HANOI (Xinhua): Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has requested the Ministry of Public Security to consider expanding the coverage of the visa exemption policy to citizens of more foreign countries, Vietnam News Agency has reported.
The request was made based on the new situation and Vietnam's relations with those countries, the report said.
The foreign ministry has been ordered to coordinate with the ministry of public security to propose other countries to be included in Vietnam's unilateral visa exemption list.
Citizens of 25 countries are currently in the list including 13 countries entitled to unilateral exemption.
Since mid-August 2023, Vietnam has been issuing e-visas to all foreign arrivals and extending the temporary residence period from 30 to 90 days, with unlimited entries and exits.
The temporary residence period for foreigners entering the country under unilateral visa exemption has been increased to 45 days.
The South-East Asian country welcomed 12.6 million foreign tourists in 2023, far exceeding the initial target of 8 million, according to the General Statistics Office.
Vietnam targets to receive 17 million-18 million foreign arrivals this year. - Xinhua
