VietNam entry scam
Feb 20, 2024, 10:42 am
#61
Join Date: Jun 2005
Programs: EVA Air , * G, QR Privilege Club S
Posts: 5,567
Agreed, the thought that this is some huge concocted scam is just plain nonsensical. On my last flight into SGN at boarding there were 2 people with evisas that had incorrect information on them that was put in by them and they were being boarded with the eating that they would need to rectify it in SGN.
Are officers in SGN taking advantage of people mistakes in their visas? Absolutely?
is it wrong? Absolutely.
Is it hurting their tourism? Without a doubt.
But it all comes back to people being completely thorough with their visas before coming to avoid this happening.
The amounts of money you say they are asking for is insane, sometimes it takes some very heated bargaining to get them to a fraction of what they're asking for, but unfortunately they know people will pay.
This is the one thing I despise the most about my wife's home country.
Are officers in SGN taking advantage of people mistakes in their visas? Absolutely?
is it wrong? Absolutely.
Is it hurting their tourism? Without a doubt.
But it all comes back to people being completely thorough with their visas before coming to avoid this happening.
The amounts of money you say they are asking for is insane, sometimes it takes some very heated bargaining to get them to a fraction of what they're asking for, but unfortunately they know people will pay.
This is the one thing I despise the most about my wife's home country.
It is always prudent to check the details in the visa as you say and then double check it and apply again if the details are wrong.
I am sure that what they are doing is not legal and not sure if the Vietnam Government knows about these things. It happened to me a while back in Thailand on the fast track and saw a few weeks later the government had discovered a network of these scams and sacked them. Even in the Philippines, The Chinese Visa scam was busted.
Feb 26, 2024, 4:40 pm
#62
Join Date: Jul 2022
Posts: 195
for what it's worth, i've only ever heard of scams happening at SGN, despecially SGN departures, not HAN or DNG.
I kid you not, departure passport control at SGN unironically has long lines because some of the officials are negotiating (scamming) with travellers over completely fictional procedural offenses such as: not bringing the print out of your evisa, thus not being able to validate your length of stay in the country or something (never mind the fact that your passport gets stamped upon entry) or some other made-up reasons targeting vietnamese diaspora visiting the country who don't know any better to scare them and make them pay up.
most cases, if you look like the type of person to not put up a fight when being treated unfairly, unscrupulous locals may try to take advantage of you in some manner.
oh and by the way, VISA ON ARRIVAL (not an evisa) is available for most nationalities arriving by air. you pay US$25 in cash at immigration passport control and they stick a physical visa in your passport and it's single entry and valid for 30 days (maybe 90 now they've changed it)? so even if you've messed up the evisa information in some manner, $25 is the most the airport should charge you for a single entry visa. lots of people make mistake because they use a e-visa website masquerading as gov.vn when it's really a travel agency. and some websites even spoof the name of a reputable travel agency to fool people further. for example, HẢI VÂN TRAVEL is a well-known reputable VN/EN language travel agency within Vietnam but many dishonest people take their name and image to do their own travel business.
I kid you not, departure passport control at SGN unironically has long lines because some of the officials are negotiating (scamming) with travellers over completely fictional procedural offenses such as: not bringing the print out of your evisa, thus not being able to validate your length of stay in the country or something (never mind the fact that your passport gets stamped upon entry) or some other made-up reasons targeting vietnamese diaspora visiting the country who don't know any better to scare them and make them pay up.
most cases, if you look like the type of person to not put up a fight when being treated unfairly, unscrupulous locals may try to take advantage of you in some manner.
oh and by the way, VISA ON ARRIVAL (not an evisa) is available for most nationalities arriving by air. you pay US$25 in cash at immigration passport control and they stick a physical visa in your passport and it's single entry and valid for 30 days (maybe 90 now they've changed it)? so even if you've messed up the evisa information in some manner, $25 is the most the airport should charge you for a single entry visa. lots of people make mistake because they use a e-visa website masquerading as gov.vn when it's really a travel agency. and some websites even spoof the name of a reputable travel agency to fool people further. for example, HẢI VÂN TRAVEL is a well-known reputable VN/EN language travel agency within Vietnam but many dishonest people take their name and image to do their own travel business.
Feb 26, 2024, 6:40 pm
#63
Join Date: Jun 2005
Programs: EVA Air , * G, QR Privilege Club S
Posts: 5,567
for what it's worth, i've only ever heard of scams happening at SGN, despecially SGN departures, not HAN or DNG.
I kid you not, departure passport control at SGN unironically has long lines because some of the officials are negotiating (scamming) with travellers over completely fictional procedural offenses such as: not bringing the print out of your evisa, thus not being able to validate your length of stay in the country or something (never mind the fact that your passport gets stamped upon entry) or some other made-up reasons targeting vietnamese diaspora visiting the country who don't know any better to scare them and make them pay up.
most cases, if you look like the type of person to not put up a fight when being treated unfairly, unscrupulous locals may try to take advantage of you in some manner.
oh and by the way, VISA ON ARRIVAL (not an evisa) is available for most nationalities arriving by air. you pay US$25 in cash at immigration passport control and they stick a physical visa in your passport and it's single entry and valid for 30 days (maybe 90 now they've changed it)? so even if you've messed up the evisa information in some manner, $25 is the most the airport should charge you for a single entry visa. lots of people make mistake because they use a e-visa website masquerading as gov.vn when it's really a travel agency. and some websites even spoof the name of a reputable travel agency to fool people further. for example, HẢI VÂN TRAVEL is a well-known reputable VN/EN language travel agency within Vietnam but many dishonest people take their name and image to do their own travel business.
I kid you not, departure passport control at SGN unironically has long lines because some of the officials are negotiating (scamming) with travellers over completely fictional procedural offenses such as: not bringing the print out of your evisa, thus not being able to validate your length of stay in the country or something (never mind the fact that your passport gets stamped upon entry) or some other made-up reasons targeting vietnamese diaspora visiting the country who don't know any better to scare them and make them pay up.
most cases, if you look like the type of person to not put up a fight when being treated unfairly, unscrupulous locals may try to take advantage of you in some manner.
oh and by the way, VISA ON ARRIVAL (not an evisa) is available for most nationalities arriving by air. you pay US$25 in cash at immigration passport control and they stick a physical visa in your passport and it's single entry and valid for 30 days (maybe 90 now they've changed it)? so even if you've messed up the evisa information in some manner, $25 is the most the airport should charge you for a single entry visa. lots of people make mistake because they use a e-visa website masquerading as gov.vn when it's really a travel agency. and some websites even spoof the name of a reputable travel agency to fool people further. for example, HẢI VÂN TRAVEL is a well-known reputable VN/EN language travel agency within Vietnam but many dishonest people take their name and image to do their own travel business.
Mar 10, 2024, 5:09 am
#64
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 1999
Programs: FB Silver going for Gold
Posts: 21,925
Data point. Entered @ SGN yesterday and took my wife and myself less than a minute with printed e-visas. I did have to buy 1 visa as VN CXLd our inbound and booked us a day later. I moved it up a day instead but my wife's visa wasn't valid.
Mar 10, 2024, 6:48 pm
#65
Join Date: Jun 2005
Programs: EVA Air , * G, QR Privilege Club S
Posts: 5,567
Thats interesting as you had to get a new one as I had the same issue last year where my flight was cancelled and ì had to move a day early but my visa was good. What happened to your wife's visa? Was it on arrival or the airline itself that had problems with it?
Mar 11, 2024, 12:11 am
#66
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 1999
Programs: FB Silver going for Gold
Posts: 21,925
I somehow mistakenly but fortuitously had dated my visa for the new entry date while my wife's was dated for the original. Tip here is to start entry date a few days earlier than planned. The checkin agent was going through the visa very carefully at KUL.
Mar 11, 2024, 9:53 am
#67
Join Date: Jun 2005
Programs: EVA Air , * G, QR Privilege Club S
Posts: 5,567
Got it now. Yes I always add two days in advance to my actual arrival date and two days after my departure date.