Samoa citizens rank Vietnam highly on their list of preferred travel locations. When traveling to Vietnam, however, visitors from Samoa need to be aware of the visa requirements that are in place. Does a visa need to be obtained for Samoa citizens before they go to Vietnam? Can Samoa visitors travel to Vietnam without visa?
Some nationalities need a visa in advance for visiting Vietnam, some don’t. Until now, citizens from 24 countries actually have a visa exemption when entering Vietnam. Most of them have 15-day visa waiver program to visit Vietnam as a tourist. However, Samoa Citizens is not in this list. Samoa citizens still need to apply Vietnam visa before entering Vietnam in 2024.
It’s required to get a Vietnam visa for Samoa people before taking the flight to Vietnam. The airlines staff will check the visa before letting all passengers boarding. Samoa people without Vietnam visa will not be allowed to fly to Vietnam.
Although Samoa Citizens is not in Vietnam visa exemption list, Samoa citizens still can easily apply Vietnam visa through the internet. There are two types of Vietnam visa online which are available for Samoa people: Visa on arrival and E-visa.
Regardless of which method Samoa people use, the passport must have at least six months of validity left to receive Vietnam visa.
Samoa Citizens can easily apply Vietnam visa online with an internet accessed device. Samoa people just stay at home and submit visa application online, then visa result will be sent to their email.
There are two methods for Samoa Citizens to apply Vietnam visa online: Visa on Arrival (VOA) and Vietnam e-visa.
2.1/ How to apply Vietnam E-visa for Samoa Citizens 2024?
Until 2024, citizens from 80 countries (including Samoa) can apply online for Vietnam e-visa. When applying Vietnam E-visa, this has to be done before Samoa people land in Vietnam. Therefore, Samoa Citizens must apply and get Vietnam E-visa before boarding time.
To apply for Vietnam e-visa, Samoa citizen can click here: https://www.vietnamimmigration.com/apply-vietnam-visa/
Vietnam implemented the e-visa system on February 1, 2017. Although E-visa was suspended for a time, but until now, the online application system has been opened again for all applicants.
Samoa citizens need a scan/digital photo of passport as well as a recent, digital personal photo on a white background (no hats or glasses). After filling out all information and uploading images, the E-visa application of Samoa people will be processed. Three days later, Samoa Citizens will receive an email with e-visa attached. Print this and bring it with passport to Vietnam!
2.2/ How to apply Vietnam Visa on Arrival for Samoa Citizens 2024?
Before the e-visa system was rolled out, the most common way for Samoa travelers to get Vietnam visa is visa on arrival. In fact, visa on arrival is the visa which Samoa people will get when they land at Vietnamese airports. Before flying to Vietnam, it’s required Samoa people to apply the visa approval letter.
The Visa Approval Letter is not to be confused with the e-visa; this official letter is issued by Vietnam immigration department and it’s applied online.
Vietnam visa on arrival only works for arriving in one of the major international cities: Saigon (HCMC), Hanoi, Nha Trang, Da Nang, Hai Phong, Phu Quoc. If crossing overland into Vietnam from a neighboring country, Samoa people should apply Vietnam E-visa.
Procedure to get Vietnam visa on arrival at Vietnamese airport for Samoa citizens 2024
The process of obtaining Vietnam visa on arrival is as follows:
Step 1: Apply visa approval letter online
The online application form for Vietnam visa approval letter is available here https://www.vietnamimmigration.com/apply-vietnam-visa/
Samoa citizens only need to click and fill out all required information, no need to submit any physical documents.
It takes about 3 working days to process Vietnam visa approval letter for Samoa people.
Step 2: Print out visa approval letter
Once approved, visa approval letter will be sent to email registered in visa application form. Samoa people should print it out as a hard copy and bring it when coming to Vietnam.
Step 3: Book the flight
If Samoa citizens haven’t already booked your flight to Vietnam, do so after receiving the visa approval letter. Flights can be booked without proof of visa, however, Samoa people need to show E-visa or visa approval letter before being allowed to board the flight.
Step 4: Arrive in Vietnam
Upon arrival, Samoa Citizens should approach the visa-on-arrival counter to request the visa application form. The immigration officer will ask for passport, Visa Approval Letter, and photos to issue visa. On the visa application form, write down essential information such as passport number, issue date, and expiration date.
Two personal photos are officially required, but the office may only ask for one; these should loosely conform to the official size of 4 x 6 centimeters. If Samoa citizens do not have photos that meet the requirements, some airports have kiosks where Samoa people can take them for a small fee.
After waiting for a few minutes, Samoa people will receive back passport with Vietnam visa sticker inside and finish the visa procedure.
To sum up, Samoa Citizens are required to have a visa before entering Vietnam. Thanks to the advantage of technology, Samoa tourists who want to apply for Vietnam visa no longer have to directly contact Vietnamese embassies and consulates as before, which is normally more costly and time-consuming. Vietnam E-visa and Vietnam visa on arrival are both available for Samoa Citizens right now, and Samoa people can choose the most convenient way to process Vietnam visa application online. If you want to know clearly the procedure to apply Vietnam visa online for Samoa Citizens in 2024, please contact us or email to info@vietnamimmigration.com
