Applying for Vietnam visa on arrival (or approval letter) for foreign experts to enter Vietnam during the Covid-19 pandemic is extremely complicated, as there are many different steps and documents to be prepared and different competent authorities to be contacted: People’s Committee, Department of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs, Department of Health, quarantine facilities, Immigration Department, etc. Each step makes the sponsoring businesses nervous and worried; any carelessness may result in economic losses and legal liability as in some cases recently reported in the news.
How to effectively apply for entry visas for foreign experts is the concern of many people. The article is a very useful guide, helping businesses properly complying with the entry visa application process for foreign experts while avoiding any unnecessary mistakes which may adversely affect the entire process of sponsoring, applying for entry visas for foreign experts to work in Vietnam.
WHAT TO KNOW WHEN APPLYING FOR AN ENTRY VISA TO VIETNAM?
Applying for an entry visa requires a guarantee from the sponsoring business
For foreign experts who plans to work in Vietnam during the Covid-19 pandemic, it requires a guarantee granted by a business, agency or organization in Vietnam. That is to say, businesses, agencies and organizations in Vietnam that wish foreigners to come and work must execute an official document stating their need for foreign experts, together with a detailed list to be sent to the Department of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs – The Provincial/City People’s Committee for consideration and approval if all the conditions for entry to Vietnam are met.
Foreigners who fail to get a guarantee from businesses, agencies or organizations will not be allowed to apply for an entry visa to Vietnam during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Who can apply for a visa to Vietnam?
Before the Covid-19 pandemic broke out, Vietnam was open to many different types of entries. But when it broke out, the Government of Vietnam only approved the following entries:
1. Investors
2. Technical experts
3. Highly-skilled labor
4. Business managers
In Ho Chi Minh City, apart from the above 4 types of entries, there are also college students – students and family members of the 4 above types of entries allowed to enter Vietnam (according to Notice No. 4256/SLĐTBXH-VLATLĐ dated February 5, 2021).
However, currently ONLY investors, foreign experts, and business managers can easily apply for entry visas to Vietnam.
Application for entry visas to Vietnam is required to comply with the Covid -19 test
Foreigners applying for a visa to enter Vietnam are required to comply with the regulations on designated quarantine for at least 14 days in accordance with the regulations of the Ministry of Health of Vietnam. Cases of illegal entry, self-medical isolation when detected, or infection in the community will be sanctioned and prosecuted in accordance with the applicable laws.
Businesses applying for entry visas to Vietnam assume specific responsibilities
Businesses, institutions and organizations sponsoring foreigners to work during the Covid-19 pandemic are required to take certain legal responsibilities (toward competent authorities), financial responsibilities (accommodation expenses used as quarantine facilities, Covid-19 tests, etc.). Therefore, this strict regulation will make many businesses struggle to apply for a visa for foreign experts to enter Vietnam according to regulations.
The process of applying for entry visas for foreign experts should be complied with
It is not easy to apply for an entry visa for foreign experts to work in Vietnam when the Covid-19 pandemic breaks out around the world, because businesses/agencies/organizations sponsoring foreigners to work need to proactively study the process, make reports, give explanations in accordance with the regulations, follow all the steps and order to apply for the approval letter for foreign experts to enter Vietnam; besides, they should reached a clear agreement and be clear about compliance with quarantine regulations for foreigners to ensure safety of their own and for the community. Failure to comply with the process can cause any possible delay and incur costs for the businesses, agencies and organizations.
PROCESS OF APPLICATION FOR ENTRY VISAS TO VIETNAM
– Step 1: Applying for the Approval letter from the People’s Committee – Department of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs (PNVT will support this step – See the sample Result document attached herewith)
Businesses are required to send an application for entry of foreign experts to work in Vietnam to the Department of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs.
Here, the Department will check, sum up and send the application documents to the People’s Committee of Ho Chi Minh City for their authorization. This document shall be issued by the People’s Committee, requesting the Immigration Department of Ho Chi Minh City to consider and settle the procedures for application for entry visas of foreign experts to Vietnam.
Required documents in step 1 for applying for an entry visa for foreign experts include:
1) A copy of the business registration certificate certified by a Ward People’s Committee
2) A copy of the passport
3) A letter of reference (with form provided by PNVT)
4) Sample letter of commitment from the Department of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs (provided by PNVT)
5) List of proposed foreign workers to enter Ho Chi Minh City (with form provided by PNVT).
Download form in step 1 – applying for an entry visa to Vietnam for foreign experts
>>>Sample approval letter and list of expats expected to enter Vietnam
>>>Required expected list of expats desiring to enter into HCMC airport
– Step 2: Applying for the letter on arrival from the Immigration Department – (supported by PNVT – See the sample Result document attached)
After receiving the approval letter issued by the People’s Committee, businesses, agencies and organizations are required to send necessary documents to the Immigration Division – Vietnam Immigration Department to apply for the letter on arrival, allowing foreigners to enter Vietnam:
The application for the letter on arrival for foreign experts includes:
(also known as documents required for the visa approval letter by the Immigration Department)
1) Work schedule (with form provided by PNVT)
2) Barcode NA2 sample (with form provided by PNVT)
3) NA16 form (form provided by PNVT)
4) The letter of the People’s Committee approving the entry to Vietnam (approval).
5) Booking flight tickets and hotels
There are hotels that are approved for quarantine plans such as: Holiday Inn, IBIS Saigon Airport, Bat Dat, Des Arts Saigon, Le Meridien Saigon, IBIS Saigon, De Nhat and Norfolk, etc. See the list of accommodation to be used as quarantine facilities for applications for entry visas to Vietnam here.
(The letter on arrival to Vietnam issued by the Immigration Department)
– Step 3: Submitting the quarantine plan to the Department of Health (assisted by PNVT)
After completing step 1 and step 2 to apply for an entry visa for foreign experts to Vietnam, you are required to file all of the following documents to the Ho Chi Minh Preventive Medicine Center (Ho Chi Minh City Department of Health).
Documents on quarantine plans filed to the Department of Health
1) Quarantine plan – confirmation of booking, hotel reservation (form provided by PNVT)
2) Approval letter of the People’s Committee (approval)
3) Letter on arrival of the Immigration Department (approval)
* Note: Experts working in 7 provinces: Tay Ninh, Binh Duong, Binh Phuoc, Ba Ria – Vung Tau, Dong Nai, Long An, Tien Giang will not be allowed to be quarantined in Ho Chi Minh City. If the other provinces and cities want to be quarantined in Ho Chi Minh City, the People’s Committee of such province or city must send a written request to the People’s Committee of Ho Chi Minh City for their quarantine support. Find out more information about applying for Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee for quarantine support. See further details on the application for Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee for quarantine support.
DIFFICULTIES IN APPLYING FOR AN ENTRY VISA TO VIETNAM
✓ Businesses/agencies, organizations (with legal status – business registration license) get confused by complicated procedures, filling out a bunch of documents, which takes a lot of time to follow the process of applying for a visa to enter Vietnam according to regulations.
✓ Making many amendments to documents and records at the request of competent authorities;
✓ Lack of experience or having no idea how to prepare an explanatory statement for application for the approval letter to the Department of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs – People’s Committee
✓ Having difficulty in contacting the People’s Committee, Department of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs, Immigration Department, Department of Health, and quarantine facilities;
✓ It is time-consuming to travel, study the relevant laws and procedures, experience possible delays, pay additional costs;
✓ You don’t know how to get the application form for an entry visa to Vietnam to be approved;
✓ You don’t know what the current immigration procedure is, as the regulations constantly change (from time to time);
✓ You don’t know where to start as each case has a different requirement for application for an entry visa to Vietnam;
✓ The percentage of rejected applications for entry visas for foreign experts is quite high.
Thus, instead of preparing your own documents and implementing the procedures to apply for an entry visa to Vietnam, you should ask for an entry visa service for foreign experts to Vietnam to be assured of efficiency.
BENEFITS FROM THE SERVICE OF APPLICATION FOR ENTRY VISAS TO VIETNAM RENDERED BY PNVT
As a business bridge for more than 13 years – PNVT – a reputable professional service company in Vietnam specialized in consulting and assisting in handling administrative procedures of foreign nature, etc. In the new situation of the long-lasting Covid-19 pandemic, PNVT has always been standing side by side with businesses and foreigners in applying for entry visas for foreign experts to enter Vietnam. We are ready to give free advice and support:
– Processing a full package of procedures to apply for a visa to enter Vietnam in about 3-5 weeks (depending on each case), including:
+ Obtaining the approval letter which allows foreign experts to enter Vietnam (Official Letter of the People’s Committee).
+ Applying for Letter on arrival for foreign experts (Official Letter of the Immigration Department).
+ Assisting in submission of quarantine plans to the Department of Health – CDC.
+ Giving advice on sterilization and immigration procedures at the border for foreign experts.
+ Assisting in vehicles and health professionals to pick up foreign experts from the border gate to the quarantine facilities (hotel/resort).
+ Assisting in contacting for quarantine facility reservations to ensure meeting the requirements of the Ministry of Health (the hotel meets requirements on diet, drinks, accommodation (isolated room with 30 square meter wide windows), free Wi-Fi in the hotel premises and medical services are monitored daily during the quarantine period, Covid-19 tested twice, with a certificate of 14-day quarantine completion issued by the Department of Health).
– Consulting, supporting procedures for applying for work permits, long-term temporary residence cards, renewing Vietnam visas for experts and family members of foreigners entering Vietnam.
Please contact Phu Ngoc Viet Translation Company Limited (abbreviated as PNVT):
– Address: 217/2A1 Xo Viet Nghe Tinh, Ward 17, Binh Thanh District, HCMC, Vietnam
– Email: pnvtvn@gmail.com- Phone: 028 3514 7944
– Office is open (Monday through Friday)
+ Morning: 8:00 – 12:00
+ Afternoon: 13:15-17:15
REPRESENTATIONS
With a team of professional experts with extensive experience, we REPRESENTS:
– Brief consultation, completing the process of applying for visas to Vietnam from A to Z.
– Regularly updating the status of document processing and procedures.
– Agreed service fee (NO ADDITIONAL COSTS).
– Supporting and provide guidance in filling out the application form for entry visas for foreign experts entering Vietnam.
– FAST handling of documents since our experts have MANY years of experience in this service.
– Handling any problems.
– Furnishing all the necessary information on applying for a visa to enter Vietnam and the entire process before boarding the plane, after getting off the plane, a quarantine plan, preparing documents to work and reside legally in Vietnam;
– Closely following the process of applying for a visa to enter Vietnam at all times.
– Offering delivery service with respect to the application results to your doorsteps at your request.
PNVT’s service of applying for entry approval letters and surprising additional benefits
PNVT has expanded the service items and scope for our customers, specifically:
1. Certified translation of documents
2. Applying for entry approval letters to Vietnam
3. Applying for work permits in full package
4. Consular legalization of documents
5. Applying for temporary residence cards
6. Vietnam visa extension
7. Driver’s license change
8. Visa exemption certificate
9. Fast passport consulting service
10. VIP pick-up service at Tan Son Nhat Airport, etc.
It’s not an easy job to apply for an entry visa; besides, not everyone can conveniently obtain the approval letters from the People’s Committee, the Immigration Department; therefore, using service of applying for the approval letter for entries to Vietnam is considered the most economic and wise solution. There have been quite a few of cases of negligence and lack of experience that resulted in suspension or interruption of the process without knowing how to solve the problem. Therefore, as an expert in this field, you are advised to ask for PNVT’s advice and support. To apply for an entry visa to Vietnam, PNVT shall give you all the advice that you need without keeping anything from you. Call PNVT, we’re ready to give you any support at any time, 24/7.
