If you are from a Scandinavian country, there is a good chance that you have friends or family that has traveled to Vietnam. It has become an increasingly popular destination for Europeans, and especially Scandinavians are drawn to it. Perhaps it is because of the dark and long winters back home that attracts many to fly across the sea to a more exotic and warm country. Or perhaps you are just longing to escape reality back at home and want to experience something new.
A tourist performing yoga exercises on the beach of Vietnam (Mui Ne Beach)
Vietnam is a great place to immerse yourself in a different culture, get to know Southeast Asia and its citizens. There are many reasons why so many people travel here; the warm climate, the good cuisine, sand beaches, mountains, culture, fascinating cities and much more. Whatever reason it is you are looking for, Vietnam caters it all! On one hand you have the high-end restaurants and in another you have the smaller, local restaurants (that can be just as good!). The diversity of the country is what makes travelers stay a longer period – some even move here. There is simply too much to do and see.
If you are a citizen from Finland, you do not need a Vietnam Visa if you are only intending to stay for 15 days or shorter. However, if you do decide to stay for longer, you will need to apply for a visa. Luckily, this process is both fast, short and inexpensive. You have three options to choose from:
1. Electronic visa or Vietnam E-Visa for Finnish passport holders
A sample of an eVisa Vietnam
This is an actual visa that will be issued electronically. You can show it at the passport control when entering Vietnam. You don’t need to stop by the landing visa desk to pick up the actual visa as you would have to with a “Visa on Arrival” (VOA). The fee is low and is non-refundable if rejected or failed. There is however an opportunity to get a 100% Money Back Guarantee policy. The price is higher with this insurance. The process of getting an E-Visa is really easy and it allows travelers to apply directly online. It also allows you to enter Vietnam via airports, land ports and seaports. So if you are planning on coming to Vietnam by cruise ship, road or airplane, this is the choice for you.
The E-visa is valid for 30 days, single entry, which means that if you intend on staying for longer and wish to have a multiple-entries visa, you have to apply for point 2 (which I will explain now).
2. Visa on Arrival – Apply online for pre-approval then pick up visa on arrival at the airport of Vietnam
Vietnam landing visa in Tan Son Nhat Airport, Ho Chi Minh city
The Visa on Arrival (VOA) will help you get a multi-entry visa, so you can visit other countries and still be able to come back to Vietnam without having to apply for a visa again. However, if you are from Finland and enter Vietnam as a unilateral visa-exempted, the entry date must be at least 30 days from the previous exit as unilateral visa-exempted person. Otherwise you are required to have an appropriate visa in order to enter Vietnam again.
The visa process differs slightly from the e-visa, but it’s not difficult or complicated. With the visa on arrival you can apply to stay for 1 month, 3 months, 6 months and even up to 12 months! What you need to do is apply online (you can do this through our website), wait for the visa approval and once you get it, download it so you can present it to the immigration officers at the airport and pick up your visa. When the staff sees the approval letter, you need to pay the stamp fee, and voilá! You are ready to enter Vietnam and explore.
3. Apply for a Vietnam Visa at the Vietnamese Embassy in Finland
Vietnamese-visa-sticker-in-a-passport
There is also the third option, which means that you can go to the closest Vietnamese Embassy in Finland and get your visa stamped. This is the more inconvenient option since you have to go to the Embassy in person, bring all your important documents and then come back to pick it up. If you don’t live close by, it can be both time consuming and costly. However, this is one of the options in order to get a visa. You just have to make sure that your passport has a minimum of 6 months validity and blank pages.
That’s it – it’s not more difficult than that! Whenever you are ready to fly, just remember to apply for a visa if you intend to stay for longer than 15 days, and you are ready for your Vietnam adventure!
A honeymoon couple enjoy their beach trip in Vietnam
