New Passport/Old Visa ---

Take both passports with you so they can see the visa in your old passport.

That sounds almost too easy! Thanks! D~

I did this years ago at the Moc Bai border, they accepted this.

As with most things in VN, there is no uniformity to how things work here.

I did the same thing in January.    The vIsa is actually still valid in the old passport.   Just get to the airport a bit earlier , present both passports & they'll do one of two things.

1.  Transfer the old visa to the new passport ,,takes 10 minutes,  official cost I've been told is $15.     Then they stamp you out on the New passport.

2. Screw you over.   Probably make a song & dance , pull faces , sulk & charge you $40 , then stamp you out on the new passport.

Either way , your on your way. 

There is another way.  Your embassy is supposed to give you a letter of introduction to the Immigration office here in VN.   I tried that initially & it was a disaster.  Nobody knew the procedure , even after I showed them the relevant web page.    Immigration here claimed to not know about it,,,but would take a WEEK to put the new transfer sticker in the new passport.

An agent wanted $100 to do,it.    Kind souls .

End of story....just show up at the airport with both passports & some cash.  Who knows , the guy on the passport desk may just stamp you out & not worry about the transfer procedure.    I've heard of that happening to.

Good luck

Your old passport will come back with a hole or two punched in the front cover that go through the scanning portion.  The exit officials will know the routine.   Another reason to present the old passport is that they will be want to be checking it for lapses in renewals and duration of stay stamps that they can zing you for.  You need it to justify your presence in the country before you got the new passport.

Ahhhh... the power of cash!
Thanks!
D~

I'm doing my best to be "un-zingable!"
Thanks!
D~

deebee123 wrote:

Ahhhh... the power of cash!
D~

AFAIK, Immigration officers at Tan Son Nhat do not accept coffee money anymore.  Many people have told me that the officers handed them back their passports asking them to remove the money before the scrutiny began.  Sometimes the request was gentle, other times it was not.

Ciambella wrote:

deebee123 wrote:

Ahhhh... the power of cash!
D~

AFAIK, Immigration officers at Tan Son Nhat do not accept coffee money anymore.  Many people have told me that the officers handed them back their passports asking them to remove the money before the scrutiny began.  Sometimes the request was gentle, other times it was not.

Definitely not the same at the land borders, see wads of cash being exchange to allow locals to enter Bavet.

Quick share my personal experience.

I did same experience. it was a few years ago.

I ran out my page and had to renew at embassy at HCMC.
I didn't do anything for visa changing  to the new my passport.
Within Visa term, I was going to out from TSN with both passport in my hands.

I showed both passport at immigration counter and it made offer to gaze at it and he out of counter and led me to some place where his colleague or boss chatting.

Had to wait 10-15min.

Eventually, immigration guy led me back to the counter and let me pass. had no penalty or anything bad.

colinoscapee wrote:

Ciambella wrote:

deebee123 wrote:

Ahhhh... the power of cash!
D~

AFAIK, Immigration officers at Tan Son Nhat do not accept coffee money anymore.  Many people have told me that the officers handed them back their passports asking them to remove the money before the scrutiny began.  Sometimes the request was gentle, other times it was not.

Definitely not the same at the land borders, see wads of cash being exchange to allow locals to enter Bavet.

Yep ...it's a circus out at Moc Bai.    Last time I came thru, just before the borders closed,  they wouldn't let you approach the passport counter unless you showed a passport with cash sticking out of it.   

There were people in line behind you just walking up to the counter & dropping their passport & cash ready to be stamped into the country.  Some of them still in sunglasses & hats.   They don't even bother checking.  I came thru with my hat on as well. 

It's a joke.   No wonder there's a guy here from Norway on an Interpol “red” watch .  He got into Vietnam without a passport.   He strangled a Brit in Phuket, jumped bail & is walking the streets here.
His passport is still in Phuket police HQ.

It's good to see security here is nice & tight.😳