stimpy

I have a 3 hour layover at SGN and as I understand it, I can enter visa-free for less than 24 hours with an onward ticket. So I wonder if I can store my carry on bags at the airport and go wander around a bit.

Anyone have any experience with this? It's been a few years since I was last there and I can't recall if there is anything within walking distance?

luckylex

Hi,

Sorry I don't remember the situation about luggage storage in SGN, but I'm curious about your statement "as I understand it, I can enter visa-free for less than 24 hours with an onward ticket".

I've been in Vietnam for a while and never heard about such a 24h visa exemption. Do you have a reference? Or are you from a nationality that can enter 14 days without a visa?

aulrik

As far as I remember you are not allowed to leave the airport if using the 24 hour transit visa exemption. Anyway; With a stopover of only 3 hours there is not much time left after your have gone through immigration, checked-in for your next flight and back through immigration again, so I wouldn't have bothered with going outside the airport.

stimpy

I don't know if the 24 hour exception allows you to leave the airport. I guess I'll find out. I shouldn't need to check in though. I'm flying SIN-SGN-BKK on VN so I expect to get both BP's at SIN check in. So I ought to have roughly 2 hours to goof off.

stimpy

From a post in the ST RTW thread...

[Visa Information - Transit] Viet Nam (VN)

[Information For Normal Passports]
TWOV (Transit Without Visa):
Visa required, except for Holders of confirmed onward tickets
for a max. transit [[TIRULES/R32]] time of 24 hours.
Visa Issuance:
- Holders of a letter issued by the Vietnamese Immigration
Department confirming that a visa is ready for collection,
can obtain a transit visa on arrival provided arriving on
Vietnam Airlines (VN). Fee: USD 25.-.
Additional Information:
- International transit passengers through Viet Nam are
permitted to stay overnight in the transit lounge. However,
there are limited airport facilities available to the
passenger.
Warning:
- Visa exempt visitors not holding return/onward tickets could
be refused entry.

26 Feb 2012 / 05:37 [UTC]

luckylex

Mmmm... It looks more like normal transit rules where you can't leave the airport. Anyway, as mentioned in another thread, 3h of transit is not much. Going downtown, there would not be enough time left to do much.

The few activities that come to my mind near the airport:
- the CT Plaza shopping mall in front of the airport, with food, shops and movie theater
- the Superbowl shopping and bowling center on the street to the airport (Truong Son)
- an hotel spa in Parkroyal or Movenpick, which are near the airport
- if in the evening, eating dog meat in the many dog meat shops around the airport They also have "normal" food in the street next to the airport