Vietnam: New Mandatory Online Multiple Entry Business Visa Application Process

February 24, 2023

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Country / Territory

At a Glance

  • The Vietnam government has introduced a new mandatory online application process for certain Multiple Entry Business Visa (MEBV) applicants.
  • Sponsoring companies must obtain a token (e-signature) from a local Vietnamese telecommunications company to log in to the new Ministry of Public Security (MPS) portal and create an account to apply for MEBVs.
  • Eligible applicants now have access to a streamlined process that no longer requires a local company representative to visit the immigration bureau for the visa submission process.
  • Sponsoring companies who do not submit MEBV applications through the new MPS portal may have their applications rejected.

The situation

The Ministry of Public Security (MPS) of Vietnam (which oversees the Immigration bureau) has introduced a new online portal, which sponsoring companies should register with to apply for Multiple Entry Business Visas (MEBV) for their foreign national employees.

CHANGE DETAILS IMPACT
New online process
    • Applicants must now submit MEBV applications online.
    • Currently, applicants who are required to submit additional supporting documents (such as relationship certificates, work permits and any additional requests from authorities) cannot do so online and will be required to submit hard copies after the initial online application has been completed. 
    • It is not clear yet whether eligible applicants will be subject to a shorter or longer processing time compared to the previous six to eight business days under the manual MEBV application process.
    • Sponsoring companies applying for an MEBV will no longer need to send an employee to the immigration bureau to queue and manually submit the application (which usually takes a few hours).
    • Sponsoring companies who do not submit MEBV applications through the new MPS portal may have their applications rejected.
Sponsoring company token application and MPS registration
    • Sponsoring companies in Vietnam must obtain a ‘token’ (e-signature) from a local telecommunications company specifically for the use of the new MPS portal.
    • Once they have a token, companies can register for an account on the new MPS portal.
    • Fragomen is seeking further guidance from the relevant authorities on the scope of third-party use of the new token (i.e., on behalf of the company) and the new MPS registration system and will report on developments.  

This change comes after the Vietnam government announced that it will revert to stricter immigration rules relating to foreign nationals, such as the recent Immigration bureau requirement to have a local employee be present during the filing step. While the change may represent the bureau’s attempt to address issues that were causing delays to the visa process, it remains to be seen if these changes (which have been abruptly implemented) will improve the efficiency of the process (or, for example, may cause additional delays with fewer avenues for manual redress).

It is likely that the government will move more immigration processes online, such as the submission of supporting documents, as it continues its initiative to move all government processes in Vietnam online.

We worked closely with Resident Vietnam in Vietnam to prepare this alert. This alert is for informational purposes only. If you have any questions, please contact the global immigration professional with whom you work at Fragomen or send an email to [email protected].

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