In a recently issued decree, the PM also asked the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to review the application of unilateral visa exemption policies for citizens of 13 countries recently, and at the same time, to work alongside the Ministry of Public Security to propose expanding the list of countries whose citizens are unilaterally exempted from visas.

Vietnam currently applies a unilateral visa exemption policy for citizens from 13 countries, namely Germany, France, Italy, Spain, the United Kingdom, Russia, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland, and Belarus.

Foreign visitors are eager to discover Vietnamese culture during the Lunar New Year holiday. (Photo: VOV)

Last year, Vietnam welcomed 12.6 million foreign visitors, nearly 3.5 times higher than in 2022. This year, it aims to attract between 17 and 18 million international visitors, equivalent to the pre-pandemic figure.

Under a new bill that took effect on August 15, 2023, the country grants three-month tourist visas for citizens from all countries and territories, as opposed to previously 30 days. During their approved duration, foreigners will be able to enter and exit the nation multiple times, without having to go through new visa procedures.

Foreigners who are subject to visa exemption will duly be granted a temporary residence certificate at international border gates which will be valid for 45 days, as opposed to the current period of 15 days. In addition, they will be considered for visa issuance and temporary residence extensions according to regulations.

To truly make a breakthrough this year, experts and businesses say Vietnam needs to continue to relax visa policies to create a competitive advantage worthy of other countries in the region.

Vietnam now waives visas for travelers from 25 countries compared to 162 for Malaysia and Singapore, 157 for the Philippines, 68 for Japan, 66 for the Republic of Korea, and 64 for Thailand.

Experts suggest that Vietnam should unilaterally expand visa exemption for citizens of countries with a higher level of development and large tourism spending and long-term stays, such as Australia, Canada, and the United States, as well as the remaining countries of the European Union (the Netherlands, Switzerland, Belgium...), along with some countries in the Middle East such as the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and Kuwait.

The government should also pilot visa exemption for short periods, from 6 months to 1 year for instance, for tourists from several potential, large-scale markets such as China, India, and Taiwan (China) to stimulate tourism demand, creating momentum for growth recovery and strong development for these large markets.

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