Việt kiều and foreign spouses of Vietnamese nationals will soon be able to save a few extra pages in their passport, thanks to a new decree from the Ministry of Public Security granting visa exemptions to members of these two groups.
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The new regulation goes into effect on November 15, reports Tuoi Tre, at which time the foreign spouses and children of Vietnamese citizens, as well as all overseas Vietnamese, are eligible to apply for a visa waiver certificate
In order to receive the appropriate paperwork, foreign spouses and Việt kiều must provide proof of their connection to the country. The visa exemptions will last for a maximum of five years.
That said, both Việt kiều and foreign spouses of Vietnamese nationals have been eligible for five-year visa exemptions for a while now. As such, it's not entirely clear what's changed with the most recent regulation. News reports do not make mention of the 90-day rule, which requires current visa exemption holders to check in with the authorities every three months. It's possible that there may be a change in this policy, however the details remain ambiguous for the moment.
This move also comes amid a rough year for tourism in the country, and some officials hope that the waiver of visas for overseas Vietnamese will help to encourage more visitors.
[Photo via dcgreer]
