Vietnamese win visa concessions

28 Jul 2014  2037 | World Travel News

South Korea will fast track visa applications for Vietnamese tourists reducing the approval period from a week to around three days.
New visa rules were announced by the Korea Tourism Organisation and the General Consulate of Republic of Korea in Ho Chi Minh City 11 July.
The new rules reduce requirements on applications for group visas and multiple-entry visas.
But there are still considerable restrictions imposed although the focus is on making it easier for Vietnamese to visit South Korea if they can show they have the financial means and job security at home.
Groups of more than five people employed at one of 500 identified Vietnamese companies (listed at www.vnr500.com.vn) can now travel to Korea on easier rules for so-called incentive tours.
Group visa will also be available for executives working for companies with an annual turnover of more than USD5 million; and groups of high school students, or high school teachers who wish to visit Korea for tourism and study purposes.
It will still take three days to approve a visa although the cost has been reduced from USD20 to USD15 per person.
The catch is that tour group applications will only be approved of they have been processed through 14 Vietnamese travel companies authorised by the Korean General Consulate in Ho Chi Minh City. The group also has to travel together on the same flights.
Vietnam, the Philippines and Indonesia are the only Southeas Asian countries eligible for these group visas, according to Consul Yoo Seoung O of the Korea General Consulate in HCMC.
Also under the new relaxed rules, Vietnamese who have visited Korea at least once are eligible for one-year, multiple-entry tourist visas, which allow them to remain in Korea for 30 days at a time.
Those who have visited South Korea twice are eligible for three-year multiple-entry visas and past holders of three-year, multiple-entry visa can now obtain a five-year visa.
Multiple-entry visas will also be granted to tour guides who have entered Korea more than once in the last two years and those who earn more than USD8,000 a year.
According to South Korea Tourism Organisation’s Hanoi Office, South Korea welcomed 57,275 Vietnamese visitors in the first five months of 2014, a 29% increase compared with the same period last year.
South Korea welcomed 3,012 Vietnamese travellers on incentive tours organised by select travel companies between January and June increasing 132% year on year. The number of Vietnamese visitors has increased from 76,537 in 2010 to 92,810 in 2011, 106,360 in 2012, and 114,357 in 2013.
South Korea expects to welcome more than 140,000 Vietnamese tourists by year end.

Sourced: ttrweekly

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