Foreigners who entered Vietnam from March 1, 2020 can have their temporary stay permits automatically extended for another month until October 31, the Immigration Department announced on September 30.
Foreign tourists at Hanoi’s Hoan Kiem Lake in March 2020. (Photo: VNA)
It is another one-month extension to the current policy, issued in mid-May and extended twice since, to support foreigners stuck in the country due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The move means from now until September 30, people who came to Vietnam under visa waiver programmes, e-visas or tourism visas from March 1, 2020 can stay or leave Vietnam without doing any paperwork or paying any fees.
Regulations on those who entered the country before March 1, 2020 remain the same as the current policy. They can be considered for this permit extension as long as they can prove they are stranded in Vietnam due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
They need to provide certificates issued by their diplomatic missions in Vietnam through an official diplomatic note with a translation in Vietnamese or documents issued by Vietnamese authorities to confirm they were quarantined or treated for COVID-19, among other reasons beyond their control.
Those who do not fall under these categories or have committed illegal actions have to abide by the existing laws on immigration.