How to extend and renew your visa in Vietnam
During your trip to Vietnam, if you want to stay longer than the visa period, you need to either exit and return to Vietnam or do a visa extension without leaving the country. Most travelers prefer visa extension thanks to the time-saving and cost-saving advantages.
Upon each type of visa you get, the extension process may require different documents and procedures. This article will show you a complete guide to extend the two most popular visa types for travelers which are tourist and business visas.
Why is visa extension important?
No matter which purpose you enter Vietnam for, if you overstay a visa and do not extend or renew your visa, an administrative penalty will be applied according to Vietnam Law. Moreover, your entry and exit history will have a bad mark on the record of the Vietnam Immigration Department which can result in a difficult entry the next time. As a result, a visa extension helps you prolong your stay for a period of time to finish your tourism or business plan.
A visa should be extended before it expires due to the fact that it takes you 5 to 8 working days for the approval.
Tourist visa extension
Tourist visa is a kind of visa issued for foreigners entering Vietnam for tourism purposes. A tourist can apply for a visa with a validity of up to 3 months and stay in Vietnam for no longer than 30 days for each entry.
Travel visas allow an extension when you arrive in Vietnam and for single entry only. The extension duration is 15 days or 30 days.
Conditions
In order to extend a tourist visa, foreigners need to satisfy some conditions below:
- Foreigners temporarily residing in Vietnam for vacation/traveling purposes
- Having a guaranteed travel agency in Vietnam
- Holding an at least 6-month valid passport
- Have all documents proving eligibility to apply for the extended visa type
- Not prohibited or restricted from entering Vietnam
Document requirements
Both foreigners and a sponsor/guaranteed travel agency must prepare documents for the extension application. Here are all documents needed:
- A certified copy of the travel agency's travel license
- A confirmation that foreigners are temporarily staying at tourist accommodation establishments
- A valid passport with 2 blank pages for stamps
- A visa application form for visa issuance and stay extension (Form NA5)
- Temporary residence card (if any) or an online temporary residence registration or temporary residence registration certified by the police
How to apply
- Step 1: Foreigners prepare all documents as required and send them to the travel agency.
- Step 2: The guaranteed travel agency submits documents to the Vietnam Immigration Department’s office.
- Step 3: Pay the visa extension fee based on the type of visa applied for. The review process takes 05 working days.
- Step 4: Get your passport back with the visa extension stamped
Processing time & fee
Visa tourist extension takes 5-8 working days and the fee varies depending on the service fee of the travel agency and the visa type you apply for.
Business visa extension
Business visa is granted for those foreigners coming to Vietnam for business purposes such as participating in a conference/seminar, cooperating with Vietnamese enterprise, signing a contract, offering business opportunities, etc. Vietnam business visa has a validity of 1 month up to 1 year and the length of stay is not exceeding 90 days per entry.
There are 2 types of business visas which are DN1 and DN2.
- Visa DN1: granted for foreigners who enter Vietnam to work with enterprises and other organizations with legal status
- Visa DN2: granted for foreigners who come to offer services, establish a commercial presence, and perform other activities under international treaties to which Vietnam is a member.
Business visas can be extended up to 1 year for single or multiple entries.
Conditions
Similar to a tourist visa, a business visa extension needs a sponsor or guaranteeing enterprises in Vietnam. Besides, there are several conditions that foreigners need to meet:
- Temporarily stay in Vietnam for business purposes
- Sponsored or guaranteed by a Vietnam enterprise/organization
- Have a passport with a validity of at least 6 months prior to the extension time
- Have all documents proving eligibility to apply for the extended visa type
- Not prohibited from entering Vietnam or forced to leave Vietnam
Document requirements
- A certified copy of legal documents of the guaranteeing enterprise (business license, seal certificate)
- A visa application form for visa issuance and stay extension (Form NA5)
- An original passport with a validity of 6 months and 2 blank pages
- Temporary residence confirmation (online registration or temporary residence registration certified by the police)
How to apply
A business visa can be extended via a visa agency or a sponsor in Vietnam. But to avoid the administrative procedures, applying through a visa agency is recommended to give you peace of mind and guarantee your visa extension is approved. The basic process includes 4 steps:
- Step 1: Prepare all documents
- Step 2: Submit documents to Vietnam Immigration Office
You can submit all documents at one of three Vietnam Immigration offices (Hanoi, Danang, and Ho Chi Minh City) or the Immigration Office in your residing province.
- Step 3: Pay fee and wait for the result
The fee for the business visa extension. The process takes around 5 working days since the Immigration Department receives the valid application and full payment.
- Step 4: Get the visa extension
Come back to the Immigration Office and get the visa extension as an appointment.
Processing time & fee
- Processing time: It takes 5 - 7 working days for the Immigration Department to review your extension application.
- Fee: Service fee of the visa agency (varied). Stamping fee: USD 10
Vietnam immigration office locations
Below are the addresses and contact numbers of the Immigration offices in major provinces and cities in Vietnam.
| Provinces/Cities | Address locations | Phones |
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| Hanoi |
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| Ho Chi Minh city |
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| Vung Tau City |
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| Binh Duong |
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| Can Tho |
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| Da Nang |
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| Dong Nai |
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| Hai Phong city |
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| Khanh Hoa/Nha Trang |
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| Hue City |
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Office hours
Business hours are from Monday to Friday and Saturday (Morning):
- Morning: 08:00-11:30
- Afternoon: 13:30- 16:00
Questions and Answers (09)
I applied for an visa and approved 1 day short of my flight. No response from evisa and only 10 days. How can I extend it or do I apply for new evisa. It's very frustrating! My trip is not till Dec 30
@Alysa Nguyen, there’s no issue with leaving one day after the date on the visa. However, we still recommend you to apply for a new evisa with a longer validity (30 days), even if your trip is only 10 days.
We are currently in HoiAn our e visa arrived 1 day short of the date asked. We tried to have this changed before we left Perth ,no reply on evisa support , no response on evisa help line phone numbers. Our plane tickets are for 30/10/2024 out of Saigon but hubby,s visa runs out on the 29th. Consulate in Perth WA would not talk to us, so no help there .we leave HoiAn on the 27/10/24 so can’t send passports off . Any help would be greatly appreciated
Frequently asked questions
1. How long can I extend my tourist visa?
A tourist visa allows foreign travelers to stay in Vietnam for 1 month (30 days) per entry and can be extended for 15 or 30 days.
2. When should I extend my visa?
The process may take 5 - 8 working days except for the holiday, so you should extend the visa at least 1 week prior to the expiration date to avoid the overstay visa penalty.
3. I enter Vietnam with a business visa for a 3 month multiple entry, can I extend it for only 1 more month?
Yes. For a 3-month visa, you can either extend for 1 or 3 more months. However, if you hold a 1-month visa, you cannot extend it for 3 more months.
4. Can I extend my e-visa?
No. E-visa cannot be extended. You can apply for a new visa via an inviting/guaranteeing agency, organization, or individual in Vietnam.
5. Can I apply for an extension before I enter Vietnam?
No. Visa extension is only available once you are already in Vietnam only.
Contact sales if you have additional questions.
Contact support if you already submitted your visa application on our website.
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