Overnight Transit Visa for Vietnam?
Mar 25, 2011, 10:18 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: YVR SFO
Programs: UA G
Posts: 4,866
Overnight Transit Visa for Vietnam?
I need to overnight at SGN in order to catch UA's 5:50am SGN-HKG flight; I'm coming in on a VN flight from Cambodia the night before. My total transit time will be around 11 hours.
The tickets are on two separate PNRs, though I will try to have my bags checked all the way through to the US if I can convince VN to do it.
Do I need to apply for a visa in advance or is this something I can take care of upon arrival in SGN? I am a US Citizen.
The tickets are on two separate PNRs, though I will try to have my bags checked all the way through to the US if I can convince VN to do it.
Do I need to apply for a visa in advance or is this something I can take care of upon arrival in SGN? I am a US Citizen.
Mar 31, 2011, 7:43 pm
#2
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Dalat, Vietnam
Programs: Vietnam, Asiana, Singapore, EVA, Southwest
Posts: 934
I think you will need the visa, and you should apply online. Hundreds of travel agents in Vietnam will give you an Approval Letter which you print out from the JPEG email sent to you. You need to show this letter to VN to board in Cambodia. When you arrive in SGN, there will be a visa counter on the far left wall of the immigration area where you give one passport photo + $25. in USD for the visa. The Approval Letters are usually from $15. to $20.
You won't be able to board your VN flight without that letter!
Google "Vietnam VOA Approval Letter" to find an agent - usually takes 3 or 4 days. Check the letter for dates and a stamp from VN Immigration.
Next time fly one one airline/one ticket and you won't need a visa.
You won't be able to board your VN flight without that letter!
Google "Vietnam VOA Approval Letter" to find an agent - usually takes 3 or 4 days. Check the letter for dates and a stamp from VN Immigration.
Next time fly one one airline/one ticket and you won't need a visa.
Last edited by Daawgon; Mar 31, 2011 at 7:50 pm
Mar 31, 2011, 11:12 pm
#3
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: YVR SFO
Programs: UA G
Posts: 4,866
I think you will need the visa, and you should apply online. Hundreds of travel agents in Vietnam will give you an Approval Letter which you print out from the JPEG email sent to you. You need to show this letter to VN to board in Cambodia. When you arrive in SGN, there will be a visa counter on the far left wall of the immigration area where you give one passport photo + $25. in USD for the visa. The Approval Letters are usually from $15. to $20.
Lesson learned. I'm doing REP-SGN-HKG, with the overnight in SGN. I should have done REP-BKK-HKG or REP-(some country that doesn't require a visa)-HKG. Blah
Thanks.
Apr 1, 2011, 9:36 pm
#4
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Dalat, Vietnam
Programs: Vietnam, Asiana, Singapore, EVA, Southwest
Posts: 934
Apr 2, 2011, 1:04 am
#5
Join Date: Mar 2011
Posts: 181
Argh, fair enough. Is it possible to do a loose-leaf visa when using the approval letters? If I can save a page and a half in my passport, I will gladly pay $10 or something.
Lesson learned. I'm doing REP-SGN-HKG, with the overnight in SGN. I should have done REP-BKK-HKG or REP-(some country that doesn't require a visa)-HKG. Blah
Thanks.
Lesson learned. I'm doing REP-SGN-HKG, with the overnight in SGN. I should have done REP-BKK-HKG or REP-(some country that doesn't require a visa)-HKG. Blah
Thanks.
The one catch with loose-leaf visas according to the travel book I have is that you cannot use them for an entry or re-entry by land which, obviously, would not apply in your case.
Apr 4, 2011, 7:24 pm
#7
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: YVR SFO
Programs: UA G
Posts: 4,866
Following up on this...
I bought my VOA (visa on arrival) from myvietnamvisa.com for $20 (single entry, 1 month) and presented it to the landing visa person with a post-it note that said "I would like a loose leaf visa. Thanks" (in Vietnamese). I don't speak any Vietnamese, so I used what Google Translate gave me -- "Tôi muốn xin thị thực rời lá. Cảm ơn."
The loose leaf was the standard $25 and was stamped on the back both for entry and exit -- no stamps in my passport at all!
Other than needing a visa at all, this was the best possible outcome I could have asked for in this situation. Thank you FT!
tl;dr - Yes, you can get a loose leaf visa on arrival; just ask nicely.
I bought my VOA (visa on arrival) from myvietnamvisa.com for $20 (single entry, 1 month) and presented it to the landing visa person with a post-it note that said "I would like a loose leaf visa. Thanks" (in Vietnamese). I don't speak any Vietnamese, so I used what Google Translate gave me -- "Tôi muốn xin thị thực rời lá. Cảm ơn."
The loose leaf was the standard $25 and was stamped on the back both for entry and exit -- no stamps in my passport at all!
Other than needing a visa at all, this was the best possible outcome I could have asked for in this situation. Thank you FT!
tl;dr - Yes, you can get a loose leaf visa on arrival; just ask nicely.
Aug 16, 2011, 10:10 pm
#10
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: body: A stone's throw from SFO, mind: SE Asia
Programs: Some of this 'n some of that
Posts: 17,263
If you plan to spend the night in the airport that's kind of tricky. My guess is they close it down.
Aug 24, 2011, 5:28 pm
#11
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: YVR SFO
Programs: UA G
Posts: 4,866
There's no such thing as a transit visa; you need a regular tourist visa. You can get one on arrival, as long as you apply with one of those "visa on arrival" services. I ended up using MyVietnamVisa.com.