Vietnam to grant visa-free entry to citizens from 12 countries
Relaxing visas is part of the country's ongoing efforts to promote tourism.
THE HANOI TIMES — Citizens from 12 countries will be granted visa-free entry for stays of up to 45 days in Vietnam for tourism purposes, regardless of passport types.
Visa exemptions will be granted to citizens of Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, and Switzerland.
The policy will be in effect from August 15, 2025, to August 14, 2028, as part of the tourism promotion and development program.
Foreign passengers check in at Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi. Photo: Pham Hung/The Hanoi Times
According to the Vietnam National Authority of Tourism (VNAT), Vietnam’s recent visa exemption policy helps attract an increasing number of high-spending international travelers, who typically have longer stays and higher expenditures while visiting the country.
Experts believe that the visa-free policy has made travel to Vietnam easier and more accessible for international tourists.
"Visa exemption will enable travel firms like us to tap into new potential markets while fostering trade and investment opportunities for Vietnam’s tourism sector," Nguyen Anh Phuong, Sales Director of Delta Travel & Services Co., Ltd, told The Hanoi Times.
The General Statistics Office of Vietnam (GSO) said that the country welcomed more than 12 million international visitors in the first seven months of 2025, reflecting a 22% increase compared to the same period in 2024.
The European market has been a key driver of this growth, with impressive increases recorded in several countries: the UK (up 24.1%), France (up 30.2%), Germany (up 26.7%), Italy (up 31.5%), Spain (up 19.9%), Russia (up 104.3%), Denmark (up 20.9%), Sweden (up 1.8%), and Norway (up 21.4%).
The surge in international arrivals can be largely attributed to the government’s relaxed visa policies, aggressive tourism promotion campaigns, and an increasingly diverse range of tourism products and services tailored to global traveler preferences.
These factors are expected to drive Vietnam’s international tourism growth in the coming months, making the target of welcoming 23 million international arrivals in 2025 attainable.
