Visa run and extension are two official ways for you to stay more in Vietnam when your visa is expired. By analyzing the advantages and disadvantages of both visa run and visa extension, this article will help you choose the best way to lengthen your staying duration in Vietnam.
Vietnam Visa run
What is Vietnam visa run?
Vietnam visa run is the journey toward another country (normally neighboring country) you take in order to remain in Vietnam where your visa is going to be expired soon.
When you do visa run, you will actually get a new Vietnam visa stamp on your passport with its new validity. By doing this way, you have to exit Vietnam to any country, then turn back around and re-enter Vietnam at border crossing or airport to get new visa.
How to get Vietnam visa run?
All things you need for doing visa run are your original passport, 02 passport photos, visa approval letter and visa stamping fee. By this way, you will be allowed to stay longer with maximum duration permission of three months.
There are two methods for you to do Vietnam visa run:
Visa run at the airport
- Obtain a visa approval letter before your visa run trip
- Exit Vietnam by getting exit stamp via any Vietnam International Airport or land border.
- When arriving at the destination you choose to do visa run, you have to go to the Immigration check-in and present all necessary documents to get the visa stamp.
- Re-enter Vietnam through the airport, you need to show your passport, visa approval letter, 2 passport-sized photos, visa application form and pay the stamping fee.
Visa run at Vietnam land border
If you want to get the visa run by land, you need to prepare some important documents including your original passport, stamping fee, 02 passport – size photos, original letter of approval and Vietnamese visa application form.
You can visit any Vietnam international border crossing which is the most convenient to you for visa run procedure. However, you should mind that getting visa run by land only allowed you to enter Vietnam through the border you applied for. Therefore, you should consider between 2 ways of making visa run.
Vietnam visa Extension
For Visa Extension, you will prolong your stay in Vietnam. It allows you to stay more in Vietnam without leaving the country before your visa expired. Three months is the maximum duration you can require for visa extension.
However, Vietnam visa extension must be applied some days before your visa expired date because the processing time may take 7 working days at Vietnam Immigration Department Office.
How to get Vietnam visa extension
There are some steps you should follow to apply for Vietnam visa extension:
- Please send your passport copy including your visa sticker and visa stamp to the email address lawyer@hongbanglawfirm.com then you will receive a confirmation if it is possible to extend the Vietnam visa.
- If your passport meet the requirement to extend visa, you are pleased to send your original passport to our office in person or by post and pay the fee for visa procedure.
- It will take 5 – 7 working days (normal service) or 3 working days (urgent service) for processing time. After visa extension procedure complete, you will be returned your passport with its new staying duration permission.
What to choose: Visa run or Extension for Vietnam?
Visa run or extension has its own benefits. Depending on the circumstances, you should choose the most suitable one. It will be extension if you cannot exit Vietnam when visa expires, or you only stay in Vietnam for 1 to 2 weeks. However, in case you want to stay in Vietnam for 1 to 2 months, it is advisable to use visa run to save your budget, especially if you travel by bus (border run).
Above is our advice on the issue. If you need more detailed advice as well as how to access this service, please contact Lawyer – Mr. Nguyen Duc Trong directly via hotline: 0912.35.65.75, 0912.35.53.53 or call Free Consultancy Center 1900.6575 or send a service request via email: info@hongbanglawfirm.com
We wish you and your family good health, peace and success!
Best regards!
Hong Bang Law Firm.
