What are Visa Extension and Visa Renewal?
Visa Extension
Extending a visa is to extend the validity of your current visa. An extension stamp will be granted to you. Furthermore, how many times you can extend the visa will be based on the type of your current visa.
Visa Renewal
Renewing the visa means a new visa sticker will be granted to you proving that you are permitted to enter Vietnam with a new period of stay.
Who can apply for Visa Extension or Visa Renewal?
Visa Extension
You are a foreigner whose visa is going to expire and you still want to continue to stay in Vietnam, you will need to extend the visa. Please note that to extend the visa you cannot exit and re-enter Vietnam.
Visa Renewal
You are required to renew your visa if you fall into one of these cases:
- You want to change the type of your visa.
- You enter Vietnam with a visa exemption certificate and if it expires, you will need to renew your visa.
- Your visa is a single entry visa that is available in 1 month or 3 months and if you exit Vietnam, you have to renew your visa to re-enter the country.
Additionally, in case of changing the type of your visa, you are required to prepare some documents. According to Law 51/2019/QH14 about entry, exit, transit, and residence of foreigners in Vietnam effective from July 1st, 2020, you need to have one of these:
- Papers to prove that you are investors or representatives of any foreign organization investing in Vietnam.
- Papers to prove your relationship of being father, mother, wife, husband, or children to the person who is your guarantor when you enter Vietnam.
- A work permit or a work permit exemption certificate according to the labor law (if you are invited by an agency/organization to work in Vietnam or enter with an E-visa).
What are the required documents of Visa Extension and Visa Renewal in Vietnam?
To extend or renew your visa, you can either apply for the Visa Extension/Renewal by yourself or ask your workplace in Vietnam to apply for the Visa Extension/Renewal on your behalf. This means you are currently working as an employee in any company in Vietnam or conducting business with an organization in the country. One more way is to look for the Visa Extension/Renewal service at Visa2Asia.
Applying for Visa Extension and Visa Renewal requires you to prepare the same documents which are the passport and the NA5 application form. You will be required to submit other relevant documents based on the type of your visa that you want to extend or renew.
For example, in case you come to Vietnam with a work visa, you will need to prepare the following documents besides your passport and the NA5 application form:
- Business license of your workplace in Vietnam.
- Your Vietnam work permit or the certificate of work permit exemption.
- The recommendation letter from your workplace in Vietnam.
- A 2×2 inches (4×6 cm) photo.
Choosing Visa2Asia is an excellent solution to help you extend/renew your visa in a fast and convenient process. What you need to do is just to submit a scan of your passport, the current visa, immigration stamp, last date of entry, the port of entry, and detail of your current accommodation. You can rest assured as the dedicated support team from Visa2Asia will complete the remaining steps for you. For more information, please drop us your messages.
Please note that your passport should still have 1-2 blank pages. Besides, it must be valid for 30 days from the new intended exit date written on Visa Extension or Renewal.
How much do Visa Extension and Visa Renewal in Vietnam cost?
Visa Extension/Renewal fee depends on types of entries which are single entry and multi-entry. If you apply for Visa Extension/Renewal at Vietnam Embassies, you will be informed about the fee at the site after filing the documents. The application fees at the embassies are not usually published on websites in advance.
Having a representative from your workplace in Vietnam to process the Visa Extension/Renewal application on your behalf is much more convenient. You will be guaranteed by your employer or partner. They will cover the application fee for you.
At Visa2Asia, we are currently having the 1-month and 3-month Visa Extension/Renewal services. The fees are very affordable. For full details about our service fees, please check out our page or contact us directly.
How to renew or extend a visa in Vietnam?
The procedures of visa extension and visa renewal are not much different from each other.
Follow the steps below to apply for a visa extension/renewal yourself:
Step 1: Prepare your valid passport and the visa renewal/extension application NA5 form.
Step 2: Submit the above documents to the Vietnam Immigration Department. Here are the following addresses of the Vietnam Immigration Department:
- Ha Noi: 44-46 Tran Phu, Ba Dinh District, Hanoi
- Da Nang: 7 Tran Quy Cap, Da Nang
- Ho Chi Minh: 254 Nguyen Trai, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City
If you are one of those who are guaranteed by any company or organization in Vietnam to come to the country to work as an employee or as a business partner, a representative of the company/organization will be appointed to help you with your visa extension/renewal application.
Step 3: Wait for the result in about 8 days or 3 days upon your urgent request.
What will happen when you overstay your visa?
The Visa Extension/ Renewal application should be filed before the visa expiration date. If you miss your chance to extend or renew your visa, you will be charged an amount of money. This is a fine for violating section 17 of Law 167/2013/NĐ-CP, the regulations on entry, exit, transit, stay, and traveling for foreigners in Vietnam.
According to the Law, you will have to pay a fine from 500,000.00VND (22 dollars) to 2,000,000.00VND (87 dollars) if your visa has already expired for 15 days. This also means that your temporary residence in Vietnam is invalid, which is one of the prescribed violation cases. More importantly, if you let your visa expire for more than 16 days, you can be charged heavily. The fine of this case is from 3,000,000.00VND (130 dollars) to 5,000,000.00VND (217 dollars).
It is very important to remember to extend or renew your visa ahead of time because your passport or relevant documents will be confiscated if your visa has expired for more than 16 days.
Nevertheless, you can face being forced to exit Vietnam if you have an incorporated attitude. This means you try to ignore the announcements from Vietnam authorities or violate the regulations to a great extent.
Reminder on “Automatic Stay Extension”
According to the Vietnam Immigration Department, international citizens who entered Vietnam with e-visas, tourist visas, or visa waivers from March 1st, 2020 are eligible for automatic stay extension until March 31st, 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
As for foreigners who arrived in Vietnam before March 1st, 2020, they can be considered for automatic stay extension until March 31st, 2021 under one condition. They are required to have a diplomatic note (with Vietnamese translation) from relevant diplomatic missions, or a written document from official Vietnam authorities confirming that they have to undergo a compulsory quarantine or treatment for COVID-19.
Note: During the automatic stay extension period, international citizens are obligated to complete the temporary residence and health declaration.
Before you land in Vietnam, choose Visa On Arrival
Rather than applying for a visa conventionally, there is a way to help you get your Vietnam visa quickly and avoid all the hassles when you enter the country. It is called a visa on arrival.
Visa on arrival (VOA) is an alternative way to achieve a Vietnam visa but much more simple and convenient compared to the traditional visa application method. All you need to do is to prepare the required documents, submit them online, make payment, and receive the Vietnam visa on arrival approval letter through email. Once you get your letter of approval, bring it to the airport check-in counter and get your Vietnam visa stamped on your passport. Piece a cake.
Visa2Asia is proud to provide you the finest Vietnam visa on arrival services to help ensure your trip to Vietnam is as smooth and comfortable as possible. For further information and guidance, contact us now!
FAQs
How many times can I extend my Vietnam visa?
Answer: You can extend your visa in Vietnam 2 times maximum.
What is the maximum validity period for a Vietnam visa extension?
Answer: Usually, the new validity you can apply for visa extension is based on the type of entry of your visa. The maximum validity period for a single-entry or multiple-entry visa extension is 3 months.
What should I do when my visa is expired?
Answer: If your visa has expired and you are still in Vietnam, you need to contact the Immigration Department for assistance or contact a reliable travel agency to receive guidance on visa extension/renewal.
Are there any special requirements regarding my passport for a visa extension/renewal?
Answer: There is no special requirement on the passport for visa extension/renewal. The only condition is your passport must be valid for at least 6 months from the date of application with 1 to 2 blank pages left.
How can I change my visa validity period while it is not expired yet?
Answer: You also should apply for visa renewal when you want to change your visa validity. For example, changing your 1-month visa into a 3-month visa will require you to renew it even if it hasn’t expired yet.
What should I do if I want to change my visa type?
Answer: If you want to change the type of your visa, you must renew your visa to be eligible for switching to a different visa type.
What if I want to change my visa from single-entry to multiple-entry?
Answer: You have to renew your visa If you want to change your visa from a single entry to a multiple-entry visa.
What to do if I want to renew my visa but my passport is lost?
Answer: In case you lose your passport, immediately get to a local ward police office to fill the Passport Lost Report to receive confirmation of losing your passport. Then, contact your country’s Embassy/Consulate in Vietnam to renew your visa. The renewal process may take several weeks.
Can I extend my 15 day Vietnam visa?
Answer: You are allowed to extend your 15 day Vietnam visa exemption for another 15 days or 30 days.
Can I extend my tourist visa in Vietnam?
Answer: You can extend your tourist visa in Vietnam for a maximum period of 3 months maximum depending on your request.
How much does it cost to extend a Vietnam visa?
Answer: The extension fee varies depending on your desire period of extension. Below are the fees of Vietnam tourist visa and business visa extension
| Visa type | Tourist visa | Business visa |
| 1-month extension | $140 | $100 |
| 3-month extension | $350 | $160 |
