Vietnam eases visas

HANOI  Foreigners married to Vietnamese, resident in the country or overseas, will be entitled to a visa-free privilege effective mid-November onward.
Tuoi Tre News quoted a new government decree that allows foreign wives, husbands or children of Vietnamese nationals to enter the country without a visa as of 15 November.
Overseas Vietnamese will also exempt from any visa requirements when visiting their home country. Many of them have dual nationality or residence status in a foreign country but visit their homeland frequently to visit relatives or due to business commitments.
Those who want to benefit from the visa-free policy will need to present documents to confirm their status.
inside no 1They will also be required to have a valid passport for at least one year.
The visa exemption has a maximum validity of five years but at least six months shorter than the remaining validity of the passport.
People who are eligible can apply for the visa exemption at a Vietnamese consulate, while those residing in Vietnam must apply for visa exemption at the Immigration Department.
It is expected to encourage more than 4.5 million Vietnamese who are working and living outside Vietnam to return home on holidays more frequently by easing entry procedures.
The policy will help to reverse the decline in tourist arrivals that has been evident since last year, by encouraging more overseas Vietnamese, or their families to visit the country.
For January to September, this year, the country welcomed 5,689,512 international tourists down 5.9% over the same period last year.

sourced:ttrweekly.com