Minister of Public Security To Lam on May 27 submitted to the National Assembly amendments to a bill, proposing to increase the duration of e-visas from no more than 30 days to a maximum of three months.
Vietnam is expected to attract more foreign travellers if the National Assembly approves the bill drafting agency's proposal to extend the e-visa validity for the holders to a maximum of 90 days from the current 30 days.
The ministry also proposed that e-visa holders enter and exit Vietnam multiple times during their visa validity.
Under the current law on entry, exit, transit and residence of foreigners in Vietnam, a foreigner can apply for an e-visa which is valid for a single entry and up to 30 days.
Lawmakers of the ongoing session of the National Assembly are scheduled to give opinions on the amendments on May 27 afternoon.
The National Defense and Security Committee of the National Assembly that oversees the bill agreed with the proposal, saying that the regulation of the e-visa validity for many times would create favourable conditions for foreigners when they enter and exit the country, contributing to reducing administrative procedures, and saving time and costs.
The extension of the e-visa validity is said to meet the needs of international travelers and foreigners entering Vietnam to explore business and investment opportunities.
Some members of the committee asked the bill drafting agency to clarify why the e-visa validity should not exceed three months, while some others even proposed to extend the validity to no more than six months.
The bill watchdog also agreed with the proposal to expand the list of countries with e-visa entry, saying the current regulation that allows citizens of 80 countries and territories applying for an e-visa to enter Vietnam has yet to meet the needs of foreign tourists and investors in Vietnam.
The committee also agreed with the proposal to extend the validity of the temporary residence certificate granted to people subject to unilateral visa exemption at border gates from the current 15 days to a maximum of 45 days.
As of 2023, citizens of 25 countries can travel to Vietnam without having to apply for a visa, with visitors allowed to stay between 14 and 30 days on average. Meanwhile, some other countries in Southeast Asia such as Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines and Thailand allow citizens from 158, 166, 169, 157 and 70 countries and territories, respectively, to enjoy their visa exemption policy when entering their territories.
The bill watchdog proposed that the bill drafting agency expand the list of countries and territories and relax unilateral visa exemption conditions, in an effort to facilities tourism and investment activities in Vietnam.
The lawmakers are scheduled to put amendments to a vote on June 24.