Vietnam cuts visa wait

HANOI, 19 March 2014: Foreign travellers can now complete the visa application process for Vietnam at http://visa.mofa.gov.vn doing away with the need to get forms from the nearest Vietnamese representative agencies around the world.

The website is in four languages  (Vietnamese, English, German, and French) and was launched by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 14 March.

Vietnamese who travel on a foreign passports (mostly US citizens) can also use the service.

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Visa free stays on Phu Quoc

PHU QUOC, 13 March 2014: A policy to grant a 30-day visa exemption for foreign passport holders visiting Phu Quoc Island , off the coast of the southern province of Kien Giang, took effect, earlier this week.

The island located off the southwest tip of Vietnam is very close to the Cambodian border and visited by cruise ships on their way to Hong Kong.

Effective 10 March, visa exemption is also applicable to foreigners, who are in transit at an international border gate in Vietnam (including by air or by sea) and are heading for Phu Quoc Island.

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India eases visa process

NEW DELHI, 3 February 2014: Tourists travelling to India from up to 180 countries will no longer have to queue up at their local consulates to obtain visas under reforms expected to be approved this week, local media reported Sunday.

The move will allow tourists to apply online to gain approval and then have their visa stamped in their passports on arrival at the first point of entry into India

Most foreigners currently have to wait several weeks before learning whether they will be allowed to enter the country after submitting their applications at visa processing centres, a major deterrent for potential visitors.

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Cambodia cleans up visas

PHNOM PENH, 29 January 2014: Cambodia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has called on all embassies and consulates to accelerate visa application procedures and end all “unofficial” fees.

Foreign Affairs Minister Hor Namhong said the government would crackdown on corruption related to the issue of visas.

The standard, 30-day single-entry visa to Cambodia should cost US$20, which includes a US$5 processing charge if completed online, according to the ministry’s website.

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Single visa still in pipeline

KUCHING, 21 January 2014: ASEAN’s may have embarked on a mission to establish a so-called “common visa”, but there is still a considerable distance to cover to make it a reality, according to assessments made during tourism minsters’ press briefing Monday.

It warranted a mention in the minsters’ progress report, outlined at a media briefing, but only to say ministers were “working closely with relevant agencies on the development of a common visa for non-ASEAN nationals and its possible implications on tourism.”

Relevant agencies in this instance are immigration bureaus, national security and police. Ministers admitted privately there are still considerable hurdles to overcome to turn it into a reality.

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Qatar Airways launches online visa

DOHA, 17 January 2014: Qatar Airways introduced this month a new online system for applying for tourist visas to Qatar.

The service is available for passengers flying with Qatar Airways and can be accessed from www.qatarairways.com.

“The new system eases the process of applying for a tourist visa for eligible passengers,” said a Qatar Airways spokesperson. “It also provides passengers with the convenience of tracking their visa application status online.”

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France eases visas for Chinese

PARIS, 14 January 2014: Chinese visitors to France — the world’s top tourist destination — are to get fast-track visas as part of celebrations marking the 50-year anniversary of Paris establishing full diplomatic ties with Communist Beijing.

French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius announced the measure Monday as he unveiled year-long events feting the 27 January 1964 date on which France broke ranks with the US to open ties with the then-government of Mao Zedong — a decision that paved the way for China to gain global recognition.

Fabius told a press conference that former French president Charles De Gaulle’s “pioneering” decision “gave France a special position in China” which had been buttressed over the years.

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Vietnam relaxes visas for Phu Quoc

PHU QUOC, 9 January 2014: Foreigners and Vietnamese nationals who travel on foreign passports can enjoy visa exemption for stays of up to 30 days on Phu Quoc Island effective 10 March.

Foreigners who enter Vietnam via an international airport or a sea port  and wish to visit just Phu Quoc are eligible for visa-free entry.

The new policy is designed to support tourism to the island.

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Filipinos visa free to Myanmar

MANILA, 7 January 2014: The Philippines’ Department of Foreign Affairs says Filipinos can now enter Myanmar without a visa and stay for up to 14 days.

Visa-free travel is allowed for travellers arriving by airline at designated international airports in Myanmar such as Yangon, Mandalay and Nay Pyi Daw. It will take some time, mainly to upgrade to online data, before the land checkpoints can offer visa-free entry. Immigration still needs to check if a visitor is on a criminal blacklist and that requires computers linked to a central database. The system has not been installed at overland border checkpoints.

The new rule for ordinary passport holders came into effect, 4 January, following the signing of a bilateral agreement between the Philippines and Myanmar on visa exemption signed during Thein Sein’s state visit to the Philippines 5 December.

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Cambodians can visit Myanmar visa-free

YANGON, 20 December 2013: Myanmar and Cambodia have agreed on mutual visa exemption for holders of ordinary passports.

The agreement was signed by Myanmar Deputy Foreign Minister U Tin Oo Lwin and Cambodian Ambassador to Myanmar Sieng Burvuthin Nay Pyi Taw.

The agreement will mean citizens of the two countries can visit without the need to apply for a visa.

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