Foreigners’ entrance into VN facilitated

Question (Mr. Phạm Trọng Nghĩa, Vietnamese citizen studying in the UK): I would like to invite my professor (British nationality) and his wife (Zimbabwean nationality) to visit Việt Nam on the coming Lunar New Year Holiday. Does Việt Nam have any legal documents prohibiting the entry of Zimbabwean citizens? Can my professor’s wife acquire visa to visit Việt Nam?

Answer (Consular Department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs): The Vietnamese Government does not ban nor has any legal documents banning the entry of citizens of any country or group of countries to Việt Nam.

However, foreigners shall be prohibited from entering Việt Nam if their entry may do harm to Việt Nam’s security, social order, or Vietnamese traditional practices and customs, according to Article 8 of the Ordinance on Entry, Exit, and Residence of Foreigners in Việt Nam.

Point 1 of Article 2 of the Ordinance stipulates that “… Vietnamese citizens lawfully and permanently residing in Việt Nam may invite foreigners into Việt Nam.”

Mr. Nghĩa is residing abroad so he is unable to invite foreigners into Việt Nam. However, he can ask his relatives residing in Việt Nam to invite the couple to Việt Nam.

Mr. Nghĩa’s relatives should submit application form at the Việt Nam Immigration Department at No. 40 Hàng Bài Street, Hà Nội. The form must be authenticated by the commune-level People’s Committee of the locality where the inviters are permanent residents.

Otherwise, Mr. Nghĩa can ask Việt Nam’s Embassy in London to give instructions to the couple for making entry visa to Việt Nam as tourists.

For detailed instructions, please log in the website of the Vietnamese Embassy in the UK (12 Victoria Road, London, W 5RD) at  www.vietnamembassy.org.uk/consular.html#visa or contact with the Embassy’s Consular Section via Tel: 020 7937 1912, Fax: 020 7937 6108, or email: consular@vietnamembassy.org.uk.