Do I need a transit visa if spending 10 hours in a Vietnamese airport?
I'm a British national. The flight I'm looking at is from Malaysia to Tan Son Nhat International in Vietnam. There's a ten hour stop over before I can make my connecting flight to London.
I am getting a lot of conflicting information regarding my visa situation. worldtravelguide.net/vietnam/passport-visa states:
Transit: Visas are not required for passengers in transit, provided they have an onward/return ticket, are continuing their journey within 24 hours and do not leave the transit area of the airport.
This sounds awesome but they don't cite their sources and I can't find anything official that corroborates with it. I've spent the best part of the last hour googling for more information but have found nothing but conflicting information, some poeple saying a visa on arrival is essential, some saying it isn't, some saying British passport holders are exempt, others saying they're not... my head is in a tizz and I'd be hugely appreciative if anyone could offer some concrete information.
If it does require a visa on arrival I will probably scrap the idea and use a different airline as it makes the whole venture a lot more costly and complicated than it ought to be.
Best Answer
You do not need a transit visa, as long as you are connecting to another international flight within 24 hours AND staying airside (within the transit / international departure area).
If your flights are on the same carrier (ie Vietnam Airlines) then likely you will be given both boarding passes when you check in for the first flight. If not then you need to first stop by the Transfer Desk and they will issue your next boarding pass(es). You will need the boarding pass to clear the security check point before entering the departures area.
The departures area has some shops and food options, but it is not real spacious and handles a lot of passengers. There are lounges available and like most airports admission depends on carrier and fare class. There is at least one (Apricot) that sells day passes, which might be worth it for your 10 hour stay, with food, drink, wifi, showers.
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Do I need visa for connecting flight in Vietnam?
If you are transiting in an airport in Vietnam, you do not need a Vietnam Transit Visa if: You have a ticket for a connecting flight within the next 24 hours. You will not leave the airport international transit area.Do I need a transit visa if I stay in the airport?
Most countries that normally require that you have a visa, do not require the visa if you are a transit passenger, someone who is only transiting through the airport. As you don't go through immigration, and you don't enter the country, hence no visa is needed.Can you transit through Vietnam airport?
Travelers Transiting Through Vietnam For Under 24 Hours In almost all situations, travelers arriving in Vietnam for periods of under 24 hours will not need a transit visa. This is because visitors may remain in an airport or seaport terminal for the duration of this transition time if this amounts to less than 1 day.Do transit passengers need visa?
A transit visa allows you to pass through the border controls of the country you plan to transit in to board your outbound flight or boat. You cannot stay in the country, however. For example, you may be required to get a transit visa if: You are changing transport in a country to travel to another destination.Singapore Transit | Transit through Singapore Changi | All you need to know today
More answers regarding do I need a transit visa if spending 10 hours in a Vietnamese airport?
Answer 2
Please note the comments "If staying within the departure lounge" - There is nothing in HCM airport and it will drive your crazy for 10 hours, so I say arrange your Visa on Arrival for $45. Money well spent if you ask me. If you're travelling on a budget, then of course you will be confined to the airport, but on the plus side you can sit, watch people and wonder how many tourists will continue wearing those hats once they board.
Answer 3
For United state citizens, you DO need a visa even if you are just transferring through Vietnam using two different airlines. We purchased tickets together from a third party website (booking.com), to fly from Yangon to Manila. We flew Vietjet from Yangon to Hanoi and then a connecting flight from Hanoi to Manila with Cebu airlines and a 3 hour layover. When checking in at Yangon, we were informed that we needed a visa for Vietnam even though we were not leaving the airport because we would still have to go through customs to check in our bags with Cebu. Ended up paying more than $200 per person for last minute eVisa. Was never told about this at time of booking. Quiet a few other passengers had the same problem, apparently it happens often with places like Vietnam and Singapore which do require a transit visa on some circumstances. If you book all flights with Vietnam airlines I heard they may not require a visa.
Answer 4
In your case, no visa is required since you just enter Vietnam for transit purpose as long as you will not go out of transit area at the airport.
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