61 of them have directly visited the website of the Immigration Department, Ministry of Public Security. Of them, 28 cases have been completed. The first one who received an e-visa was a UK citizen was scheduled to arrive in Vietnam on February 4th.
According to Major General Le Xuan Vien, Director of the Immigration Department, the pilot e-visa project aims to create a favorable condition for foreigners to enter Vietnam. Under the project, the Vietnam Immigration Department is supposed to finish the visa issuance process (either denying or granting an e-visa to the applicant) within 3 working days since the applicant submitted all required documents and paid visa fee (25 USD). Visa applicants do not need to go through steps such as finance proof, interview or finger printed, and they can themselves print the visas to Vietnam.
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All foreigners with either normal visa or e-visa will have to undergo the same immigration procedures on their arrival at the border. Local border forces will scrutinize visas as well as compare the information on the visas with the information provided by the Vietnam Immigration Department.
What is more, the Vietnamese Ministry of Public Security is deploying an online residence application system, which allows foreigners to register their temporary residence via designated websites. This will save time and money for foreigners who visit or/and work in the country on one hand, and will help local relevant agencies better manage foreigners’ residence in the country on the other hand.
The e-visa issuance system is seen as essential big step forward made by the Immigration Department of the Ministry of Public Security in an effort to reform its administrative procedures.
