March 12, 2020
Visa Information

Is Vietnam Visa Exemption Policy For Philippines Passport Holder Still Valid In Corona Epidemic Period?

With the current epidemic situation, Vietnam has issued many changes in Visa policy. A typical example is the cancellation of visa exemption policy for some countries and banning visa application for some countries. Can Filipino citizens enter Vietnam without visa? Or do Filipino citizens need a visa to enter Vietnam during this period?

Under previous immigration regulations, Filipino citizens are exempt from visa if they enter and stay in Vietnam for less than 21 days. However, this policy may be canceled in the near future, especially when the disease situation is becoming more and more serious.

On the morning of March 12, 2020, the Vietnamese government officially issued a new regulation, canceling the visa waiver program for 8 European countries, including UK, France, Germany, Spain, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland. Citizens of these countries also cannot apply for new visas to enter Vietnam while the disease situation is widespread in Europe.

It was one of the drastic solutions of Vietnamese government during this period. And it is likely that the visa waiver policy for Southeast Asian countries affected by the nCovid disease, including the Philippines, will be canceled in the near future.

Filipino citizens are still exempt from visa 21 days when entering Vietnam. However, this policy can be canceled if the disease continues to spread as currently. To prepare for your trip to Vietnam, we strongly recommend Filipino citizens to apply for a visa, for the following reasons:

  • The visa exemption policy for Filipinos may be canceled at any time, if you wait too close to the departure date, you will not be able to apply for visa in time.
  • When the visa exemption policy is canceled, the visa application process will be more difficult. In the case of the above European countries, it is not possible to apply for a visa. Without a backup plan, you won’t be able to enter the country.
  • The cost of applying for a Vietnam visa is very cheap, only 6 USD. In case you do not need to use it, the cost of losing is not much compared to the entire trip is canceled.
  • The procedure for Vietnam visa is still very simple, you should apply before the Vietnamese government tightens regulations.
  • Vietnam Visa can be applied online, just use your mobile phone and fill in the visa application form to complete.

In short, although Filipino citizens can still enter Vietnam without visa, it is recommended to apply visa for your trip. You can click here to proceed with Vietnam visa, to prepare for your trip better.

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