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Phú Quốc Visa Policy
The district of Phu Quoc is classified as a Special Economic Zone and visitors to the 28 island archipelago are eligible for a 30 day visa exemption if they only plan on visiting Phú Quốc and no other destination in Vietnam. Phu Quoc remains the only destination in Vietnam where a visa exemption is available for all nationalities. This visa exemption regulation was passed in 2005 and remains in place as of today. It's important to note that this is not a “Phu Quoc Visa On Arrival”, but rather an exemption.
There is also a Vietnam E-Visa service available that allows visitors from 40 nations (see list below) to apply for a 30 day single entry tourist visa online (Decree No. 07/2017 / ND-CP). More nations will be added in the near future as Vietnam visa policies and procedures are continuously evolving. To apply for a Vietnam E-Visa, applicants have to complete two forms on two different websites (see links below). This visa, unlike the Phu Quoc Visa Exemption, will allow you to travel anywhere within Vietnam.
30 Phu Quoc Visa Eligibility Criteria:
In order for you to be eligible for the 30-day Phu Quoc visa exemption, you must meet the following requirements:
- Your passport must not be expiring within the next six months once your arrive on Phu Quoc. If your passport is set to expire, renew it first before traveling to Phu Quoc.
- You must have a round trip air ticket to and from Phu Quoc / Vietnam. The onward destination can be any country except Vietnam.
- Your stay on Phu Quoc island or Vietnam must be for less than 30 days.
- You have not been previously extradited from Vietnam.
- Must not be on INTERPOL's wanted person list.
Vietnam E-Visa Policy & Procedures
PHU QUOC VISA EXEMPTION
VIETNAM E-VISA
Vietnam Visa Updates:
- New 30 day single entry Vietnam E-Visa is available of February 1, 2017
- As of December 24, 2015 you do not need to fly directly to Phu Quoc in order to be eligible for a 30 day visa exemption. You can transit through one of Vietnam's international airports en-route to Phu Quoc provided that Phu Quoc is your end destination and that you have a ticket leaving the island to an international destination within 30 days.
- As of January 1, 2015 Vietnam will begin issuing five year visas and resident cards to foreign investors. In the past, foreign investors could only obtain one year visas and residency cards that lasted three years.
- If you arrive in Vietnam on a specific Visa (e.g. tourist, business, etc), you cannot apply for a different type of Visa while you are in the country. You must exit the country in order to be considered for a different type of Visa.
- Foreigners visiting economic zone along the border and special administration and economic zones will no longer require a visa.
- People from countries that enjoy a unilateral visa exemption can visit Vietnam an unlimited number of times. However, they can only visit the country at least 30 days after the preceding visit.
- Vietnamese immigration officers at border gates will be able to issue visas to citizens of countries that lack a Vietnamese consular presence, those traveling the region, those who have booked tours with international tourism agencies and those entering Vietnam to visit seriously ill relatives or attend a family funeral.
- It is now possible for foreigners to be granted permanent residency which will be granted by the Minister of Public Security.
- The procedures for issuing temporary residency cards have been simplified and extended the permission from three to five years.
Visa exemption considerations:
The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Ministry of Transport have proposed that the central government waive tourist visa requirements for France, Germany, the UK, Spain, Italy, Australia, New Zealand, India and Canada in a bid to pull in more visitors from those markets. The proposal was made in 2014 and is still under review. We will update this page if progress has been made regarding this proposal.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Do I need a Vietnam Visa to visit Phu Quoc Island?
A: If you are planning on visiting Phu Quoc directly, either by boat (ferry or cruise ship) or airplane, from a country other than Vietnam (e.g. Singapore, Cambodia, Russia, etc) then you DO NOT need a Vietnam Visa. You must provide proof (return airplane ticket, cruise ship departure date, etc) that you will be leaving Phu Quoc Island within 30 days in order to be granted a “Visa Exemption Stamp”.
You do not need a Vietnam Visa and will be granted a Phu Quoc 30 day visa exemption if:
- You fly from an international country to Phu Quoc via the Phu Quoc International Airport. This applies to direct, indirect and layover flights, where your final destination along the route is Phu Quoc.
- You take a ferry from Kep or Kampot to Phu Quoc Island directly by sea and skip the Vietnam-Cambodia border crossing (Prek Chak/Xa Xia). This option is only available by joining an organized tour. As of 2015, there are only a few tours that organize trips from Kep & Kampot to Phu Quoc. There is a new international seaport that is being constructed in Sihanoukville and Kampt that will offer international ferry/cruise trips to Phu Quoc. Construction and operation of this new port will commence next year (2018).
- You arrive by cruise ship from an international country and dock on Phu Quoc's international seaport, either the one located in An Thoi (An Thoi International Seaport) or Duong Dong (Cruise Ship Passenger Terminal).
- You are part of an organized tour group that will visit Phu Quoc. Your tour operator/agency has already arranged a Visa exemption for you.
You need a Vietnam Visa if:
- You are traveling independently, with stop overs in other parts of Vietnam, and want to visit Phu Quoc. In this case, which normally applies to travelers coming from Cambodia, Thailand, or Laos, you will be required to cross into Vietnam via a border crossing and the immigration officers will not allow you to enter Vietnam without a valid Vietnam Visa. You simply cannot say “I am visiting Phu Quoc Island and there is a 30 day exemption rule in effect“. Since you will be entering another part of Vietnam, which is not designated as a “special economic zone”, you will need a proper Vietnam Visa or E-Visa.
Q: I already have my Visa for Vietnam, do I need an additional Visa for Phu Quoc?
A: No you do not, UNLESS your Vietnam Visa is about to expire. If your Visa is about to expire, you may experience difficulty at the port cities of Rach Gia & Ha Tien but this is very rare and sometime resolved with some “Thank you/Tip” money.
Q: What does a Phu Quoc Visa Exemption look like?
A: The 30 Phu Quoc visa exemption is a stamp that will appear on your passport:
Q: Can I leave Phu Quoc Island even if I don't have a Vietnam Visa?
A: Yes, technically (and unlawfully) you can leave the island by ferry and go to Ha Tien or Rach Gia City located on the mainland however most hotels will require that you have a valid Visa in order for you to stay with them. By law all hotels need to register their foreign guests/customers with the police. Failure to do so may result in the hotel being heavily fined and/or losing their business license. It is in the hotels best interest to only accept guests who have a valid Vietnam Visa.
Q: I have a Phu Quoc Visa Exemption, landed on Phu Quoc and want to visit other parts of Vietnam, what are my options?
A:
- You cannot apply for an E-visa, since that visa option is available for those who are outside of Vietnam.
- You can visit the Department of Immigration in Duong Dong, Phu Quoc and ask for assistance. Speak with the “Chief Immigration Officer”.
- You can also speak with a tour agent who can arrange this. Normally they will send your passport to Ho Chi Minh City for the stamping and the process takes a few days. Tour agents are found all along Tran Hung Dao street in the Long Beach Village and Long Beach area.
Q: I am in Vietnam and have a 15 day Vietnam Visa Exemption. Can I visit Phu Quoc and get an additional 30 day exemption?
A: No you cannot since you are already in Vietnam. If your Vietnam Visa Exemption is approaching 15 days and you want to extend your visit, you need to visit a tour agency or visa office to extend your visa. You cannot simply enter Phu Quoc and get the additional 30 days as the 30 day exemption is applicable to those outside of Vietnam.
General Vietnam Visa Exempt Nations List
The following countries are allowed to visit Vietnam for up to 15 days without obtaining a Visa:
- Singapore (less than 30 days)
- Malaysia (less than 30 days)
- Laos (less than 30 days)
- Thailand (less than 30 days)
- Indonesia (less than 30 days)
- Philippines (less than 21 days)
- Japan (less than 15 days)
- Korea (less than 15 days)
- Norway (less than 15 days)
- Denmark (less than 15 days)
- Finland (less than 15 days)
- Sweden (less than 15 days)
- Germany (less than 15 days)
- France (less than 15 days)
- Spain (less than 15 days)
- Italy (less than 15 days)
- United Kingdom (less than 15 days)
However once nationals from these countries have left Vietnam, they must wait 30 days in order to re-enter the country to be eligible again for the 15 day Visa exemption.
Visa Extensions In Phu Quoc
If you are on Phu Quoc Island and need to extend your Vietnam Visa, most of the travel agencies will do this for you for a fee and the process will take approximately 12 business days. The process takes a long time because your passport needs to be taken to Ho Chi Minh City in order for it to be processed accordingly. It has become more difficult to extend you Visa in Phu Quoc and Vietnam as a whole due to all the new changes in Vietnam's immigration and tourism policies that became effective as of January 1, 2017 but it is not impossible and can be done for a fee.
If you find the fees too high on Phu Quoc then you can also air ship your passport (2-3 day duration) to the following Travel Agent in Ho Chi Minh City and they can process your visa renewal within 5 business days:
NAMMY TRAVEL
70 Bui Vien Street, Pham Ngu Lao, District 1
Contact Name: Uyen
Tel: 0909398630 or 905801329
Once your visa has been processed you can then either a) pick up the passport in Ho Chi Minh City, but you must travel there via ferry & bus or b) get the travel agent to ship it back to you to Phu Quoc.
Business Permits, Work Permits & Business Visa Extensions/Renewals On Phu Quoc
If you hold a valid non tourist Vietnam visa and need to renew it you can do so at the Department of Immigration Phu Quoc Office located in Duong Dong Town:
DEPARTMENT OF IMMIGRATION PHU QUOC LOCATION:
Address: 30 Thang 4 Street ( at the corner of Mai Thi Hong Hanh & 30 Thang 4) next to the police station
Hours of operation: 9:00 am to 11:30 pm and 1:30 PM to 4:00 PM
Border Crossing Into Cambodia For Vietnam Visa Extension
This most southern border crossing (Prek Chak – Cambodian side, Xa xia Vietnam Side) has been opened since May 2007. Once over the border and in Vietnam, Ha Tien is the nearest coastal town and from here you can get a ferry to Phu Quoc Island or connect to Saigon and beyond. To get to the border from Kep travel north and join Route 33. From here, travel east to Kampong Trach, and then south on Route 31. Road #31 is now widened and either paved or upgraded to very decent red dirt track. The border is 30 km from Kep, 42 km from Kampot. If you are planning on heading to Cambodia from Phu Quoc, just visit a travel agency who will organize your travel and this option is much more cheaper than trying to travel on your own to Vietnam.
Cambodia To Phu Quoc By Ferry
A new direct ferry route from Sihanoukville to Phu Quoc is currently being established and will be in operation by next year.
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