How Long Can I Prolong My Stay In Vietnam? Visa Extension And Visa Renewal, Which One Is Better?

Due to some personal reasons, some people cannot leave Vietnam (or don’t want to leave Vietnam). And the best way to prolong their stay in Vietnam is visa extension and visa renewal. So, what is the best option between visa renewal and visa extension? How long can they stay more in Vietnam with a visa extension and how long can they prolong their stay with a visa renewal? Let see the information below.

1/ Vietnam visa extension and visa renewal

Doing a Visa Extension means that you will have new staying duration permission in Vietnam without exiting Vietnam. You are only allowed to stay more in Vietnam without leaving if you process the visa extension before your visa expires. The visa extension will base on your original visa, and you only get the visa stamp to get approved for longer staying. The fee for visa extension is normally cheaper than the fee of visa renewal.

Doing a Visa Renewal means that you are granted a new visa sticker and visa stamp on your passport with the new duration permission. Moreover, the visa renewal fee is higher than the visa extension fee because you have to pay stamping fee and visa sticker fee. Visa renewal is used for someone who want to change single entry type to multiple entry type, or want to get a visa sticker in passport.

2/ How long can I prolong my stay in Vietnam maximum with visa renewal and visa extension?

For visa extension:

The length of stay for visa extension is varied from 15 days to 6 months, depending on your current visa:

• If your current visa is 1-month visa, you can extend for 15 days, 1 month, 2 months or 3 months
• If your current visa is 3-month visa, you can extend 1 month, 2 months or 3 months
• If your current visa is 1-year visa, you can extend 1 month, 2 months or 3 months
• If you enter Vietnam by 15-day visa exemption, you can extend 15 days, 1 month
• If you enter Vietnam by 5-year visa exemption, you can extend 1 month, 3 months or 6 months
• If you use a temporary resident card to enter Vietnam, you can extend 1 month or 3 months.

For visa renewal:

You only can renew maximum 3 months if you do not want to leave and re-enter Vietnam. Tourist visa only can renew a tourist visa, and business visa only can renew a business visa. Both 1 month and 3 months option are available for visa renewal.

In case you have time or have a plan for going out and re-enter Vietnam, applying a new visa is a good idea. You can apply Vietnam visa online even when you are in Vietnam, and when your current visa is still valid. And when it’s nearly to expire, you only need to exit Vietnam, then re-enter with a new visa, and you will legally have a new period of staying.

3/ Vietnam visa extension and visa renewal – which one is better?

Each type of visa has advantage and disadvantage, so you can use for the case. In case you are in Vietnam and do not want to leave out Vietnam, as well as do not want to change the type of your current visa, visa extension is the best option. It is not only because it is cheaper than visa renewal, but also you don’t need to take more time and effort to leave and re-enter. And of course, in the time of Covid 19, when all the borders and transportations are getting restricted, it is not easy to fly from a country to another country as before.

Visa renewal is popularly used when people want to do the border run (leave Vietnam through border and then re-enter in the same day), or change the visa type or get a new visa combining with coming back home.

For more information, you can ask through email info@vietnam-evisa.com , and you will have more details about your case.