Security - Official and diplomatic passports: + Agencies issuing diplomatic and official passports requesting foreign counties to issue visas in the country include the Consular Department and the Department of Foreign Affairs of Ho Chi Minh City (hereinafter collectively referred to as the passport issuing agency in the country). + Agencies issuing diplomatic and official passports requesting foreign counties to issue visas abroad include diplomatic missions, consular missions and other agencies authorized to perform consular functions of Vietnam abroad (hereinafter collectively referred to as representative offices). |
Thus, the above contents are differences between visa and passport.
What are the conditions for issuing a visa in Vietnam under the latest regulations?
Apartments according to Article 10 of the Law on entry, exit, transit and residence of foreigners in Vietnam 2014 supplemented by Points a and b, Clause 5, Article 1 of the Law on Amendments to Law on Entry, exit, transit, and residence of foreigners in Vietnam 2019, the conditions for issuing a visa in Vietnam are:
- Have a passport or document valid for international travel.
- Invited or spond by agencies, organizations or individuals in Vietnam, except for the following cases:
+ Any person who has works to do with an overseas visa-issuing authority of Vietnam, his/her spouse and children; any person that presents a written request by a competent agency of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the host country.
+ Issuance of e-visas at the request of foreigners.
+ Issuance of e-visas at the request of agencies and organizations.
- Not suspended from entry in the cases of suspension from entry:
+ Any of the conditions in Clause 1 Article 20 of Law on entry, exit, transit and residence of foreigners in Vietnam 2014 is not satisfied.
+ Children under 14 years of age without parents, guardians or authorized custodians.
+ Forging papers or providing false information to obtain entry/exit/residence permit.
+ Any person suffering from a mental disease or infectious disease that threatens the public health.
+ Any person that was deported from Vietnam within the last 03 years.
+ Any person that was compelled to leave Vietnam within the last 06 months.
+ For reasons of epidemic prevention.
+ For reasons of natural disasters.
+ For reasons of national defense, national security, social order, and social safety.
- Proof of entry purposes must be provided when applying for a visa in the required cases.
- Electronic visas shall be issued to foreigners possessing passports and not falling into categories specified in Clauses 1, 2, 3 and 4 Article 8 of the Law on entry, exit, transit and residence of foreigners in Vietnam 2014.
What are the cases of visa exemption in Vietnam?
Pursuant to the provisions of Article 12 of the Law on entry, exit, transit and residence of foreigners in Vietnam 2014 supplemented by Clause 7 Article 1 of the Law on Amendments to Law on Entry, exit, transit, and residence of foreigners in Vietnam 2019, the cases of visa exemption in Vietnam include:
- The cases prescribed in international agreements to which Vietnam is a signatory.
- Permanent residence cards and temporary residence cards are used in accordance this Law.
- Entering coastal economic zones decided by the Government if fully satisfying following conditions: having international airports; having private space; having defined geographical border and separate from inland; in conformity with socio-economic development policies and not harming national defense and security, social safety and order of Vietnam.
- Under regulations in Article 13 of Law on entry, exit, transit and residence of foreigners in Vietnam 2014.
- Vietnamese people residing overseas who have passports or laissez-passers issued by foreign authorities, foreigners being their spouses or children; foreigners being spouses and children of Vietnamese citizens shall be granted visa-free entry as prescribed by the government.
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