Vietnam Visa + Travel Guide
Vietnam visa online, save time + money
Looking for a fast, reliable and cost effective way of getting your Vietnam visa? Avoid lengthy visa procedures at Vietnam Embassies and arrange your visa online.
Inner Journey Expeditions offers a professional Vietnam visa on arrival service.This service is legitimate and supported by the Vietnamese Immigration Department.
We arrange a Vietnam visas authority letter for you, which you present with your passport and two current passport photos at either Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi or Danang International Airports to obtain your visa entry stamp.
Processing only takes FOUR WORKING DAYS for one month visas.
Need more information? Please email us.
Live in Australia and got a question? Where here to help call, 1300 431 069 (cost of a local call).
How to get your Vietnam visa authority letter
Step 1: CLICK HERE for a Vietnam visa application form.
Step 2: Pay the service fee to Inner Journey Expeditions.
Step 3: One month visa authority letter is emailed to you in four working days; three month in seven working days.
Step 4: Present your letter on arrival at HCMC, Hanoi or Danang International Airports and pay your visa entry stamp.
Vietnam visa service fee + visa entry stamp fee
$AUD
Note: The IJE service fee is valid for internet banking transfers and cheque payments. Credit Card payments via PayPal incur a 3% surcharge. Service fees and visa stamp arrival fees are subject to change due to Vietnamese government regulations.
Important stuff to know
Once the service fee has been received and your application form has been processed, your Vietnam visa authority letter is mailed to you in four working days.
Before you arrive in Vietnam, ensure you have:
A printed copy of the Vietnam visa authority letter
Two current passport photo to give to Immigration
Your visa entry stamp fee in US dollar
Upon arrival to Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi or Danang International Airports, head to the Visa Landing Counter and present your documents. Immigration has a copy of your letter so when you arrive they can cross reference your letter and issue your visa entry stamp. It usually takes around 15 minutes waiting time.
You must also pay your visa entry stamp fee in US dollars. Make sure your US dollars are not damaged as they will NOT BE ACCEPTED.
Australians require a passport with six months validity remaining from date of entry.
You can arrive after your arrival date as indicated on your Vietnam visa authority letter. However, you can not arrive before that date. You must depart Vietnam as indicated on your Vietnam visa authority letter, unless you arrange for an extension while in Vietnam.
Please be aware that hotels in Vietnam retain your passport while you are staying with them.
Need more information? Please email us.
Live in Australia and got a question? Speak to us on 1300 431 069.
Getting there
Vietnam has three international airports – Ho Chi Minh City in the south; Danang in the centre; and Hanoi in the north.
Several cities have direct flights to either Ho Chi Minh City or Hanoi or both. These include Bangkok, Beijing, Darwin, Frankfurt, Fukuoka, Guangzhou, Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur, Kunming, Luang Prabang, Manila, Melbourne, Moscow, Osaka, Paris, Phnom Penh, Pusan, Seoul, Siem Reap, Singapore, Sydney, Taipei, Tokyo and Vientiane. If entering through Danang airport, you can only fly from Bangkok.
If there’s no direct flight to Vietnam from your country, Bangkok, Hong Kong and Singapore have daily connecting flights as well as providing for an excellent stop over for shopping and sightseeing.
Below are some major airlines flying to and from Vietnam from various major hubs.
Airline
Website
Hub
Cathay Pacific
Hong Kong
Japan Airline
Tokyo
Jetstar
Sydney, Melbourne, Darwin, Brisbane, Gold Coast, Adelaide, Perth, Hobart
Jetstar Pacific
Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, Danang, Nha Trang, Quy Nhon, Dalat, Hue
Lao Airlines
Vientiane, Luang Prabang, Pakse
Malaysian Airlines
Kuala Lumpar
Qantas
Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Gold Coast, Adelaide, Perth, Hobart
Silk Air www.silkair.com Danang Singapore Airlines
Singapore
Thai Airways
Bangkok
Tiger Airways
Singapore
Vietnam Airlines
Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, Danang, Nha Trang, Quy Nhon, Dalat, Hue, Phu Quoc, Pleiku
Domestic flights
Domestic flights are operated by Vietnam Airlines and Pacific Airlines. Both offer daily flights and give many options for air travel throughout the country. But be careful as flights can be overbooked and cancellation and late flights are common.
It is recommended you book through a travel agent or internet booking sites to book and secure domestic flights and keep informed on its status.
When you are in Vietnam, you should reconfirm the tickets 48 or 24 hours prior to departure to avoid any delay or cancellation or unsecured seat (automatically cancelled by system). Reconfirmation can be done through the respective airline’s office in Vietnam – ask you hotel or a travel agent in Vietnam to assist you.Vietnam Airlines
www.vietnamairlines.com
Jetstar Pacific Airways
www.jetstar.com
Airport taxes
Passengers pay US$14 per person when leaving Vietnam from either Hanoi or Danang and US$12 per person when leaving Vietnam from Ho Chi Minh City.
Domestic departure tax is included in your ticket fare, but it is wise to always double check this when booking. The tax ranges from US$1 to around US$1.70.
Money + banks
The currency of Vietnam is the "Dong", which you will see abbreviated "d" or “VND”. Notes come in denominations of 200VND, 500VND, 1,000VND, 2,000DVND, 5,000VND, 10,000VND, 20,000VND, 50,000VND, 100,000VND and 500,000VND.
The US dollar operates as an unofficial currency and most travellers carry some dollars in small denominations as a back up. On the whole it is more convenient to operate in dong, as prices tend to be slightly lower than the equivalent in dollars and USD is quoted at whatever the rate is on the day.
Major currencies can be exchanged at leading banks like the Vietcom Bank, ANZ, ACB and VIB, at foreign exchange offices in some hotels and travel agents and jewellery shops. Most of these places do not charge commission when changing currency into dong.ATM withdrawals are now available in most popular tourist destinations and major cities like Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. However there is a withdrawal limit of about 2,000,000VND (approximately US$125) and a daily withdrawal limit of 20,000,000VND and you will be charged a 50,000VND fee each time. ANZ and HSBC banks accept a wider range of cards including those in the Cirrus and Plus networks.
Check out the currency website www.xe.com to find the latest rates.
Visa and MasterCard are widely accepted. Getting cash in advance from cards is possible at Vietcom Bank and some foreign banks in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.
Travellers Cheques in Euro, Stirling and other major currencies are accepted in major tourist centres. American Travellers Cheques are the most widely accepted. When changing Travellers Cheques at a bank you will pay between 1.25% to 3% commissions. Vietcom Bank waives commissions on American Express Travellers Cheques.
Communication
If you want to use your mobile phone in Vietnam, the simplest and cheapest way is to buy a SIM Card and a prepaid phone card locally. Both Vinaphone (www.vinaphone.com.vn) and Mobiphone (www.mobiphone.com.vn) offer English-language support and the best national coverage at the moment. Otherwise, check if your phone company has international roaming coverage in Vietnam.
Broadband internet is widely available in the main cities and internet cafes are popping up everywhere. Many hotels also offer internet access as part of the room rate. Cafes charge by the minute, some charge by the hour or half hour. In remote areas, logging on can be few and far between – which is not such a bad thing! However when you do log on connection can be slow.
Electricity
The usual voltage is between 220V and 240V, 50 cycles; but sometimes you encounter 110V, also at 50 cycles. Power supplies can be erratic, so be prepared to be flexible.
Plugs with two round pins are more popular than the three-pin. If you have any devices needing a special outlet, please bring its adapter kit. The best investment is the universal AC adapter, which will enable you to plug it in anywhere.
Some basic facts
Vietnam’s evolution as a nation over the last 2000 years has been culturally influenced by its close proximity to China. In contradiction, no other country in this region has spent so long fighting off Chinese domination, often at a terrible cost in lives, economic development and political compromise. This rivalry has produced a powerful sense of national identity. In the 20th Century, Vietnam was faced with new perpetrators - first the French, later the Americans – and Vietnam once again successfully retained their territory.
Today, the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, the capital being Hanoi, is one of the world’s last surviving Communist states. More than 30 years after the American War, Vietnam is on the move reigniting its entrepreneurial spirit while old style Communist systems are giving way to socialist market economy. Seventy four percent live in the countryside and during the last decade, the Vietnamese economy grew over seven percent per annum making it the world’s second largest rice exporter after Thailand. The percentage of households living in poverty has fallen from 70 percent in the 1980s to under 30 percent today. However, the average per capita income hovers around USD$550 a year, although many people survive on less than 50cents a day.
Tourism is a relatively new industry and great changes have been made in accommodation standards, communications and accessibility. Still more important, the Vietnamese people are increasingly open, friendly and keen to meet foreign travellers.
The land
Vietnam is a long thin country comprising over 330,300 square kilometers. Its narrowest point measures just 50km wide. This makes it slightly larger than Italy and a bit smaller than Japan. The country shares its border with China, Laos and Cambodia and skirts the South China Sea (or the East Sea as the Vietnamese call it), Gulf of Tonkin and Gulf of Thailand.
Seventy five percent is mountainous, 3200km is coastline. There are sub-alpine mountains in the north, the highest of which is 3143 metre Mount Fansipan. Central highlands run the length of the country and stretch eastward to the fertile coastal plains. Limestone outcrops scatter Halong Bay and the Mekong Delta and Red River Delta provide the two main cultivated areas.This range of habitat lends itself to a tremendous diversity of flora and fauna. Current estimates suggest there are 16,000 plant species and 21,000 animals including 850 birds. The Java rhino, Asiatic black bear, Sarus crane and golden headed langur are just some of the endangered remaining species.
One of the biggest environmental challenges facing Vietnam is to preserve the rapidly diminishing forest area by establishing methods of sustainable use. However, Vietnam did recognize the need for conservation relatively early and established its first national park, Cuc Phuong in 1962. Today there are 28 national parks.
The climate
Vietnam has a diverse climate. There’s no particular season to recommend as the best time to visit. So it is probably better to go when the conditions best suit you and the activities you wish to pursue.
Located in both a tropical and a temperate zone, Vietnam is characterized by strong monsoon influences, but has a considerable amount of sun, a high rate of rainfall, and high humidity. There are two monsoons which set the rhythm of rural life. The north east winter monsoon between October and March brings cool and sometimes chilly weather to all areas in the north. From May to September, the south west summer monsoon brings rain and humid weather to the two deltas.
In southern Vietnam the dry season lasts from December to late April and the rains from May through to November, although rain tends to constitute a brief downfall in the afternoon. Northern Vietnam is generally warm and sunny from October to December after which cooler winter weather sets in. Temperatures begin to rise in March building to summer maximum average of 30°C between May and August.
The annual average temperatures range from 22°C to 27°C. In comparison with other South East Asian countries, the temperature in winter is colder and not as hot in summer.Vietnam climate chart
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Ho Chi Minh
Danang
Hanoi
The people
Vietnam has a population of 83 million of whom 85 percent are ethnic Vietnamese (known as Viet or Kinh), approximately 1 million are Chinese and about 10 percent belong to one of the 52 ethnic minority groups divided into dozens of subgroups some with a mere hundred or so members. This makes Vietnam one of the most complex ethnic populous in the whole of South East Asia. The vast majority of ethnic minorities reside in the mountainous regions of the north and central highlands and the more isolated groups still preserve their time honoured ways of life.
In the core of the history, all these groups of people have been closely attached to one another in sharing the same tasks of fighting against foreign invaders, defending the country's territory, gaining the right to live and the right to national independence and self-determination. . Each group has its own language and identity, some characterized by a dazzling array of traditional costumes, making the Vietnamese culture one of variety.
Some of the ethnic minority groups Inner Journey Expeditions encounter include:
The Dao
One of the sub groups include the Red Dao who can be seen on our trips to Sapa. Population is estimated at 620,538 people and they live along the Sino-Vietnamese and Vietnamese-Lao borders and in some midland and northern coastal provinces.
The La Chi
With a population of 10,765, these people can be found in Ha Giang and Lao Cai Province in the North. You will come across the La Chi at the Bac Ha weekend markets with Inner Journey Expeditions.
The Mong (H'Mong)
Some sub groups include White, Red and Black Mong which you meet on trips to Sapa. Estimated population is 787,604, the Mong are concentrated in Ha Giang, Tuyen Quang, Lao Cai, Yen Bai, Lai Chau, Son La, Cao Bang and Nghe An Provinces.
The Muong
There are more than 1,137,515 people with the largest population concentrated in Hoa Binh Province where Pu Luong Nature Reserve is found and the mountainous districts of Thanh Hoa Province.
The Tay
The Tay is a large group with around 1,477,514 people. They live along the valleys and the lower slopes of the mountains in Cao Bang, Lang Son, Bac Kan, and Quang Ninh provinces, and in some regions of Bac Giang and Bac Ninh provinces.
The Thai
Estimated population is 1,328,725 and these people are found in the Lai Chau, Dien Bien, Son La, Hoa Binh, home to Pu Luong Nature Reserve and Nghe An provinces.
The Viet (Kinh)
The main ethnic group in Vietnam is the Viet with an estimated 65.8 million people. The Viet live in all provinces but are densely clustered in the delta areas and urban centres.
Visiting an ethnic minority village is one of the highlights of a trip to Vietnam, better still if you can stay overnight. Here are a few tips to follow when visiting a village:
- If invited into a home, remove your shoes at the front door before entering.
- Avoid giving empty water bottles, sweets and candies or pens to the local people when trekking through ethnic minority villages. You cannot guarantee that the empty bottles will be disposed of in a correct manner, and the people have no access to dental health. If you want to give pens, ask your guide to introduce you to the local teacher and donate them to the whole community.
- Never sleep or sit with the soles of your feet pointing towards the family altar when in someone’s house.
- Never use video cameras in the ethnic minority villages. They are considered to be too intrusive by the local people.
Major spiritual influences in Vietnam include Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism and native religions like Ancestor and Mother Worships. Christianity arrived in the late 18th century and now has the second largest following after Buddhism. Other religions practiced comprise Islam and Cao Dai.
The shopping
Vietnamese handicrafts offer a wide variety. These include paintings (lacquer, oil and silk), mother of pearl, ceramics, pottery, carved wood, embroidery, bamboo, wickerwork, baskets, sculpture, jewellery, jade (check for authenticity), silks and brocades. You can also pick up green pith helmets, now a fashionable item based upon the design of the war, the trade mark Vietnamese conical hat and the ao dai, the feminine traditional dress worn by the Viet women. CDs and DVD shops have popped up everywhere in the cities, however, always check the quality before purchase.
Clothing is comparatively cheap, and there are some good quality rip offs of Gore-Tex jackets, fleeces and cargo pants. T-shirts with slogans are plentiful, and there’s the ever popular T-shirt featuring the Vietnamese flag.
Hanoi’s Old Quarter is filled with an astonishing array of retail shops and the nearby enclosed Dong Xuan Market has several levels of tourist gifts and local goods. However, the unique shopping experiences are often had at the Highland Markets, like Bac Ha, where ethnic minorities reside. These markets are not only a meeting place for local commerce, but also host cultural festivals and provide opportunities for locals to socialize and meet potential marriage partners.
The food
Vietnamese cuisine is a gourmet exploration. It’s inventive, tasty and uses high quality home grown ingredients. Flavours have infused from influences such as the Chinese, Laotians, Cambodian and more recently the French. As elsewhere in South East Asia, rice or com is the main staple diet, although bread, especially baguettes, introduced by the French, are available everywhere. Throughout Vietnam you will find a strong Vegetarian tradition, a legacy of Buddhism. Dishes are generally served at the same time rather than by course and come with chopsticks, or if western food, with a knife and fork. Below are a few Vietnamese specialties.
Nem Ran (Spring Roll)
A popular dish of minced pork, rice vermicelli, mushrooms, dried onions, bean-sprouts, pepper and spiced salt. The mixture is rolled in flat rice cakes and fried in a pan until crispy.
Pho (Rice Noodle Soup)
Typical Hanoi dish primarily served at breakfast or eaten as a light snack. The standard serving is a broth of rice noodles topped with either beef or chicken, fresh herbs and onion. Egg yolk, lime juice, chilli peppers or vinegar may be added.
Gio lua
Found anywhere in Vietnam, gio lua is made from pork pate wrapped in banana leaves then well cooked.
Banh cuon
This is a steamed rice pancake rolled around minced pork and is a popular dish for breakfast.
The language
More than 80% of the population speak Vietnamese (or Kinh), the national language. Ethnic minorities also have their own native languages. Since the tourism boom, more and more young people are learning English at school or university and are only too pleased to practice with tourists. From the colonial period, French is still understood by some of the older generation, usually in urban areas.
The most challenging part about Vietnamese is the different tones and pronunciation.
Try some of the phonetic spelling below and remember to have fun!
English
Vietnamese
Phonetic
Hello
xin chao
sin chow
Good bye
chao / tam biet
chow / tam bee-et
Thank you
cam on
cam urn
Please
xin
sin
How are you?
ba co khoe khong?
ban ko kway on?
I’m good
toi khoe
toy kway
What’s your name?
ten ban la gi?
ten bah la ji?
My name is….
ten tio la….
ten toy la….
No problems
khong cosi
kong cozi
Excuse me (sorry)
xin loi
sin loy
Excuse me (to get past)
xin ong
Sin on
I want to buy
toi muon mua
toy moo-urn dee
How much?
boa nhieu
ba-ow nyew
Where is?
o dau…?
uh doh…?
Hotel
khach san
khack san
Restaurant
nha hang
nya hang
Toilet
(nha) ve sinh
(nya) veh sing
Bottled water
nuoc khoang
noo-uk kwang
Tea
che (north) / tra (south)
chay (north) chah (south)
Coffee
ca phe
ca-fey
Yes
vang (north) da (south)
vuhng (north) dah (south)
No
khong
khawng
Numbers
1
Mot
11
Mooy mot
21
Hi mooy mot
2
Hi
12
Mooy hi
100
Mot chum
3
Ba
13
Mooy ba
200
Hi chum
4
Bawn
14
Mooy bawn
1,000
Mot nghin
5
Num
15
Mooy num
10,000
Mooy nghin
6
Saow
16
Mooy saow
100,000
Chum nghin
7
Buy
17
Mooy buy
1,000,000
Mot trieu
8
Taam
18
Mooy taam
9
Cheen
19
Mooy cheen
10
mooy
20
Hi mooy
Please note that the information provided for ‘Vietnam Visa + Travel Facts’ was correct at the time of writing. If you have more updated details please do not hesitate to contact us
Please email us for further information.
Live in Australia call 1300 43 10 69 for travel advice.
