What should I do if my visa application requires information about the company organising the tour?

Question:

I am a Sri Lankan citizen who applied for a visa to Vietnam a few days ago. I intend to travel to Vietnam independently, without booking a tour with a Vietnamese travel company. However, after a week, I received this message in my visa application: “Please provide full information in your application: The company’s name/phone number in Vietnam, you are expected to book a tour”. What should I provide them in this case, given that I have no experience with tour companies in Vietnam?

Answer:
This is a very common issue for some nationalities applying for a Vietnam visa, and it does not necessarily mean you must actually join a tour.
For certain passports (including Sri Lankan, and more popular for the African, Middle Eastern, or Muslim countries), the Vietnam Immigration Department sometimes:
– Flags independent travel as higher risk;
– Expects a contact in Vietnam (tour company or sponsor) who can be responsible for you while in Vietnam;
If you have this issue when applying for a Vietnam visa, you should try the tips below:

Option 1: Provide hotel details instead of a tour (recommended first try)
If you are travelling independently, you can reply by providing a PDF file that states:

• Hotel name;
• Hotel address;
• Hotel phone number;
• Your planned itinerary (cities + dates)

Please explain that you are travelling independently and will not join an organised tour.

Option 2: Shorten your visa validity that matches the itinerary
If you apply for a 90 days e-visa, you must provide with a detailed itinerary. You may shorten the visa validity to 30 days and provide a well-planned itinerary.

Option 3: Use a Vietnamese travel agency as a sponsor
You may find a tour company in Vietnam that is willing to provide the information about the company (name, address and phone number) and a detailed itinerary. This is the most reliable option, but it’s not easy to find one if you don’t take their tours.

Option 4: Use the expedited Vietnam e-visa service
The expedited Vietnam e-visa allows you to obtain your visa in a significantly shorter time. It also helps resolve issues that may arise from concerns or suspicions about unauthorised entry. Designed specifically for emergency travel, the expedited e-visa ensures that your application is reviewed more quickly, allowing immigration officers to assess your explanation promptly and manually approve your visa in a shorter timeframe.