It’s clear that the Covid 19 pandemic has brought chaos in the world of travel and tourism. This, after airlines around the world, has canceled flights and several countries have to make the unfortunate decision of closing their doors to foreign visitors. Among those countries that have decided to stop the entry of foreign visitors is Vietnam. When the coronavirus cases have started spreading very fast last month, Vietnam was quick enough to close its borders in order to protect the country and its citizens. As such, all foreign visitors, including those who are qualified for visa-free entry, have been banned from entering the country.

The Vietnam Visa Waiver Program

Under Vietnam’s visa waiver policy, citizens of Belarus, and some other nationalities, are exempted from getting a Vietnam visa. Therefore, they will be allowed to enter the country by showing only their passport. The waiver policy was established last December of 2019. Ever since it was launched, Vietnam has so far welcomed millions of foreign visitors, which proves that the program was indeed successful. Because of this, they have extended it for three more years.

There are more than 20 foreign nationals that qualify for the waiver program and the citizens of Belarus are among them. All they need is to fly to Vietnam and show their passport. But take note that this visa will only let you stay in Vietnam for a maximum of 15 days.

Temporary Suspension of Visa-free Entry Due to Covid 19

The number of tourist arrivals in Vietnam has significantly increased over the past few years and the visa waiver program has contributed to this. However, during the height of the Covid 19 pandemic, the government has to temporarily suspend it. Aside from preventing the entry of those foreigners who were part of the visa waiver program, they have also stopped issuing all kinds of tourist visas.

Thankfully, the Vietnam government was able to contain the virus and the travel restrictions may have contributed to this. But now that everything is trying to go back to normal, the government of Vietnam is hoping to invite tourists once again. They have just started issuing tourist visas and will now welcome foreign travelers who were part of the visa waiver program.

Vietnam Visa-free Entry Requirements for Citizens of Belarus

Although you’re no longer required to show a visa upon entry to Vietnam, you must have the following documents in order to get inside:

• Valid passport – you should have your passport with you. It must remain valid for six months from your entry date. Your passport must also have two blank pages for entry and exit stamps.
• Proof of onward travel – since you’re only allowed to stay in the country for 15 days, you must be able to present some proof that you will be out of the country before the 15-day period ends. So aside from your passport, you should also present a plane ticket that will serve as proof of your onward travel.

Applying for a Vietnam Visa for Citizens of Belarus

If you wanted to stay in Vietnam for longer than 15 days, then a visa is needed. For this, you can either get an e-visa or a visa on arrival. Both visas are easy to apply.

The e-visa can be easily applied online. You just need to fill out the online visa application form with your name and other important details. When you submit your application, wait for 3 business days and you will get your visa back online. This visa will let you stay in Vietnam for up to 30 days or one month.

But if you need a visa that will allow you to apply for multiple entries, go for the visa on arrival. This is a visa sticker that will be attached to your passport when you arrive at the airport. But before you fly to Vietnam, you are required to apply for this type of visa in advance. They will give you a pre-approval letter and you are required to show this letter at the visa counter in order to be given the visa.

As you see, applying for a Vietnam visa for Belarus citizens is so easy. So if you want to fully enjoy your Vietnam holiday, you might as well apply for a visa. But if you only need to stay for a few days, then take advantage of the visa-free entry.