Vietnam's National Assembly on November 20 decided to extend the implementation of a pilot scheme to issue electronic visa (e-visa) for foreigners entering Vietnam for another two years starting February 1, 2019, in a bid to draw more overseas tourists to the country.
The Vietnamese government is required to report to the National Assembly on the review the Law on Entry, exit, transit and residence of foreigners in Vietnam, effective in January 2015, and propose amendments to ensure that the revised law will take effect before February 1, 2021.
Minister of Public Security To Lam said earlier this month informed that his ministry had issued 336,932 e-visas to foreigners from January 2017 to October 2018.
The ministry has not detected any threat to national security related to e-visa granting after two years implementing it on a pilot basis at a limited number of gates of entrance, said Minister To Lam on November 5, adding the ministry was considering applying it permanently in more border gates.
Vietnam started the e-visa pilot program in February 2017, applicable to citizens of 46 countries at 28 border gates.
E-visa applications have undergone strict scrutiny and no foreigner without visa has entered the Vietnamese territory. The Vietnamese authorities have rejected six e-visa applications and denied other 13 cases due to false declaration, the minister informed.
Thanks to this policy, the number of foreign visitors to Vietnam has been growing fast over the past three years. In 2015, the number of foreign visitors to Vietnam was estimated at 7.9 million, and the figure leaped to more than 10 million in 2016, and 12.9 million in 2017, according to the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT).
National Assembly allows e-visa grating to foreigners.
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Minister of Public Security To Lam said earlier this month informed that his ministry had issued 336,932 e-visas to foreigners from January 2017 to October 2018.
The ministry has not detected any threat to national security related to e-visa granting after two years implementing it on a pilot basis at a limited number of gates of entrance, said Minister To Lam on November 5, adding the ministry was considering applying it permanently in more border gates.
Vietnam started the e-visa pilot program in February 2017, applicable to citizens of 46 countries at 28 border gates.
E-visa applications have undergone strict scrutiny and no foreigner without visa has entered the Vietnamese territory. The Vietnamese authorities have rejected six e-visa applications and denied other 13 cases due to false declaration, the minister informed.
Thanks to this policy, the number of foreign visitors to Vietnam has been growing fast over the past three years. In 2015, the number of foreign visitors to Vietnam was estimated at 7.9 million, and the figure leaped to more than 10 million in 2016, and 12.9 million in 2017, according to the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT).
