Vietnam’s government issued Resolution No. 44/NQ-CP on 7 March 2025, granting visa-free entry to citizens of 12 countries: Germany, France, Italy, Spain, the United Kingdom, Russia, Japan, South Korea, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, and Finland.
Accordingly, citizens of these countries will be exempt from entry visas and temporary residence in Vietnam for up to 45 days, regardless of the purpose of entry, from 15 March 2025 to 14 March 2028.
This visa exemption policy aims to facilitate travel, promote exchange, and foster cooperation between Vietnam and the mentioned countries.
Immigration advisers – and global mobility professionals in charge of the cross-border travel and immigration affairs of employees – may wish to notify travelers from the mentioned countries of the changes in policy under Resolution No. 44/NQ-CP and Decree No. 11/NQ-CP described in this newsletter.
Compared to Decree No. 128/NQ-CP, which has expired, Belarus is no longer included in the visa-free list in the new Resolution. Instead, citizens of Belarus holding ordinary passports will be granted visa-free entry under the bilateral visa exemption agreement between the two countries. This agreement1 took effect from 30 January 2025, allowing citizens of both countries to stay visa-free for up to 30 days upon each entry, with a total stay not exceeding 90 days within a year.
Pursuant to Decree No. 11/NQ-CP dated 15 January 2025, the Vietnamese government has implemented a visa-free policy for citizens of three countries: Poland, the Czech Republic, and Switzerland, within the framework of the Tourism Development Stimulus Program, aimed at promoting the development of the tourism industry in 2025.
This visa exemption applies from 1 March 2025 to 31 December 2025, regardless of passport type, with a temporary stay of 45 days from the date of entry for travelers entering Vietnam for tourism purposes under the program organized by Vietnamese enterprises engaged in international travel services.
Although some Resolutions allow citizens of the relevant countries to enter Vietnam regardless of the purpose of entry, businesses should consider the purpose of entry, the duration of stay in Vietnam, and the possibility of transitioning to appropriate visas if the employee intends to work long-term in Vietnam.
Additionally, according to Resolution No. 11, citizens of Poland, the Czech Republic, and Switzerland are only exempt from visas when entering Vietnam for tourism purposes. Therefore, combining business or work with tourism is not in compliance with the regulations. To conduct short-term business or work, citizens of these countries need to consider appropriate visa types when entering Vietnam.
1 See (in Vietnamese): Hiệp định miễn thị thực cho người mang hộ chiếu phổ thông giữa Việt Nam và Belarus có hiệu lực từ ngày 30/01/2025.
This article is excerpted, with permission, from “Alert on Immigration” (March 2025), a publication of the KPMG Intenraional member firm in Vietnam.
Disclaimer
* Please note the KPMG International member firm in the United States does not provide immigration or labour law services. However, KPMG Law LLP in Canada can assist clients with U.S. immigration matters.
The information contained in this newsletter was submitted by the KPMG International member firm in Vietnam.
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