Visa issue and direct flights in focus
Russia and Vietnam are negotiating to restore tourist flows
Russia and Vietnam are negotiating to restore tourist flows. This was stated by the head of the diplomatic mission Gennady Bezdetko. To do this, you need to simplify entry and organize direct flights.
Proposals are being considered to simplify the procedure for entry into Russia for Vietnamese. As one of the options, the possibility of issuing visas by “direct” invitations from Russian organizations in the event that a citizen of Vietnam takes part in scientific and cultural events, official meetings and negotiations, creative competitions, sports competitions or studies at a university. At the moment, citizens belonging to the listed categories can apply for documents through the regional offices of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia, but this may take some time.
As for the rules for entry into Vietnam for Russians, they are quite loyal even now. Moreover, on March 28, the maximum visa-free stay of up to 45 days was approved, and for holders of e-visas – up to 90 days. However, if it is possible to agree on mutual visa facilitation, then Russia and Vietnam will be able to take negotiations to the next level – on the complete abolition of the visa regime for citizens of the two states.
The second topic for discussion was the establishment of air traffic, since there are still no direct flights between Russia and Vietnam. According to Bezdetko, they hope to solve the problem soon, but the exact dates have not yet been announced.
At the moment, the Vietnamese government does not guarantee the inviolability of the aircraft of Russian airlines. In this regard, carriers cannot resume flights between countries. If Vietnam manages to remove this obstacle, the tourist flow will be noticeably increased.
According to the Russian Embassy in Hanoi, 30,000 Russians arrived in Vietnam in 2022.
The Russian Foreign Ministry announced negotiations on visa-free entry to 11 states: Bahrain, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Bahamas, Barbados, Haiti, Kuwait, Malaysia, Mexico, Zambia, Trinidad and Tobago – and visa facilitation with six more: India, Vietnam, Indonesia, Philippines, Syria and Angola.