Vietnam has added 35 countries to its pilot electronic visa scheme, which already includes 40 nations, as a government decree took effect earlier of this month.

The Decree No. 17/2019/ND-CP, effective from February 1, 2019, updated and modified a previous fiat, Decree No. 07/2017/ND-CP, both of which regulate procedures for the pilot implementation of electronic visas for foreign visitors to Vietnam.

According to Decree No. 07/2017/ND-CP, citizens of the following 40 countries can apply for a Vietnamese electronic visa via the Internet: Azerbaijan, Argentina, Armenia, Ireland, Poland, Belarus, Bulgaria, Brunei, South Korea, Germany, Chile, Colombia, the Czech Republic, Cuba, Denmark, Timor-Leste, the United States, Hungary, Greece, Italy, Kazakhstan, Russia, the United Kingdom, Luxembourg, Myanmar, Mongolia, Japan, Panama, Peru, Finland, France, the Philippines, Romania, Spain, Sweden, China (not applicable to Chinese e-passport holders), Uruguay, Venezuela, Norway, and Slovakia.

The Vietnamese government also issued Resolution 124 in November 2017, expanding e-visa granting to citizens from Australia, United Arab Emirates, Canada, India, Netherland and New Zealand.

Decree No. 17/2019/ND-CP added 35 more countries and territories to the list, including Austria, Iceland, Belgium, Portugal, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Qatar, Andorra, Liechtenstein, Monaco, Croatia, Estonia, Fiji, Georgia, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Macedonia, Micronesia, Mexico, Moldova, Montenegro, Nauru, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Marshall Islands, Salomon Islands, San Marino, Cyprus, Switzerland, China (not applicable to Chinese e-passport holders), Vanuatu, Western Samoa, Serbia, Slovenia.

Especially, visitors from two Chinese territories Hong Kong and Macau, which were not included in the former decree, now can be granted Vietnam’s e-visas, in line with the newly-issued decree. This explains why China is mentioned in both the old and the new decrees.

This means Vietnam’s pilot e-visa program now includes 80 countries and territories, with the scheme set to end in 2021.

In addition, three new Vietnamese land borders, namely Tay Trang in the northern province of Dien Bien, Na Meo in the north-central province of Thanh Hoa, La Lay in the north-central province of Quang Tri, and two new seaports including Duong Dong in the southern province of Kien Giang and Chan May in the central province of Thua Thien-Hue will also accept e-visas, besides airports, border gates and seaports stipulated in the former decree.

These additional venues bring the total number of foreign border gates for entry to and exit from Vietnam to 33 in total.