Citizens of the above mentioned countries are allowed to enter Vietnam visa-free if the duration of their stay does not exceed 15 days. For longer stays, they need to apply for a tourist visa on general grounds.
The visa exemption for these countries was introduced in 2015 and would have expired at the end of this year.
The policy of visa exemption is aimed at encouraging more tourists from these countries to visit Vietnam. South Korea and Japan remain two of the major tourist source markets for Vietnam hence relaxation of visa rules is a welcome move. South Korea comes second while Japan is the third largest tourist source market for Vietnam after China.
In 2018, the number of South Korean visitors to Vietnam grew by 44 percent reaching almost 3.5 million. The number of Japanese visitors also grew slightly by 3.6 percent to 800,000.
Visitors from other countries from the list, while fewer in numbers, also show a positive growth.
The General Statistics Office reports that during the first 11 months of 2019 the country welcomed 16.3 million overseas visitors, a 15.4 percent increase on year-on-year bases.
Visa Waiver Extended for Nationals of 8 Countries – Vietnam
News in Asia
According to the announcement of Vietnam National Administration of Tourism, Vietnam extended visa waivers for citizens of eight countries including Russia, Japan, South Korea, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland and Belarus until December 31, 2022.