Good to know for UK travelers
Travel to Vietnam from UK does not have to be challenging. This article will give you a throughout view of what to need to be done before traveling to Vietnam from UK, including Vietnam visa requirement for British, flights to Vietnam from UK, exchanging currency in Vietnam, Vietnam adventure ideas…
Visa to Vietnam for British
-
First of all, the traveler’s passport must be valid for at least 6 months from the date of entry into Vietnam. According to the latest Vietnam Immigration Regulations, UK citizens with an ordinary passport are on Vietnam visa exemption list until June 30, 2021. This means if a UK citizen’s length of stay in Vietnam is less than 15 days, they do not need a Vietnam visa to travel. If a UK citizen’s length of stay in Vietnam is longer than 15 days, a Vietnam Visa is required.
-
If you wish to enter Viet Nam at least two consecutive times without visa, the next entry must be at least 30 days after the previous exit. Otherwise, you still need a visa to enter Vietnam.
How to get Visa to Vietnam
There are two way of obtaining a visa to Vietnam
-
If your trip is 30 days or less and if you are traveling by air to Vietnam, you could apply for a Visa on Arrival. Firstly, you need to submit an application form online to apply for a Letter of Approval. Vietnam Immigration Department in Vietnam will email you the Letter of Approval. Secondly, take your approval letter and passport on your trip and have it stamped at the immigration office at one of Vietnam’s international airport. Most important, remember to bring enough cash to pay for Visa fee at the airport in USD and no other form of payment is accepted.
-
Take your passport to the Vietnam Embassy in UK for application. You then will come back to the embassy to pick up your stamped visa after several days. Vietnam’s Embassy in UK
Address :12-14 Victoria Road, London W8 5 RD
(5-minutes walking from High Street Kensington Underground station)
Email:
consular@vietnamembassy.org.uk (Recommended)
Tel: 0207 937 1912 – Fax: 0207 937 6108
Website: http://vietnamembassy.org.uk
Opening Time: 09.30 to 12.30 ONLY, Monday to Friday
Please note that there is NO appointment system at the Embassy
Note: in the case the Vietnam Embassy in UK required you to get a Visa Code. You will need to apply for a Vietnam Letter of Approval online and get the Visa code on the letter.
Flights to Vietnam from UK
Best time to fly to Vietnam
Travel-wise, September to April is the best times to travel in Northern Vietnam as it is the finest weather. On the other hand, May to October is the only time you should not travel in Central and South Vietnam due to its rainy season and sea storms.
To get the most out of your trip, read more about travel to Vietnam in different seasons.
How long does the flight from UK to Vietnam take?
Flights from London to Hanoi, Vietnam: 11 hours 20 minutes
Flights from Manchester to Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam: 15 hours 10 minutes
Flights from Birmingham to Hanoi, Vietnam: 14 hours 25 minutes
Flights from Glasgow to Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam: 15 hours 45 minutes
Most popular airlines to fly from UK to Vietnam
Generally, you will find flights from UK to Vietnam operated by Emirates, Qatar Airways, Air Canada, Air China, China Southern, Vietnam Airline and Alitalia.
Finding the best price
You could check directly the airfare on Airline websites, some popular Airline websites for flights from UK to Vietnam are:
There are many online airfare platforms to help you check and compare the rates of your flight from UK to Vietnam.
Things not allowed to carry into Vietnam
-
Weapon, ammunition and explosive or inflammable objects must be excluded from your luggage.
-
Drugs, opium and other narcotics are restricted. If it is not an over-the-counter medicines, you must bring your doctor’s prescription with you.
-
The list goes on, for further specific information, check with your local tour operator.
Money & Currency
What is Vietnamese official currency?
Vietnam’s official currency is Vietnam Dong (VND). Vietnam Dong comes in polymerized notes (there are no coins used in Vietnam). The smallest bill in Vietnam is VND 500 (GBP 0.016) and the highest value note in Vietnam is VND 500,000 (GBP 16.43). On 06/Jun/2018, the currency rate is 1 GBP = VND 30,230.32 (VietcomBank).
How much cash could I bring on me?
Travelers going through Vietnam customs are request to declare if carrying over USD 5,000 or foreign equivalents or over VND 15,000,000.
Where to exchange my money?
There are three main locations you could exchange Pound Sterling, which are banks, hotels and gold/jewelry shops. British pounds, US dollar, Euro and Canadian dollar are widely accepted in Vietnam.
-
Banks: In big cities or developed areas, there always are several bank. The most known banks in Vietnam are VietinBank, SacomBank, VietcomBank, Agribank, Eximbank…
-
Hotels: You could exchange cash in Vietnam at many hotels in Vietnam. While larger hotels could offer competitive rates with banks, smaller hotels could charge you a fee for the service.
-
Jewelry and Gold shop: Unlike in hotels and airports, the rates of these shops are usually fair and frequently these shops have no service fee. The most well-known shops in Hanoi are on Ha Trung Street or Hang Bo Street while in Ho Chi Minh City are founded on Nguyen An Ninh street.
Finding and Using ATMs in Vietnam?
ATMs are common and could be found anywhere in big cities and developed areas. Most of ATMs accept Visa and MasterCard. Despite this method’s convenience and reliability, the exchange rate of ATMs here are much higher than that in banks and hotels (1 withdrawal fee is about 1-3% of the amount withdrawn).
Using debit card/ credit cards in Vietnam?
Vietnam is still a cash based countries, which means most services such as restaurants and shops will accept cash only. However, travelers could still use card at large stores or international chains.
Highlights things to do in Vietnam
-
Visiting charming ancient cities and towns such as Ha Noi, Hue, Hoi An… and learn about Vietnamese culture and history.
-
Cruising on UNESCO world heritage site Ha Long bay emerging yourself in calm, crystal blue ocean surrounded with thousands of limestone pillars.
-
Exploring and enjoying the spectacular mountainous scenery with signature rice paddies in SaPa, Mu Cang Chai, Ha Giang… as well as learning about the ethnics’ lives here.
-
Tasting the healthy and well-balanced world-famous dishes of Vietnam Pho, Nem (spring roll), Banh Mi, Banh Cuon, Banh Xeo…
-
Having amazing time on the beaches Cat Ba, Lang Co, Nha Trang, Phu Quoc…
Vietnam tour guide for British
It is completely ok for UK travelers to travel by themselves to explore Vietnam. However, Goodmorningvietnam recommends tourists to book a local tour guide with them to make their trips much easier, to provide answers for their questions right away and to deal with unpredictable incidents.
Goodmorningvietnam provides professional and fluently English speaking local tour guides for UK travelers.
UK in Vietnam – British communities in Vietnam
British Embassy in Hanoi
Address: Central Building, 4th floor, 31 Hai Ba Trung, Hanoi, Vietnam
Telephone +84 (0)24 3936 0500
Fax +84 (0)24 3936 0561
Email – for general enquiries: generalenquiries.vietnam@fco.gov.uk
Email – for consular enquiries in Vietnam: consularenquiries.vietnam@fco.gov.uk
Email – for trade and investment in Vietnam: DIT.Vietnam@fco.gsi.gov.uk
Office opening hours: Monday to Thursday: 8.30am to 12.30pm and 1.30pm to 4.45pm. Friday: 8.30am to 12.30pm and 1.00pm to 3.00pm
Consular public hours (for notarial and documentary services – by appointment only): Tuesday, Thursday: 09:00am to 10:00am Wednesday: 02:00pm to 03:00pm.
British Consulate-General Ho Chi Minh City
Address: 25 Le Duan Street, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Telephone +84 (0)28 3825 1380 / +84 (0)24 3936 0500
Fax (Commercial and Management sections) +84 (0)28 3822 1971
Fax (Consular sections) +84 (0)28 3829 5257
Email – for consular enquiries in Vietnam: consularenquiries.vietnam@fco.gov.uk
Email – for trade and investment in Vietnam DIT.Vietnam@fco.gsi.gov.uk
Office opening hours: Monday to Thursday: 8:30am to 12:30pm and 1:30pm to 4:45pm
Friday: 8.30am to 12.30pm and 1.30pm to 3.00pm
Consular public hours (for notarial and documentary services – by appointment only): Tuesday, Thursday: 09:00am to 10:00am. Wednesday: 02:00pm to 03:00pm.
UK help and services in Vietnam
List of emergency help for British nationals, passports and emergency travel documents, Vietnam travel advices, doing business and investing in Vietnam… (
https://www.gov.uk/world/vietnam)