For any applicant in Chicago, getting a Vietnam visa for US citizens and other nations was known be done in two ways: applying through a Vietnamese embassy or with a visa on arrival agent which is based in Vietnam. All visas are now available for US passport holders.
The two old ways to get a Vietnam visa now are joined with the third: E-visa which literally enables you to apply for visa directly with Vietnamese authority through an online site. Compared to the traditional way of applying with embassies, E-visa is more convenient, but Visa on Arrival still has an advantage that is the service fee is refundable when your application gets rejected.
From Chicago, US citizens and other nationals can get visa to Vietnam with embassy or visa on arrival while waiting for E-visa to be officially launched (from 1st Feb 2017).
Vietnam visa in Chicago
1. Apply for a Visa on Arrival 2018
Vietnam visa on arrival is an easier and a cheaper service for Vietnam visa, applicable to almost every national. To apply for a visa on arrival is to get a visa approval letter before arriving in Vietnam through a visa agent. There are 4 benefits you can receive when applying for a visa on arrival:
- - Convenience: no passport send off, no embassy chase-down.
- - Time saving: 1-2 working days processing
- - Money saving: at least 30% cheaper than the traditional way
- - Accessibility: 100% online, send and receive via email.
The letter works well at any of Vietnam’s international airports (Hanoi, Da Nang, Ho Chi Minh) but it’s powerless at land borders.
With only four steps, you will get a vietnam visa on arrival in no time:
- - Complete online visa application form provided by the Visa on arrival agent (based in Vietnam) with exact information as shown in passport. Double check to avoid mistakes.
Video guide How to apply for Vietnam visa online step by step.
- - Make payment online through secured payment gateway with your credit or debit card.
- - Print out Visa approval letter sent to your email after 2 processing days together with entry-exit form NA1.
- - Get visa stamped at arrival airport in Vietnam.
Standard processing time for a tourist visa is 2 days, and Vietnam business visa is 5 days.
Print out the letter and the entry-exit form and use them to board the plane. At the airport’s visa on arrival counter, present all the said documents with your passport and stamping fee:
- - $25 for single entry 1-month and 3-month visas.
- - $50 for multiple entry 1-month and 3-month visas.
- - $95 for multiple entry 6-month visas.
- - $135 for multiple entry 1-year visas.
Please remember that you are allowed to enter Vietnam from the date of entry submitted in the application form.
Upon arrival, head to the Visa On Arrival/Landing Visa counter and submit the passport, visa approval, 01 passport photo, entry-exit form and pay said stamping fee. Then take a seat and wait for your name to be called. Depending on the queue, the stamping process may take around 10-20 minutes. If you desire an urgent visa stamp, it’s time to use stamping assistance service.
2. Apply with Vietnamese embassy/consulate from Chicago
From Chicago, the nearest Vietnamese embassy is located at Washington D.C. By plane, it takes nearly two hours to get from Chicago to Washington.
Embassy of Vietnam in Washington DC, United States
Address: 1233, 20th St., NW, Suite 400, Washington DC, 20036, USA
Phone: (1-202)861073
Fax: (1-202)8610917
Email: vietnamembassy@msn.com
Visa on arrival is the cheapest and easiest visa to Vietnam
Vietnamese embassies/consulates in USA are located at New York, Washington D.C., Houston and San Francisco. Applying by post or email is possible if you can’t come in person. Here is checklist of documents needed in application submitted at embassy/consulate:
- - Application form (available on website of the embassy/consulate): You can complete the form online or download its PDF form and fill out. If you have had the visa approval, put its number into the form. Otherwise, contact us for the letter or the embassy/consulate will process it for you at additional fee.
- - Original passport valid for at least 06 months: If you request a loose-leaf visa or apply by email, then the passport copy is required instead of the origin.
- - 01 passport-sized photo with white background, 01 additional photo is needed for application of loose-leaf visa.
- - Visa fee (stamping fee included): must be money order, or cashier’s check, or company check. Cash is accepted for in-person application. The fee is dependent on visa type you apply for. The fee structure of each embassy/ consulate is different. Please take note that you cannot receive the refund if application is refused or you want to cancel application.
- - Prepaid self-addressed envelope is needed if you want to have the passport returned by post (FedEx is recommended).
Notes:
- - Make sure your passport has at least 6 months of validity and left pages.
- - Visa on arrival is only available with air travelers.
- - Different staying durations allowed with different long-term visas: 90 days (6-month and 1-year multiple entry tourist visas); 180 days (6-month multiple entry business visa); 365 days (1-year multiple entry business visa).
For other nationals in Chicago:
- - Please not that for most of other countries there are only 10 (or only 8 for some countries) Vietnam visa types applicable, which are: 1-month single/multiple entry tourist/business visas, 3-month single/multiple entry tourist/business visas, 6-month multiple entry business visa and 1-year multiple entry business visa (while US citizens can apply for 6-month and 1-year multiple entry tourist visas).
- - The procedure to get Vietnam visa for travelers from Middle East and African is similar but the visa fee for these countries are relatively expensive.
We have shared the overall information of How to get a Vietnam visa from Chicago. If you do not find the information you want, please feel free to contact us at hotline +84 968 18 77 18 or support email: sales@visaonlinevietnam.com.
See more: Vietnam visa in San Francisco, United States