On 30th June, 2016, the Government issued the Resolution No. 56/NQ-CP on visa waiver programmes for citizens coming from number of countries in Europe. The Government has decided to extend visa exemptions for citizens from the France, Germany, United Kingdom, Italy and Spain for one more year until 30th June, 2017. The visa exemption will be applied regardless of passport type or immigration purpose, as long as the travelers meet the requirements of relevant Vietnamese laws and stay in Vietnam no more than fifteen (15) days. This Resolution takes effects on 30th June, 2016.
The Government has applied the waiver for visitors from the five above-mentioned countries for one year period starting from 1st July last year. The Resolution aimed to attract and invite more European citizens to Vietnam, thereby boosting domestic tourism, and facilitating business travel and foreign investment into Vietnam.
According to the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism, from July 2015 year to May 2016, 11 months since the visa-free policy was enforced, the total number of tourists from these five European countries has increased by more than 15% compared to the previous period. In the first half of this year, Vietnam welcomed 4.7 million international tourists, a 21% increase compared to the same period last year. The number of tourists from Hong Kong, China, Thailand and South Korea, as well as the United Kingdom and Spain, has also increased significantly.
This Resolution also reflects EuroCham’s continuous advocacy activities on this matter. The visa waiver is a topic which has been extensively worked on and discussed between public and private stakeholders, particularly in the Tourism and Hospitality and the Human Resources Sector Committees.
We would like to thank concerned EuroCham members for their endeavors in that regard. The visa waiver extension is a very welcomed example of EuroCham’s contribution to a permanent and constructive dialogue with the Government of Vietnam.
Click here for the Resolution in Vietnamese here for the Resolution in English.
