Vietnam’s Prime Minister has proposed visa waivers for foreign nationals from developed countries of between six to 12 months, VN Express is reporting. If enacted this would signify a huge shift in visa policy for one of Southeast Asia’s fast growing economies.
A little background–Vietnam revised its immigration laws in 2021 at the height of the pandemic when borders were closed to limit the maximum length of a tourist visa to one month down from three. It also extended the number of countries eligible for visa waivers for stays of less than two weeks.
When border closures lifted after the pandemic, however, Vietnam’s tourism industry was very slow to recover relative to its neighbours. This was blamed on said visa reforms–though there were a number of other factors at play–which were eventually rolled back. Tourism has since surged though still lags pre-COVID levels.
This latest move suggests there is an impetus to double down on extended visas as a way to boost not only the tourism sector but the economy more broadly.