How to get a Vietnam Visa in Hong Kong
In 2012 I finally had my first trip to Vietnam. Rather than get an online visa on arrival (which is something you can now do), I prefer to get visas myself from the Embassies. Being nomadic all the time means you end up getting your visa in the most convenient places. Living in Hong Kong at the time, I decided to head to the Vietnamese Consulate (similar to an Embassy) in Hong Kong. Here’s a guide to getting a Vietnam Visa in Hong Kong, it wasn’t that difficult.
Where is the Vietnam Consulate in Hong Kong?
It’s on Hong Kong Island at Wan Chai. Get out of the MTR at Wan Chai station and take Exit A3 onto Wan Chai Road, it’s about a 10 minute walk, head to the Great Smart Tower which is on the left hand side of the road. Keep checking the numbers as you walk because the embassy is neither marked nor obvious. Your best just looking for the Great Smart Tower or number 230 first of all. Then once inside you’ll see the sign for the Consulate. Here’s the address:
The Consulate General of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam in Hong Kong
15/F Great Smart Tower, 230 Wan Chai Road, Wan Chai, Hong Kong
Tel: (852) 25914517
Fax: (852) 25914524
Email: [email protected]
Website: Vietnamese Consulate in Hong Kong
The Vietnamese Consulate is on Wan Chai Road. Keep your eyes on the street numbers as it’s not obviously marked.
What you need to get a Vietnam Visa in Hong Kong
When you get there you will need to bring with you/fill in:
1. Your passport
2. A fully filled in and signed application form. You can download it online here and have it filled in in advance: Vietnam Visa.
3. One passport photo
4. Details of your flights in and out (I believe this isn’t essential, but as a rule I always do it anyway – learnt from experience it’s better to have ALL the information they MIGHT need up front to save time and hassle)
5. The fee (varies on nationality, type of visa and how quickly you want the visa!)
Standing outside the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum in Hanoi, VIETNAM.
How much does a Vietnam Visa in Hong Kong cost?
I got a 30 day single entry visa for 330 Hong Kong Dollars (in 2012). I handed my passport to them on a Monday and got it back on a Wednesday. If you need it quicker they will charge a bit more. The consulate do not reveal the price on their website or over the phone, so head there and just take enough money with you. Multiple entry visas are also available (and possibly double entry ones). As of August 2012, a multiple entry tourist visa for Vietnam was 1000 Hong Kong Dollars. Each entry is a maximum stay of 30 days. The multiple entry visa lasts six months, but you’d need to head to Vietnam on FOUR separate occasions during those six months for it to be worth it, otherwise stick to single/double entries.
So in short the price to get a Vietnam visa in Hong Kong:
Single entry Visa – 330 Hong Kong Dollars ($42 US Dollars)
Multiple Entry Visa – 1,000 Hong Kong Dollars ($128 US Dollars)
It’s really not that difficult to get your Vietnam Visa in Hong Kong. Plus getting it straight from the Embassy is the proper way to do it – paying a company to get your visa always costs more!
Here were a few of my highlights from Vietnam:
– Halong Bay in a day (the cheap way to do it)
My oh my what a beautiful world – view on day 2 of the Sapa hike in Vietnam.
Safe travels!
Jonny
wow. It costs way more to get a visa in the states to Vietnam. That’s crazy. I wonder why that is. Agree with you on Sapa and Halong. Those places should not be missed.
nicole recently posted…Don’t Forget your Culture, Visit a Museum in Singapore
Thanks for the comment Nicole. I actually think it should cost more in places like US, Canada and UK. The reason is, Asian people and Asian based people should be allowed to visit countries in their home continent for cheaper. Similarly a cost for an Indonesian to visit Canada would be more than if a US citizen went to Canada or if a German went to Spain compared to a Vietnamese going to Spain. Feel free to disagree by the way, but this is a fair reason for the pricing I think! Safe travels, Jonny