Business visa denied due to "violating laws of Vietnam" - Blacklisted?

There’s another guy I know that has paid $8000 in total.   He initially paid $3000 to an agent in Phnom Penh after he got punted from here. They gave him a visa letter, by the time the bus reached Moc Bai later that day....the border staff wanted another $3000.    WTF.

Then when that  Visa came up for renewal.....they hit him again,

His story is  on the forum as well. 

It’s a game.    It’s not about innocence or guilt , it’s about what they can graft from prospective candidates.

You’ll rarely  see them try this on a backpacker , or short term stayers. 

However, if you’ve got something here you NEED,,,,then your vulnerable.

Ontheroad57 wrote:

I’d like to say this is unbelievable, but it’s the reality .

I’ve been here 8+ years, kept my nose clean, keep to myself, not a drinker, don’t touch drugs, don’t chase taxi girls & am financially independent.   

I used a Online  VOA company well promoted on the web & also recommended by Australian tour companies & media as reputable service.    Paid all up $485 USD.   I’ve been using this company for at least 6/7 years [at] 3 mth intervals, and never a problem.

Since these were a new vIsa type I made enquiries to more than one Agent and got the same answers...ie,  NO paperwork ,  NO  work permit, NO business etc etc.....  I kept copies of the written application that Immigration receive at the airport & the online applications which clearly stated VACATION purposes as for use.

They have now advised me to leave VIETNAM for say 6 to 12 mths and re apply for tourist visa only.   Another well known agent in Saigon told me those business Visa have only caused her trouble.   

After asking around,,I was referred to an agent that supposedly can fix this.   Gave her those document copies.    May as well handed her a dead rat.    Nobody is interested in your legit Argument.

So....I’ve been putting the word on the street....” I’ve been punted, can’t get a visa”.     Well well well.........I’m being inundated with calls from people willing to solve my problem for $$$$.   One guy has promised to give the money back if I get dudded again.    They all claim to have an “inside guy” at immigration.     It’s become a feeding frenzy for a share of my bribe money.

Here’s the thing....I don’t NEED to be here.  I like living here, but not under those circumstances.   

I’ll,keep you,posted

Thanks for your reply.

Are you saying that you applied for a BUSINESS visa but listed the purpose of your visit as VACATION?

Sad to hear the troubles.

Hoping you get it all resolved in your favor, sooner rather than later.

jana611 wrote:

... I do not post comments from the side of my neck.

This is tangential but I am curious about this turn of phrase.  I have never heard it.  I was wondering if it is a translation of a Thai colloquial expression.

That’s correct....I was told they could be used for Tourist purposes , with the option of seeking business opportunities.

That’s why I kept copies , screenshots & emails of my enquiries.   I done my due diligence.....if that actually has some purpose in vIetnam. 😆

It’s certainly no cheaper..  I travel out every 3 mths anyway ,,and really only can fit 3 VOAs into a calender year. .....$120   Versus $480.   The flexibility of multi entry for 12 mths was the seller.

I heard the rumblings ages ago about this last year....so I applied for a tourist VOA for after the DN expiry well in advance ,,and luckily got it.

Later, after more scary stories about these DNs , I thought I’d test the water and amend the VOA arrival date by submitting a fresh application. ( the only way you can do it).   Wacko....denied,,,,,no reason.

So...I contacted the agents ,,they said the initial VOA is good to go.....even though at that point I was apparently on some “ blacklist”. 

Then upon leaving VN for a break, I nervously exited Immigration & asked the guy if anything odd was on his screen.  No...I’m clean.
Same on the way back....nervously put in the VOA letter at the counter & got the sticker..  Again I asked them if anything sinister was on my record.    Nothing....alls good.    That was 4 WEEKS ago.   

Now,,as usual I leave every 3 mths on visa run......apply for,the next VOA for late January....and I’m denied.   What happened in that 4 weeks I asked them.    No reply......just advised me to see an “agent”.....or should I say the “bagmen”. 🤓

And now I’ve got more new friends than I’ve ever had...all wanting to help.

Yes, always lots of offers for help!

Ontheroad57 wrote:

That’s correct....I was told they could be used for Tourist purposes , with the option of seeking business opportunities.

That’s why I kept copies , screenshots & emails of my enquiries.   I done my due diligence.....if that actually has some purpose in vIetnam. 😆

It’s certainly no cheaper..  I travel out every 3 mths anyway ,,and really only can fit 3 VOAs into a calender year. .....$120   Versus $480.   The flexibility of multi entry for 12 mths was the seller.

I heard the rumblings ages ago about this last year....so I applied for a tourist VOA for after the DN expiry well in advance ,,and luckily got it.

Later, after more scary stories about these DNs , I thought I’d test the water and amend the VOA arrival date by submitting a fresh application. ( the only way you can do it).   Wacko....denied,,,,,no reason.

So...I contacted the agents ,,they said the initial VOA is good to go.....even though at that point I was apparently on some “ blacklist”.

Then upon leaving VN for a break, I nervously exited Immigration & asked the guy if anything odd was on his screen.  No...I’m clean.
Same on the way back....nervously put in the VOA letter at the counter & got the sticker..  Again I asked them if anything sinister was on my record.    Nothing....alls good.    That was 4 WEEKS ago.   

Now,,as usual I leave every 3 mths on visa run......apply for,the next VOA for late January....and I’m denied.   What happened in that 4 weeks I asked them.    No reply......just advised me to see an “agent”.....or should I say the “bagmen”. 🤓

And now I’ve got more new friends than I’ve ever had...all wanting to help.

The listing of purpose of visit as tourism on a business visa application might be part of the problem.

I hear you about help coming out of the woodwork.

Is your agency in the south?

So far I haven't heard about anyone having problems with agents in Hanoi.

My agent in Hanoi, a large office of about 12 people, doesn't seem to have any problems or people complaining about it.

If you want to send me a private message, I can connect you with my agent there.

Not so much to get you a Visa but I'm pretty sure she will be willing to check and see if you are really on a Blacklist.

My personal theory is that some of this is political in nature, and agents in the South who don't want to play ball with centralized immigration in Hanoi are finding themselves pushed out of business.

Just one of my many mad crazy conspiracy theories...

OceanBeach92107 wrote:

Ontheroad57 wrote:

Regardless , I still regularly travelled in & out of Vietnam during that time, so treating it as purely a long term stay permit wasn’t the intention.   The agents said it’s best for my circumstances , ie multiple entry  convenience & the option of seeking business opportunities.

That's always been the key phrase quoted to me as well: "the option of seeking business opportunities.".

However, I have been cautioned to be VERY low key in that regard.

How aggressively did you pursue any business opportunities here?

Did you actually sign any contracts or exchange money for any business enterprise?

What sort of business opportunities were you seeking, specifically?

Were your trips in and out of Vietnam related to business in any way?

I know you are not trying to find fault but want to uncover the circumstances, but do I read correctly that you are thinking that actually seeking business opportunities while on a DL visa could be the reason these people have been blacklisted?  Wouldn't that be a uniquely Vietnamese irony?

OceanBeach92107 wrote:

Are you saying that you applied for a BUSINESS visa but listed the purpose of your visit as VACATION?

While you may have uncovered an oddity in Ontheroad57's visa application, don't you think that it should have resulted in a rejection back in October 18 rather than at the end of the period?  Of course that would afford less opportunity for solicitation of bribes.  Perhaps someone at immigration eartagged the file with the intention of bringing out the issue at the end of the year.  Could it be that we are seeing the wrong commonalities, in particular the lack of a WP, among those blacklisted?  Could the true common element be minor flaws in the initial applications that are used as justification when the visa runs out?

I am still curious as to why US passport holders do not seem to be affected by this problem.  Perhaps it really is because of the diplomatic and financial clout of the US.  You would think that the AANZFTA (ASEAN-AU-NZ Free Trade Agreement) would give AU & NZ citizens the same protection which they seem to lack.

Exactly these stories I told banks like Citibank or HSBC who asked me why I wanted to open another account in Singapore when I asked them supporting me to open a bank account in Singapore.
I say how am I supposed to get my money after being blacklisted for no reason.
They took note of it without any emotion.
Nobody would think of forwarding something like this to the executive floors where it maybe could forwarder to party officials.
I think if there wasn't something like unfounded rejection of immigration, expats would bring a lot more money to Vietnam.

Yes OB...
Agent in the South....


Funny coincidence......I did see a mugshot of a handsome looking individual  on a well known Hanoi visa agents website .     I’m sure I’ve seen that guy around here somewhere 😆

That’s a good enough omen...I’ll send her a message.

AkaMaverick wrote:

Exactly these stories I told banks like Citibank or HSBC who asked me why I wanted to open another account in Singapore when I asked them supporting me to open a bank account in Singapore.
I say how am I supposed to get my money after being blacklisted for no reason.
They took note of it without any emotion.
Nobody would think of forwarding something like this to the executive floors where it maybe could forwarder to party officials.
I think if there wasn't something like unfounded rejection of immigration, expats would bring a lot more money to Vietnam.

That’s always been my bugbear..

For economies to grow you need trust & confidence.    Consumer confidence leads to investor confidence.    If the consumer spends , the investors meet that demand by employing people , plant ,machinery, infrastructure etc etc......it all snowballs IF planned with sustainability in mind.

I came here for a holiday 9 years ago.    Decided to stay .  I would love to build a house here, would love to get involved in eco-tourism , would love to buy  nice furniture.......BUT the smart ones only buy what they can carry out of here on their backs.

I looked at a eco.tourism concept a long time ago......the more I looked into it...the more traps I found.  A business advisor I knew back in Australia with SE Asian experience said to forget it.    Unless your backed by a multi national,,your cannon fodder for the corrupt system.

It’s a shame...but that’s how it is.

AkaMaverick wrote:

I think if there wasn't something like unfounded rejection of immigration, expats would bring a lot more money to Vietnam.

I really don't care if you are Andy Passenger; I like how you think.   

(Unable to quote because of website Java problem).

THIGV,

My understanding is that "business visa" is a misnomer of sorts.

It was supposedly originally intended to be a "commerce" visa, mostly to come here and do business with or through a sponsoring business, or to be employed here through a foreign company having a presence in Vietnam.

I'm saying that a person on a category DN business visa using an XYZ company as a sponsor through a VOA agent can get in trouble for engaging in ANYTHING that resembles commerce OR employment.

You are possibly quite right about application irregularities being part of the problem.

Do you recall the guy in another thread who said he'd been on a business visa and then a tourist visa...a dancer and a photographer who also took some work as a teacher?

I'm saying people on the 1 year category DN business visa through a VOA agent probably need to have one simple purpose for being here ("exploring business opportunities") and then make sure that they keep their activities very limited and narrow in that regard.

Yes, it is somewhat ironic if that's indeed true.

I'm not really sure what is causing US citizens to be approved when all other nationalities are being denied, but I do know from my agent in Hanoi that it's more than just a quirk in the system.

She implies that the processing of US citizen applications is being actively encouraged.

When I then asked her about retirement visas, she said nobody cares about that...

( Maybe Hanoi wants as many US citizens here as possible, so if the China sh*t ever hits the fan, there will be more reason for the US to be involved in the response)

Ontheroad57 wrote:

Yes OB...
Agent in the South....


Funny coincidence......I did see a mugshot of a handsome looking individual  on a well known Hanoi visa agents website .     I’m sure I’ve seen that guy around here somewhere 😆

That’s a good enough omen...I’ll send her a message.

MY photo?

Oh, yeah, in the reviews, wearing my shades...

😎

Here is my experience a bit about Asian. I am working for a translation company, and we have a connection with Poland governments, Most of the time we translate Government official documents  Thai to English, the reports issued by the Thai government. 90% of documents related to criminal records of Polish nationalities who are living in Thailand, and doing some illegal kinds of stuff. There are many kinds Ex, Visa, drugs, gambling, cheating, etc.. Some documents was 20, 30 years old, and nowadays it's getting more and more.
My point of view about in Vietnam, That's is why the immigration officer or others make it hard for someone who stay in Vietnam for longer without any proper reason, So they don't want Vietnam will become another Thailand. That's is the side we never know.

Contem talk wrote:

Here is my experience a bit about Asian. I am working for a translation company, and we have a connection with Poland governments, Most of the time we translate Government official documents  Thai to English, the reports issued by the Thai government. 90% of documents related to criminal records of Polish nationalities who are living in Thailand, and doing some illegal kinds of stuff. There are many kinds Ex, Visa, drugs, gambling, cheating, etc.. Some documents was 20, 30 years old, and nowadays it's getting more and more.
My point of view about in Vietnam, That's is why the immigration officer or others make it hard for someone who stay in Vietnam for longer without any proper reason, So they don't want Vietnam will become another Thailand. That's is the side we never know.

I cant agree. Look at the link about Vietnamese in Japan, yet they still can get long term visas.

Vn crime in Japan

colinoscapee wrote:

Contem talk wrote:

Here is my experience a bit about Asian. I am working for a translation company, and we have a connection with Poland governments, Most of the time we translate Government official documents  Thai to English, the reports issued by the Thai government. 90% of documents related to criminal records of Polish nationalities who are living in Thailand, and doing some illegal kinds of stuff. There are many kinds Ex, Visa, drugs, gambling, cheating, etc.. Some documents was 20, 30 years old, and nowadays it's getting more and more.
My point of view about in Vietnam, That's is why the immigration officer or others make it hard for someone who stay in Vietnam for longer without any proper reason, So they don't want Vietnam will become another Thailand. That's is the side we never know.

I cant agree. Look at the link about Vietnamese in Japan, yet they still can get long term visas.

Vn crime in Japan

That's is another story, Japan love to have Vietnamese workers in Japan and also they have good diplomatic relations between those countries. Nowadays Japanese population reducing then the foreigners in Japan. But Vietnam is Communis much more different than Japan the way of thinking.

Contem talk wrote:

colinoscapee wrote:

Contem talk wrote:

Here is my experience a bit about Asian. I am working for a translation company, and we have a connection with Poland governments, Most of the time we translate Government official documents  Thai to English, the reports issued by the Thai government. 90% of documents related to criminal records of Polish nationalities who are living in Thailand, and doing some illegal kinds of stuff. There are many kinds Ex, Visa, drugs, gambling, cheating, etc.. Some documents was 20, 30 years old, and nowadays it's getting more and more.
My point of view about in Vietnam, That's is why the immigration officer or others make it hard for someone who stay in Vietnam for longer without any proper reason, So they don't want Vietnam will become another Thailand. That's is the side we never know.

I cant agree. Look at the link about Vietnamese in Japan, yet they still can get long term visas.

Vn crime in Japan

That's is another story, Japan love to have Vietnamese workers in Japan and also they have good diplomatic relations between those countries. Nowadays Japanese population reducing then the foreigners in Japan. But Vietnam is Communis much more different than Japan the way of thinking.

I feel the VN government doesnt really want us here and makes it as difficult as possible.

OceanBeach92107 wrote:

My understanding is that "business visa" is a misnomer of sorts.

It was supposedly originally intended to be a "commerce" visa, mostly to come here and do business with or through a sponsoring business, or to be employed here through a foreign company having a presence in Vietnam.

That difference in the name could explain a lot.

OceanBeach92107 wrote:

(I'm not really sure what is causing US citizens to be approved when all other nationalities are being denied, but I do know from my agent in Hanoi that it's more than just a quirk in the system................
....Maybe Hanoi wants as many US citizens here as possible, so if the China sh*t ever hits the fan, there will be more reason for the US to be involved in the response

I don't know if you remember that while Obama was in office, Vietnam and the US were in discrete discussions about reestablishing a full scale naval base at Cam Ranh Bay to replace Subic.   That would certainly poke a big hole in the so called "Nine Dash Line" every time our ships sailed in or out.   Our current president is chummy with Duterte so that may have ended the discussions.

THIGV wrote:

I don't know if you remember that while Obama was in office, Vietnam and the US were in discrete discussions about reestablishing a full scale naval base at Cam Ranh Bay to replace Subic.   That would certainly poke a big hole in the so called "Nine Dash Line" every time our ships sailed in or out.   Our current president is chummy with Duterte so that may have ended the discussions.

Meanwhile the Pacific Fleet regularly passes through the East Sea and the Taiwan strait to reinforce the right of passage.

Did you note that China is now refusing US Naval ships the right to dock in Hong Kong?

Maybe CRB isn't totally off the table?

OceanBeach92107 wrote:

(

It was supposedly originally intended to be a "commerce" visa, mostly to come here and do business with or through a sponsoring business, or to be employed here through a foreign company having a presence in Vietnam.


I'm not really sure what is causing US citizens to be approved when all other nationalities are being denied, but I do know from my agent in Hanoi that it's more than just a quirk in the system.

She implies that the processing of US citizen applications is being actively encouraged.

You are correct, it is designed to be a commerce visa, to "do business" in Vietnam.  The exact reason I am here.  Since I arrived only since January I have bought and sold into the US in excess of $2,000,000 USD worth of Vietnam-manufactured goods already, and that number will easily double next year.

THAT is why they want to issue US the DN visa.  They want us here to buy their products and manufacturing and move even more business from China.  Virtually everything that I have sourced here this year was previously sourced in China so it is 100% incremental business for Vietnam, not moved from one Vietnamese manufacturer to another.

They likely suspect some are here on DN visa even from US but they (again, I suspect) are willing to take that chance to get more people like me. 

People coming from the US and possibly Europe to source Vietnamese made goods are the future of manufacturing growth for Vietnam. It's not scrapping around SE Asia.  It's exporting to countries that will pay more.

What happened with the forum where words are being randomly hacked words apart at line breaks?

Hello SteinNebraska,

The IT team made some changes on the website which went online a few hours back: this may have caused a few bugs.

The bug involving line breaks has been reported to them and is being resolved.

If you notice something else which is unusual, please do let us know.

Thank you for your patience,

Diksha
Team Expat.com

SteinNebraska wrote:

OceanBeach92107 wrote:

(

It was supposedly originally intended to be a "commerce" visa, mostly to come here and do business with or through a sponsoring business, or to be employed here through a foreign company having a presence in Vietnam.


I'm not really sure what is causing US citizens to be approved when all other nationalities are being denied, but I do know from my agent in Hanoi that it's more than just a quirk in the system.

She implies that the processing of US citizen applications is being actively encouraged.

You are correct, it is designed to be a commerce visa, to "do business" in Vietnam.  The exact reason I am here.  Since I arrived only since January I have bought and sold into the US in excess of $2,000,000 USD worth of Vietnam-manufactured goods already, and that number will easily double next year.

THAT is why they want to issue US the DN visa.  They want us here to buy their products and manufacturing and move even more business from China.  Virtually everything that I have sourced here this year was previously sourced in China so it is 100% incremental business for Vietnam, not moved from one Vietnamese manufacturer to another.

They likely suspect some are here on DN visa even from US but they (again, I suspect) are willing to take that chance to get more people like me. 

People coming from the US and possibly Europe to source Vietnamese made goods are the future of manufacturing growth for Vietnam. It's not scrapping around SE Asia.  It's exporting to countries that will pay more.

Very helpful input.

So you are on a 1 year DN issued through a VOA agent or through the Vietnamese Embassy or a Consulate?

Without identifying anyone, who is listed as a sponsor on your application?

Is it a company in Vietnam known to you or an XYZ sponsor arranged by the VOA agent?

Thanks!

I was on DN visa the first two years' visits.  I got both through the Vietnam consulate in San Francisco.  I had a letter of invitation from one of the tooling companies that I started buying tooling from.  It was a company that I actually knew the owner from years ago.  The second was from another tooling company who I started to do a lot of business with.  The third was a DT investor visa.  I got it through an agent in HCMC.  At the time I was planning on TRC based on investor and the way I understood it you had to have a DT visa before the investor TRC.  Moot point now because  the next will be VEC since I got married in April.

Diksha wrote:

Hello SteinNebraska,

The IT team made some changes on the website which went online a few hours back: this may have caused a few bugs.

The bug involving line breaks has been reported to them and is being resolved.

If you notice something else which is unusual, please do let us know.

Thank you for your patience,

Diksha
Team Expat.com

Thanks Diksha!

SteinNebraska wrote:

I was on DN visa the first two years' visits.  I got both through the Vietnam consulate in San Francisco.  I had a letter of invitation from one of the tooling companies that I started buying tooling from.  It was a company that I actually knew the owner from years ago.  The second was from another tooling company who I started to do a lot of business with.  The third was a DT investor visa.  I got it through an agent in HCMC.  At the time I was planning on TRC based on investor and the way I understood it you had to have a DT visa before the investor TRC.  Moot point now because  the next will be VEC since I got married in April.

So when you were here sponsored by the company, you weren't employed by them and you didn't have a work permit, correct?

These have been sticking points for some commentors on this subject.

OceanBeach92107 wrote:

So when you were here sponsored by the company, you weren't employed by them and you didn't have a work permit, correct?

These have been sticking points for some commentors on this subject.

No, absolutely not.  And this is the main confusion about what a DN business license is for.  It's a licence to "do business" in Vietnam, not to "work" in Vietnam.  That's why "exploring business opportunities" is on the options.  It's for people to get a visa to come to Vietnam to explore business opportunities with companies in Vietnam, both import and more likely export.  The very first time I came here it was to consider moving production from China to Vietnam.  I wasn't sure I would do it. I had to see myself it it was feasible, cost effective and realistic that they could do the work competently.  Thus I was strictly "exploring business opportunities" with no guarantee of work for Vietnam. 

I've never had a work permit.  If I was still just working for my company in the US, only drawing a US salary, I still wouldn't have a work permit to this day.  If that was the case I'm just buying from Vietnamese companies and bringing the products to the US.  Now that I own a business exporting goods from Vietnam and making money here from those sales to the US I needed a work permit exemption that allowed me, as the business owner, to profit from the sale without needing an actual work permit.

Work permit or work permit exemption both serve the same true base function - informing the Vietnamese government that you are earning money in Vietnam and they want their piece of it.

SteinNebraska wrote:

OceanBeach92107 wrote:

So when you were here sponsored by the company, you weren't employed by them and you didn't have a work permit, correct?

These have been sticking points for some commentors on this subject.

No, absolutely not.  And this is the main confusion about what a DN business license is for.  It's a licence to "do business" in Vietnam, not to "work" in Vietnam.  That's why "exploring business opportunities" is on the options.  It's for people to get a visa to come to Vietnam to explore business opportunities with companies in Vietnam, both import and more likely export.  The very first time I came here it was to consider moving production from China to Vietnam.  I wasn't sure I would do it. I had to see myself it it was feasible, cost effective and realistic that they could do the work competently.  Thus I was strictly "exploring business opportunities" with no guarantee of work for Vietnam. 

I've never had a work permit.  If I was still just working for my company in the US, only drawing a US salary, I still wouldn't have a work permit to this day.  If that was the case I'm just buying from Vietnamese companies and bringing the products to the US.  Now that I own a business exporting goods from Vietnam and making money here from those sales to the US I needed a work permit exemption that allowed me, as the business owner, to profit from the sale without needing an actual work permit.

Work permit or work permit exemption both serve the same true base function - informing the Vietnamese government that you are earning money in Vietnam and they want their piece of it.

Thanks very much for your reply.

jana611 wrote:

In fact ^,...VN Immigration refuses to accept its own national currency for payment of any visa. That ^ is a very strange story of its own,..to say the least.

Err..... that's not true at all.  VN does accept VN Dong.

maximmm wrote:

jana611 wrote:

In fact ^,...VN Immigration refuses to accept its own national currency for payment of any visa. That ^ is a very strange story of its own,..to say the least.

Err..... that's not true at all.  VN does accept VN Dong.

Of course within the country immigration accepts and wants VND for visas, but jana611 may be correct with respect to overseas consulates.  Drop by the Vietnamese Embassy in Toronto and I expect you will find that they want CAD.

THIGV wrote:

maximmm wrote:

jana611 wrote:

In fact ^,...VN Immigration refuses to accept its own national currency for payment of any visa. That ^ is a very strange story of its own,..to say the least.

Err..... that's not true at all.  VN does accept VN Dong.

Of course within the country immigration accepts and wants VND for visas, but jana611 may be correct with respect to overseas consulates.  Drop by the Vietnamese Embassy in Toronto and I expect you will find that they want CAD.

Err... that's quite normal, isn't it?  Why would you not use CAD if you're in Canada?

THIGV wrote:

maximmm wrote:

jana611 wrote:

In fact ^,...VN Immigration refuses to accept its own national currency for payment of any visa. That ^ is a very strange story of its own,..to say the least.

Err..... that's not true at all.  VN does accept VN Dong.

Of course within the country immigration accepts and wants VND for visas, but jana611 may be correct with respect to overseas consulates.  Drop by the Vietnamese Embassy in Toronto and I expect you will find that they want CAD.

It can't be certainly determined from jana611's post, but I believe she was referring to the Visa On Arrival visa stamp fee at airports and other entry points.

ONLY U.S. Dollars are accepted there (cash only) and it's advisable that the currency notes be very new without blemish of any kind, especially at land crossings* (*or so I have been told)

OceanBeach92107 wrote:

THIGV wrote:

maximmm wrote:

Err..... that's not true at all.  VN does accept VN Dong.

Of course within the country immigration accepts and wants VND for visas, but jana611 may be correct with respect to overseas consulates.  Drop by the Vietnamese Embassy in Toronto and I expect you will find that they want CAD.

It can't be certainly determined from jana611's post, but I believe she was referring to the Visa On Arrival visa stamp fee at airports and other entry points.

ONLY U.S. Dollars are accepted there (cash only) and it's advisable that the currency notes be very new without blemish of any kind, especially at land crossings* (*or so I have been told)

If so, why is it that I never had any issues paying with vietnamese dong for visa at the airport?
I should clarify that they did try to get me to pay in USD once, but then I asked, are we in Vietnam or the US?  And am I an American or Canadian?  I told them I could pay in CAD and VND, they chose VND.

maximmm wrote:

OceanBeach92107 wrote:

THIGV wrote:

Of course within the country immigration accepts and wants VND for visas, but jana611 may be correct with respect to overseas consulates.  Drop by the Vietnamese Embassy in Toronto and I expect you will find that they want CAD.

It can't be certainly determined from jana611's post, but I believe she was referring to the Visa On Arrival visa stamp fee at airports and other entry points.

ONLY U.S. Dollars are accepted there (cash only) and it's advisable that the currency notes be very new without blemish of any kind, especially at land crossings* (*or so I have been told)

If so, why is it that I never had any issues paying with vietnamese dong for visa at the airport?
I should clarify that they did try to get me to pay in USD once, but then I asked, are we in Vietnam or the US?  And am I an American or Canadian?  I told them I could pay in CAD and VND, they chose VND.

Wonderful!

You know how to stand up for logic and reason in the face of all notices posted to the internet and at these arrival points.

Be honest.

You didn't do your homework, and when you went to pick up your visa stamp on arrival, immigration told you the rules.

At which point you argued with them, explaining why they must do things according to your wisdom.

Which probably isn't totally right, because if you had been uppity with immigration, you likely would have been turned around.

So the answer to the "why" is probably that you were very contrite, pleading ignorance and promising to do it correctly the next time.

And you lucked out by encountering an immigration agent willing to give you a pass, that time.

MY SARCASTIC point being, you are not doing any casual readers a favor by encouraging other people to ignore the directions to be prepared to pay in US Dollars.

By all means, you get a  for beating the system.

But you get a ____ for encouraging others to follow your example.

OceanBeach92107 wrote:

maximmm wrote:

OceanBeach92107 wrote:

It can't be certainly determined from jana611's post, but I believe she was referring to the Visa On Arrival visa stamp fee at airports and other entry points.

ONLY U.S. Dollars are accepted there (cash only) and it's advisable that the currency notes be very new without blemish of any kind, especially at land crossings* (*or so I have been told)

If so, why is it that I never had any issues paying with vietnamese dong for visa at the airport?
I should clarify that they did try to get me to pay in USD once, but then I asked, are we in Vietnam or the US?  And am I an American or Canadian?  I told them I could pay in CAD and VND, they chose VND.

Wonderful!

You know how to stand up for logic and reason in the face of all notices posted to the internet and at these arrival points.

Be honest.

You didn't do your homework, and when you went to pick up your visa stamp on arrival, immigration told you the rules.

At which point you argued with them, explaining why they must do things according to your wisdom.

Which probably isn't totally right, because if you had been uppity with immigration, you likely would have been turned around.

So the answer to the "why" is probably that you were very contrite, pleading ignorance and promising to do it correctly the next time.

And you lucked out by encountering an immigration agent willing to give you a pass, that time.

MY SARCASTIC point being, you are not doing any casual readers a favor by encouraging other people to ignore the directions to be prepared to pay in US Dollars.

By all means, you get a  for beating the system.

But you get a ____ for encouraging others to follow your example.

Actually Gordon thats not correct, you can pay in VND but they tell you its not possible as they love the greenback. Here are two bits of text from VOA companies.

"The stamping fee is payable by cash at Vietnam airport in Vietnamese Dongs and US dollars (credit cards are not accepted). Please see our fee page for more detailed instructions."

"When your visa is ready, your name will be called and at the same time your passport held up to the window with the photo page showing. You then pay the processing visa fee - U.S.$25 for single entry, 1 or 3 month. up to U.S.$50 for a One multiple entry. Vietnamese Dong (VND) or U.S. Dollars are the preferred currencies."

colinoscapee wrote:

OceanBeach92107 wrote:

maximmm wrote:

If so, why is it that I never had any issues paying with vietnamese dong for visa at the airport?
I should clarify that they did try to get me to pay in USD once, but then I asked, are we in Vietnam or the US?  And am I an American or Canadian?  I told them I could pay in CAD and VND, they chose VND.

Wonderful!

You know how to stand up for logic and reason in the face of all notices posted to the internet and at these arrival points.

Be honest.

You didn't do your homework, and when you went to pick up your visa stamp on arrival, immigration told you the rules.

At which point you argued with them, explaining why they must do things according to your wisdom.

Which probably isn't totally right, because if you had been uppity with immigration, you likely would have been turned around.

So the answer to the "why" is probably that you were very contrite, pleading ignorance and promising to do it correctly the next time.

And you lucked out by encountering an immigration agent willing to give you a pass, that time.

MY SARCASTIC point being, you are not doing any casual readers a favor by encouraging other people to ignore the directions to be prepared to pay in US Dollars.

By all means, you get a  for beating the system.

But you get a ____ for encouraging others to follow your example.

Actually Gordon thats not correct, you can pay in VND but they tell you its not possible as they love the greenback. Here are two bits of text from VOA companies.

"The stamping fee is payable by cash at Vietnam airport in Vietnamese Dongs and US dollars (credit cards are not accepted). Please see our fee page for more detailed instructions."

"When your visa is ready, your name will be called and at the same time your passport held up to the window with the photo page showing. You then pay the processing visa fee - U.S.$25 for single entry, 1 or 3 month. up to U.S.$50 for a One multiple entry. Vietnamese Dong (VND) or U.S. Dollars are the preferred currencies."

You mean I made a mistake, Steve?

OceanBeach92107 wrote:

colinoscapee wrote:

OceanBeach92107 wrote:

Wonderful!

You know how to stand up for logic and reason in the face of all notices posted to the internet and at these arrival points.

Be honest.

You didn't do your homework, and when you went to pick up your visa stamp on arrival, immigration told you the rules.

At which point you argued with them, explaining why they must do things according to your wisdom.

Which probably isn't totally right, because if you had been uppity with immigration, you likely would have been turned around.

So the answer to the "why" is probably that you were very contrite, pleading ignorance and promising to do it correctly the next time.

And you lucked out by encountering an immigration agent willing to give you a pass, that time.

MY SARCASTIC point being, you are not doing any casual readers a favor by encouraging other people to ignore the directions to be prepared to pay in US Dollars.

By all means, you get a  for beating the system.

But you get a ____ for encouraging others to follow your example.

Actually Gordon thats not correct, you can pay in VND but they tell you its not possible as they love the greenback. Here are two bits of text from VOA companies.

"The stamping fee is payable by cash at Vietnam airport in Vietnamese Dongs and US dollars (credit cards are not accepted). Please see our fee page for more detailed instructions."

"When your visa is ready, your name will be called and at the same time your passport held up to the window with the photo page showing. You then pay the processing visa fee - U.S.$25 for single entry, 1 or 3 month. up to U.S.$50 for a One multiple entry. Vietnamese Dong (VND) or U.S. Dollars are the preferred currencies."

You mean I made a mistake, Steve?

Hahaha, Gordy.😀I think the problem is the immigration agents will tell you that it must be paid in USD. If you look up the laws of VN you will find it's illegal to advertise products or services in VN in USD. Not that this stops anyone.

colinoscapee wrote:

OceanBeach92107 wrote:

colinoscapee wrote:

Actually Gordon thats not correct, you can pay in VND but they tell you its not possible as they love the greenback. Here are two bits of text from VOA companies.

"The stamping fee is payable by cash at Vietnam airport in Vietnamese Dongs and US dollars (credit cards are not accepted). Please see our fee page for more detailed instructions."

"When your visa is ready, your name will be called and at the same time your passport held up to the window with the photo page showing. You then pay the processing visa fee - U.S.$25 for single entry, 1 or 3 month. up to U.S.$50 for a One multiple entry. Vietnamese Dong (VND) or U.S. Dollars are the preferred currencies."

You mean I made a mistake, Steve?

Hahaha, Gordy.😀I think the problem is the immigration agents will tell you that it must be paid in USD. If you look up the laws of VN you will find it's illegal to advertise products or services in VN in USD. Not that this stops anyone.

I totally agree, my friend.

I'm thinking about the average tourist who follows the herd.

The kind who wants to go with the flow, not rocking the boat, taking the path of least resistance (and never mixes idioms or metaphors 😉)

I will always encourage them to be prepared with unblemished greenbacks.

OceanBeach92107 wrote:

colinoscapee wrote:

OceanBeach92107 wrote:

You mean I made a mistake, Steve?

Hahaha, Gordy.😀I think the problem is the immigration agents will tell you that it must be paid in USD. If you look up the laws of VN you will find it's illegal to advertise products or services in VN in USD. Not that this stops anyone.

I totally agree, my friend.

I'm thinking about the average tourist who follows the herd.

The kind who wants to go with the flow, not rocking the boat, taking the path of least resistance (and never mixes idioms or metaphors 😉)

I will always encourage them to be prepared with unblemished greenbacks.

True, it is less hassle. Its a shame that the VN govt departments cant follow the laws of the country.

I paid my last TRC in VND, and they didnt bat an eyelid.