VISAS, ENTRY RULES, CUSTOMS REGULATIONS in Vietnam
From January 1, 2009, Russian citizens entering Vietnam for up to 15 days do not need a visa. In this case, you must have a passport with you, valid for less than 3 months from the date of entry, a return ticket, or a ticket to a third country.
Visa-free transit travel is also allowed for passengers who spend no more than 24 hours in the country and do not leave the airport (to confirm transit, it is required to present air tickets for transit flights). All other travelers require a visa. There are two options for obtaining it – upon arrival at one of the international airports in Vietnam and at the Embassy of Vietnam.
Visa on arrival can be picked up at international airports in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and Da Nang. To do this, you need to go to the “Visas upon arrival” counter, which is located in front of the passport control of the airport, and submit the following documents to the visa officer:
– a passport valid for at least 1 month from the date of expiration of the visa;
– 1 photo 4 x 6 cm (color or black and white), taken recently;
– a completed application form, which is issued on the plane or upon arrival at the “Visas upon arrival” counter.
Attention! Obtaining a visa AT THE BORDER is possible only if there is a visa support issued by the inviting party through the SRV Immigration Department indicating the specific date and place of border crossing.
To obtain a visa at the Consular Service of Vietnam, you must provide the following documents:
– visa support (permission to obtain a visa) from the Vietnamese Immigration Department, which is provided by the inviting Vietnamese side. The visa support number is reported to the employee of the Consular Section when submitting documents;
– a passport with a validity period of at least 1 (one) month from the expiration date of the visa;
– a completed application form (by hand or on a typewriter) with 1 (one) photograph sized 4 x 6 cm (color or black and white) taken recently pasted on it;
– consular fee in USD for all categories of tourists.
The term for issuing a visa in this case is 5 working days. Children under 16 years of age fit into the parents’ visa. For children under 18, a birth certificate and a certificate from the educational institution must be provided. For children traveling without parents, you will need a photocopy of a notarized parental agreement with the transfer of parental authority to a third party; traveling with one of the parents – a photocopy of a notarized agreement with the transfer of authority to the second parent.
When traveling to Vietnam, it is recommended that you carry a few additional photographs with you, as they may be required to comply with numerous formalities when traveling within the country.
Vietnam prohibits the import of drugs and narcotic medications without a medical prescription for their use (the sanctions for importing drugs are extremely high, up to the death penalty), firearms, pornography, printed matter, CDs, audio and video recordings that offend local traditions. It is forbidden to export the national currency, art and antiques, jewelry and handicrafts without proper documentation. The import of foreign convertible currency is not limited, but it is necessary to declare the amount of more than 3 thousand US dollars. It is also necessary to declare gold if its amount exceeds 300 g. Imported household and computer equipment is subject to mandatory declaration, all undeclared equipment will be allowed to be exported only if customs duties are paid or if there is a receipt for its purchase in local trade organizations. It is recommended to keep proof of all expenses incurred in the country during the stay.
Up to 400 cigarettes, 100 cigars or 500 grams are imported duty-free. tobacco, up to 2 liters of alcoholic beverages with a strength of up to 22 degrees or 1.5 liters of strong alcoholic beverages (the total volume of imported alcohol should not exceed 3 liters), up to 5 kg of tea, up to 3 kg of coffee, a reasonable amount of perfumes and perfumes, as well as others goods with a total value of no more than 5 million dong (300 US dollars).
Embassy in Vietnam
Vietnam, Embassy in Moscow
119021, Moscow, Bolshaya Pirogovskaya street, 13
Phone: 247-02-12, 246-68-07
Phone of the consular department: 246-13-83
Vietnam, Russian Embassy in the country:
191, La Thanh street, Hanoi, Vietnam
Phone: (8-10-844) 833-6991, 833-6992
Fax: (8-10-844) 833-6995
Communication in Vietnam
Telephone booths with the possibility of international communication have been installed in the cities. You can call from your hotel room, but it will be more expensive.
To call from Russia to Vietnam, dial 8 – 10 – 84 – area code – phone number.
To call from Vietnam to Russia, dial 00 – 7 – area code – phone number.
Emergency Phones in Vietnam
Police – 113
Fire Department – 114
Ambulance – 115
HOLIDAYS AND WEEKENDS
January 1st – New Year’s Day
March 8th – Women’s Day
March 26th – Youth Day
April 30th – Victory Day
May 19th – Ho Chi Minh City’s Birthday
May 1st – International Labor Day
June 1st – Children’s Day
July 27th – Memorial Day
August 19th – Revolution of 1945
September 2 – Independence Day
September 3 – Death Day of Ho Chi Minh City
November 20 – Teacher’s Day
December 22 – Defender of the Fatherland Day.
There are many holidays in Vietnam, the dates of which are determined by the lunar calendar. The most famous and important of them is Tet or Lunar New Year, in honor of which cheerful street festivals and performances are held, and the Vietnamese themselves gather with their families, dress in national costumes and cook national food. The holiday lasts a whole week, and the ceremonies begin a week earlier. The second most important holiday is the Day of Wandering Souls (Trung Nguyen), celebrated in August. On this day, gifts and food are presented to the wandering souls of the forgotten dead. These holidays are days off.
On the summer solstice in June, the Vietnamese celebrate Thit Doan Ngo, during which a ceremonial burning of human figures is held in order to satisfy the need for the souls of the army of death. In April, the Feast of the Dead (Thanh Minh) is celebrated in honor of the dead ancestors.
USEFUL THINGS
When entering a Buddhist temple, shoes must be left outside. It is necessary to leave the temples, turning to face the sacred monuments, and go around them clockwise.
SHOPS
According to thembaprograms, shops are open – from 7:30 to 11:30 or from 8:00 to 12:00, after a lunch break – from 13:00 to 17:00 or from 13:30 to 17:30 respectively. Saturday and Sunday are official days off. Vietnam is a cheap country, and shopping in it is incredibly diverse. There are a lot of joint ventures in Vietnam. For example, affiliates of Nike and Adidas sportswear factories sell their products in local markets much cheaper than in Russia.
Tipping
There are no specific rules for tipping in Vietnam. Tourists tip guides, drivers, hotel staff for good service. In restaurants, tips are 5% of the total order and are usually already included in the bill.
NATIONAL CHARACTERISTICS
The Vietnamese are very hospitable and friendly. Russian tourists are treated like dear guests.
ELECTRICITY
220V, 50Hz;
HEALTH
It is recommended to get vaccinated against yellow fever before traveling to Vietnam, although the risk of getting sick is low. Malaria prophylaxis is recommended in some areas. In large cities, you can get medical care for little money in city clinics, in private clinics or in medical offices at hotels. There are international clinics in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. Pharmacies in large cities sell medicines from all well-known pharmaceutical companies in the world.
It is recommended to take out medical insurance before the trip.
