10 Step Vietnam Visa Guide for Canadians

I’ve been to South East Asia a dozen times, but up until this trip, I’ve skipped going to Vietnam. Why? Visa’s.

I don’t mind paying for a visa on arrival but, I hate the fact that I have to do a whole bunch of stinking paperwork before I get in.

Here’s a point by point guide to your visa for Canadians

1. Start by going here. VISA START HERE LINK This is a paid visa company that processed by paperwork for me. I don’t get a commission on this. I just linked it because it worked, and did it’s job.

After paying it took about 2 days to get this letter in my email.

2.Get passport photos. Print a copy of the letter they sent you. YES. PRINT IT. The immigration office, takes it with your passport photo and makes a file with it.

3.Double check the information they typed into your letter. Just like a plane ticket. One wrong character could mess your plans up.

4. CASH! Bring American dollars (Or Vietnamese Dong), unfortunately they don’t take Canadian. Also no there is no ATM nearby. AND don’t bring big bills, or crumpled bills. They want fresh American moolah in the exact amount. IF YOU DO NOT HAVE THE CASH BY THE TIME YOU GET TO THE AIRPORT YOU ARE SCREWED. (They will walk you to the ATM, but I’ve been to a lot of countries where ATMs do not work for my card, even though it’s supposed to. Don’t risk it).

5. After you get to the airport in Saigon, you will need to go the VISA area. This is NOT the immigration entry area. You’ll see it. (It’s right before immigration.) It’s a desk surrounded by a whole bunch of people in chairs. I waited for about 20 minutes to get to the front of the line.

6. After giving them your paperwork and your passport. You sit down while you get your file built.

7. Go to the immigration line, while they build your file. JUST KIDDDING!!!!!!!!! DO NOT DO THIS. Sure, it’s the most logical right? Why not get into another line while waiting? Nope. Just sit patiently in your chair, and they will call your name. (Or at least something close to your name. ) It took me another 20 minutes before I was called. (These times are based on my own trip, I have been told it can take up to two hours if they are understaffed or a whole bunch of planes unload.)

8. After calling your name, you will pay them the aforementioned crisp bills. And I’m not kidding, they do not want the sweaty $20 emergency money you’ve had stuffed in your bra. (Because they still use paper money bills get really trashed. If they get too badly beaten up nobody accepts them, not like us, where as long as the serial numbers are intact the bill is good).

9.After getting your visa go to the other immigration line! That took me another 30 minutes to get through.

10. Check out. Grab your bags (after the huge time in immigration, my bags were already on the floor….not even going round and round on the carousel).

Why go through all of that? Why not just go somewhere else where you don’t have to deal with all this bullcrap? WHY IT’S WORTH IT LINK

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