• Apply through the embassy
Since there is no Embassy of Vietnam in Zambia, any Zambian citizen who wishes to apply for Visa through the embassy will either have to travel to a neighboring country or enquire over mail or the telephone if the Visa application process can be facilitated over postal mail. In case, you decide to travel to a neighboring country in order to apply for Visa, you will have to incur huge travel and stay expenses. The procedure through the embassy requires the applicant to visit the facility several times before the process is complete.
In case you decide to apply through the embassy via correspondence, you will have to send in all your documents, including your original passport, through postal mail. In this case, there are high chances of misplacement and loss of your package in transit. If this occurs, you stand to lose your passport.
This makes the Visa on Arrival process easier, more affordable and hassle free option for Zambian citizens.
• Apply for Visa on Arrival
In order to apply for Visa on Arrival, you will have to get in touch with a travel agent based in Vietnam. In this process, you can fill up the application form online. You can also pay the Visa fees and the service charges of the travel agent online. While filling up the online form, you will be required to key in details such as your name, occupation, purpose of visit, duration of stay etc. While filling up the purpose of visit section, you will have to choose from business, tourist and transit options. Business Visa allows you a validity of one month, three months or six months. A tourist Visa allows you a validity of one month and transit Visa offers you a validity of less than five days.
Once you have filled the form, submit it for further processing. Online forms are processed in a couple of days, after which you will be issued a letter of approval. This letter of approval can be collected by your travel agent on your behalf and sent to you. On reaching Vietnam, you can submit this letter of approval at the Visa on Arrival counter of the airport you arrive in to collect your Visa on Arrival. You will also have to submit the Visa stamping fees along with the letter of approval.
It is to be noted that the Visa on Arrival facility is extended only to those travelers who arrive in Vietnam by air. For those taking land routes, it is mandatory that they carry all their documents along with them while traveling. If you are traveling to Vietnam in a cruise ship, you can contact the cruise ship authorities for information on Visa on Arrival.
