Vietnam visa

Hanoi

Since I got in Hanoi, Vietnam, I can confirm the electronic process to get the Vietnam visa works. But it is possible you encounter some problems on the way.

First, you need to register on www.myvietnamvisa.com. With a credit card or a PayPal account, you pay the fees. It is not the amount for the visa itself, but the service fees.

Two or three days later, by e-mail, you receive an acceptation letter and a list of the people who are part of your "group". Because the company makes requests for groups. So don't be surprised to see so many names on your acceptation letter.

You need to print the documents and two copies of a form you need to fill. You also need a passport picture.

That process is possible only if you get in the country in Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City airport. Otherwise, you need to get help from a travel agency.

In Hanoi airport, the desk where you get the visa is clearly marked. You give all the papers, pay the 25 $US in cash. No ATM to be seen anywhere. So make sure you have the money. Afterwards, bingo, you get a visa for 30 days.

However, in Tokyo-Narita airport (where I was leaving from), the employee at the desk clearly had never heard about that procedure. Seeing no visa in my passport, she got worried. When I showed her the acceptation letter, she needed to talk to her boss. The boss looked as surprised as the employee.

She finally made photocopies and decided to let me go. I don't know why, I was getting worried too. Keep smiling! No panic. Deep breath.

Other anecdote : the flight to Hanoi had a stopover in China. Never as easy in China, since I needed to wear a sticker on my clothes to prove I needed to change plane. Instead of identifying the luggages so they get directly to our destination, like everywhere else in the world, we needed to fill a really small coupon with our name, final destination and a phone number to reach us.

Me : Euh... I don't have a phone.
A surprised woman : REALLY?
...
...
(Big silence)
A surprised woman : Put the number of your hotel then.

GET OVER IT! Some people still don't have a phone when they travel, even in 2012!

It is true the payphones are harder to find almost everywhere in the world and some hostels now reduce the time they have someone at the desk. They put a sign on the front door saying you can call 24 hours a day to get in. Like if you're stuck outside at night. That is them assuming everybody has a phone...

Tip

In Vietnam, like in China, Syria or United Arab Emirates, for example, Facebook is censored. It is necessary to install a proxy on your computer BEFORE you get in the country itself if you want to poke you friends while you're there. The most popular one seems to be Freegate. Other than a problem that lasted for a couple of days in China, the software worked well.