Vietnam Approves New Fees for Foreigners and Foreign Firms

February 6, 2017 Posted by Vietnam Briefing Reading Time: 4 minutes

By Dezan Shira & Associates
Editor: Maxfield Vandel Brown

Since January 2017, a range of policies have come into effect for foreigners and foreign firms. The introduced changes impact international tourism companies, foreign advertisement firms, trade offices, foreign crew on ships, and visa processing.

Passport and visa fees

According to Circular No.219/2016/TT-BTC, the stipulated fee for a single-entry visa for foreigners will be US$25 (VND 570,000) for a single individual, while the price of a multiple-entry visa for a duration of three to 12 months ranges from US$50 to US$155 (VND 1.14 million to VND 3.55 million). Exemptions will be applicable for guests (including spouses and children) invited by the government.

Fees for overseas diplomatic missions

As per Circular No.264/2016/TT-BTC, the naturalization process will cost US$250 (VND 5.7 million) per person. Charges for restoring nationality will be the same as registering for retaining ones nationality, namely US$200 (VND 4.57 million). Fees for issuing new passports are fixed at US$70 (VND 1.6 million) while charges for extending diplomatic and public passports are US$30 (VND 684,210).

Government invited guests, employees, and technical staff (including spouses and children) of foreign diplomatic and consular representative missions are exempt from the fees.

License fees for international tourism agencies

Circular No. 177/2016/TT-BTC prescribes the fees for issuing licenses to international tourism agencies (including new issuance, renewal, and re-issuance) at US$132 (VND 3 million), while the assessment fee for issuance of tour guide licenses is set at US$28.50 (VND 650,000) for a single entity. Licenses for establishing a branch or a representative office of a foreign travel company will cost US$132 (VND 3 million) while the fee for renewal, extension, and re-issuance of existing licenses is US$66 (VND 1.5 million).

Establishing representative offices of a foreign advertisement firm

License fees for establishing a representative office of a foreign advertisement enterprise are, as stipulated by Circular No.165/2016/TT-BTC, US$132 (VND 3 million), while amendments and re-issuance will cost US$66 (VND 1.5 million).

RELATED: Customs Procedures in Vietnam

Fees for setting up trade promotion office

Circular 143/2016/TT-BTC prescribes a fee of US$132 (VND 3 million) for establishing foreign trade promotion offices. Any changes or extension of the licenses will be charged at US$66 (VND 1.5 million).

Working holiday permits fees

Working holiday permits for New Zealand and Australia working holiday-makers will be charged US$26.50 (VND 600,000) for a single applicant and US$22 (VND 500,000) for re-issuance in accordance with Circular No. 140/2016/TT-BTC.

New permit fees for traveling ashore and boarding foreign ships

Foreign crewmembers traveling ashore will be required to pay a permit fee of US$3 (VND 68,181), which increases to US$5 (VND 113,636) if this includes a overnight stay. The permit fee for boarding foreign ships is set at US$1.32 (VND 30,000) per permit, according to Circular No. 138/2016/TT-BTC.

Foreigners engaged in press activities, scientific research, and tourism activities involving the use of foreign ships will require permits ranging from US$0.44 (VND 10,000) to US$0.88 (VND 20,000), depending on the activity.

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