On November 8, the Immigration Department (A08) - Ministry of Public Security, organized a direct dialogue on handling administrative procedures in the field of immigration.
According to the leader of A08, in 2024, the unit will continue to coordinate with relevant parties to deploy 36/38 online public services on the Ministry of Public Security's Public Service Portal; Public services for issuing ordinary passports to citizens will reach 97% of the total number of applications; Public services for issuing electronic visas to foreigners will reach over 100%.
Representatives of some businesses pointed out the current situation of electronic visa (e-visa) issuance in Vietnam and asked A08 to provide notes so that citizens can be quickly processed when applying for a visa.
In response to the request from representatives of some businesses to note when issuing electronic visas (e-visas) so that citizens can be processed quickly, the representative of A08 said that from August 15, 2023, the e-visa duration has been increased to 90 days, creating favorable conditions for foreign citizens to enter Vietnam.
Recently, many foreign citizens often access the non-"official" website of A08, so they cannot get e-visas. Moreover, many people access the correct address but declare incorrect or missing information, causing the application to be returned for supplement. That is why the time to get e-visas is extended.
A08 recommends that citizens should carefully study the e-visa information page and when filling out the application form, they should be accurate and complete according to the instructions to avoid incorrect declarations that may result in the application being returned. E-visa applicants must also carefully study the legal regulations on entry, transit, and residence in Vietnam and especially must operate in accordance with the entry requirements.
Speaking more about e-visas, Colonel Nguyen Ba Tuan - Deputy Director of Department A08, said that currently there is only one website to issue e-visas, evisa.xuatnhapcanh.gov.vn, but every day it has to review more than 15,000 e-visa applications.
"From November 11, 2024, we will officially operate the website with the domain name thithucdientu.gov.vn. These two websites will operate at the same time to make it more convenient for citizens to apply for e-visas," said Colonel Nguyen Ba Tuan.
The leader also added that with the upcoming portal, the new interface will be upgraded, improved a lot and will have a section to answer frequently asked questions, in both English and Vietnamese.
A08 leaders affirmed that Vietnam is paying attention to policies related to foreigners and has reformed them to further stimulate tourists to Vietnam. Up to now, foreigners have returned to Vietnam as much as before the COVID-19 pandemic.
This year, Vietnam tourism has the conditions to achieve the target of welcoming 17-18 million international visitors. To do this, A08 has applied many "open policies and streamlined procedures".
"The time limit for issuing e-visas for foreigners entering Vietnam is no more than 3 working days if received at the border gate and no more than 5 days if received at representative agencies abroad," said A08 representative.
Currently, 100% of travel agencies also submit their applications on public services. Most applications are processed ahead of schedule or on the same day.
A08 is ready to report to the leaders of the Ministry of Public Security to quickly issue visas to travel companies to participate in stimulating tourism.
