The opening of Indochina region to the world is very recent History. After colonization and dreadful wars, came peace and independence. While the spirit was then more to protection and enclosure, it quickly evolved. The boom of worldwide tourism and the globalization of economies pushed these countries to open their frontiers and be part of that global world. Tourism is no exception, and if travelers still need a visa to enter these destinations, rules are changing fast. We propose here a quick update.

 

Laos

Laos is the only country that hasn’t change anything much yet, nor seems to plan anything new related to visa. A visa to Laos still costs $30 for most of nationalities and can be obtained on arrival at international airports and at most of frontiers posts. You can also get it from the Laos diplomatic delegation in your country. Here is the list of visa fees per nationality:
 

Country	Price (US Dollar)
Australia	30
Canada	42
China	20
India	40
Sweden	31
USA	35
UK	35
USA	36
Others	30

Citizens of Japan, the Republic of Korea, Russia, Luxembourg, Switzerland and some ASEAN countries benefit from a visa exemption for a stay lasting up to 30 days.

 

Cambodia

Cambodia is taking things in hand. You can apply yourself, and online, for an e-visa directly at the immigration services of the country. Once you get this e-visa, you will be allowed to enter the country at Phnom Penh and Siem Reap airports; as well as at some of the frontier posts shared with Thailand or Vietnam. Please visit https://www.evisa.gov.kh/ for more details. The website announces $30 + $7 for 30 days stay, but there is also a small hidden online payment fee.

 

Myanmar

Myanmar did follow the track of Cambodia with an online possibility to get an e-visa before departure. The website is here: http://evisa.moip.gov.mm/index.aspx and the fee is $50 per visa for 28 days stay. It allows you to enter the country from 3 different airports for now (Yangon, Mandalay and Nap Pyi Taw). The government is planning to add another airport and 4 land frontier posts to that list of possible ports of entries; but it has not been implemented yet.

 

Vietnam

Vietnam prefers to rely on its private sector for e-visa procedures. You can apply online or through your travel agent to get an invitation letter that will allow you to obtain a visa at international airports of the country. 1- or 3-month tourist visa can be delivered with a single entry. Less than a month, 1- and 3-month tourist visas are available with multiple entries. Stamping fees are fixed but the cost of the invitation letter may vary as this is a commercial service from the private sector.

Citizens from UK, France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Japan, South-Korea, Russia, Sweden, Finland, Denmark and Norway benefit of a visa exemption to Vietnam for a stay of maximum 15 days. This list could be soon extended to several other nationalities including Australian, New-Zealanders and Canadian.

 

All of those are probable to change suddenly in an unexpected way. Make sure you get the most updated information before traveling. We are always available to help you planning your holyday and to give you more information on visas and travel, so do not hesitate, this way please > info@handspan.com

 

In the next article, we will tell you some mouthwatering stories about our upcoming inspection trip to the hidden parts of Central Vietnam. Stay tuned.