Information on visas to Vietnam

Visa is necessary for all Indians entering Vietnam, except the holders of diplomatic and official passports. A visa can be applied for in person, by mail or through travel agents.

  Applicants for visa must submit original passport, a photograph, a filled out application form, approval from Vietnam Immigration Agency and visa fee to the Embassy of Vietnam in New Delhi. Visa will be issued and ready for collecting after one working day.

  Approval can be obtained through your sponsor, partner or a travel agent in Vietnam. Applicant without sponsor or partner may seek assistance from the Embassy for approval with an extra communication fee and 5 working days. ( excluding holidays & weekends).

  For 15 day tourists, approval is processed by the Embassy and visa can be issued and ready for collecting after one working day.

  Those who wish to apply visa through mail, should send also a self-addressed postage-prepaid envelope so that the passport with visa would be returned to the same address. Visa fee (and approval communication fee if necessary) in this case must be made out in bank draft in favour of Vietnam Embassy in New Delhi.

TYPES OF VISAS	VISAS FEE
	$US	RUPEE
Single entry	25	1784
One month multiple entry	40	2854
Multiple entry for less than 6 months	70	4994
Multiple entry for more than 6 months to one year	100	7134
Approval processing and communication fee	20	1427

Visa working hours:
Submission time: 10.00am-12.30 pm.
Collection time: 16.00-17.00 pm
Other details please contact the Embassy

Fields of cooperation between Vietnam and India

Science and Technology

A bilateral Agreement on cooperation in Science & Technology between India and Vietnam which was first concluded in 1976, was renewed in February 1996.
Under the Agreement, a Joint Committee on Science & Technology was constituted in 1997 to oversee implementation and report progress to the Indo-Vietnam Joint Commission. The Joint Committee so far has met four times, the fourth being in New Delhi on 21st August, 2001.

A fresh Programme of Cooperation (POC) for the period 2000-2001 was also concluded. 30 Slots under ITEC programme are separately reserved for training of Vietnamese scientists in India and cooperation in this field is covered under the auspices of the Joint Commission and the JWG. Several exchanges have taken place, e.g., in October 1998 Asia Tech, in November 1998 on Biotechnology.

In August 1999, the First India-Vietnam Protocol on Information Technology was signed, which details types of possible cooperation in the field of information technology. The Government of Vietnam has identified India as a strategic partner in this field.

During the visit of the Vietnamese President to India in December, 1999, an MOU was signed between the Indian Ministry of Information Technology and the Vietnamese Ministry of Science, Technology and Environment for setting up of two Centres for Software HRD in Vietnam, with funds (US$ 5 million) for their implementation from Govt. of India line of credit of Rs. 470 million granted to Vietnam in 1997. The project has not been started by Vietnam as it seems they have some problem in utilising GOI credits for this purpose.

A contract between Da Nang Software Technology Centre in Danang, Vietnam and APTECH of India has been signed on December 6, 2000 for setting up a human resource development centre for Information Technology without any international funding. According to the agreement, APTECH would supply teaching materials and methodologies, ways of management of the centre, course, curriculum, certificate issuance, etc. and Da Nang Software Technology Centre would be responsible for conducting training courses based on the curriculum designed by APTECH. Two other centres for software human resources are expected tobe established in Vietnam using the grants of the Indian Government.

Culture

A Cultural Agreement between India and Vietnam was signed in 1976. The specific activities and exchanges are mutually agreed in the form of a cultural exchange programme. The validity of the existing CEP, i.e., upto the end-2000, has been extended by three years, i.e., for 2001, 2002 and 2003 by signing an Extension Protocol during PMs visit to Vietnam in January, 2001.

ITEC Cooperation

Considerable economic assistance has been extended to Vietnam under the Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation Programme (ITEC), in fact, Indias training programme with Vietnam is the largest, with 110 slots annually. Fully-paid scholarship's are being offered annually for training in diverse fields including agriculture, fisheries, animal husbandry, management, foreign trade, small industry extension, science & technology, computer software/hardware, computer applications, audit & accounts, pharmaceuticals, remote sensing, mass communication, English language, water resources, etc. Two major institutes in the field of agriculture and animal husbandry have been set up with Indian assistance under the ITEC Programme. These are the Rice Research Institute in O'Mon, Cuu Long Rice Research Institute, the Buffalo Forage Research Centre at Songbe. A Multipurpose Small Industries Training Centre has been successfully commissioned in Hanoi in August, 1995. A new set of machinery worth US$ 500,000 was gifted to the Government of Vietnam and installed at the Textile Research Institute in Hanoi. An English language teacher from India has been deputed (Sep. 1999-June, 2002) at the Institute of International Relations of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to teach English to young Vietnamese diplomats at several other universities and research institutions.

Credits

At present, two lines of credit are operational: (1) Rs. 470 million (equivalent to US $ 12 million rapaid by them in 1997) for which an agreement was signed during the 9th Joint Commission Meeting in February 1999 (The financing cost of US$ 5 million for setting up of HRD Centres in the IT Sector, would be released from out of this credit.) and (2) Rs. 600 million extended by an agreement during the visit of the Vietnamese President (December 1999). Of this, the first credit line for Rs. 470 million remains unutilized. The second credit line of Rs. 600 million has been partially utilised. Two contracts under the credit one pertaining to PEC for Rs. 198 million and another pertaining to RITES for Rs. 229 have been approved. A new credit line of US $ 27 million has been offered by the Government of India to Vietnam. An Agreement on this credit is expected tobe signed in the near future.

Indian Investment in Vietnam

Vietnam's economic policies have opened up tremendous opportunities for Indian investment, both for tapping the growing domestic market and for exports. Its impending entry into the ASEAN preferential tariff regime makes it an ideal springboard for export marketing to the entire region. At present, Indian investment in Vietnam is to the tune of $ 125 million, mainly in sugar production, electric power generation plant, edible oil and plastic sectors.

Besides the above, ONGC is involved in a major joint-venture offshore oil and natural gas exploration in the southern part of Vietnam. In the coming years, this ONGC-VL investment in the production sharing contract (PSC) between itself, Petro Vietnam, BP and the Norwegian company, Statoil, will be one of the largest investment (US$228 million) of the Government of India PSU anywhere in the world. ONGC-VLs share of the PSC is 45%. The Government of Vietnam attaches a lot of importance to this project and it has been elevated to the top three projects of national importance by the Vietnamese National Assembly.

Bilateral Trade and Investment

A Bilateral Trade Agreement was signed between the two countries originally in 1978, a revised version of which came into being on 8th March, 1997 in New Delhi during the visit of the Vietnamese Prime Minister to India. Trade related issues are also reviewed by the two countries under the aegis of the Indo-Vietnam Joint Commission, Joint Working Group, Joint Business Council, Trade Fairs and Exhibitions, etc.
A Bilateral Investment Promotion and Protection Agreement (BIPPA) has been signed between the two countries on 8th March, 1997 in New Delhi and ratified during the visit of the Vietnamese President to India in December, 1999.

During 2000-2001 major commodities exported to Vietnam (with their percentage share) were drugs, pharmaceuticals and fine chemicals (18.15%), oil meals (18.13%), plastic and linoleum products (13.83%), machinery & instruments (8.88%), rubber manufactured products except footwear (6.98%), inorganic/organic/agro-chemicals (4.91%), marine products (4.54%) cotton yarn, fabrics, made-ups, etc. (3.24%), iron and steel bar / rod etc. (3.12%), and primary and semi-finished iron and steel (2.79%).

So far as major items of import from Vietnam are concerned, the main items with their share in total imports from Vietnam were spices (14.16%), electronic goods (9.72%), tea (7.64%), essential oil and cosmetic preparation (6.04%), natural rubber (5.4%), non-ferrous metals (4%) and chemical materials and products (4%). However, the volume of imports is not much.

With the increasing acceptance of Indian products in the Vietnamese market, the prospects of a further rapid growth in our exports to Vietnam are very bright. Two Pride of India exhibitions, in 1998, had been bold initiatives taken in this regard. The 3rd Pride of India exhibition was held in Ho Chi Minh City in December, 1999. Some Indian companies representing oil and natural gas, project exports, chemicals, watches, etc. participated in the 10th Vietnam International Trade Fair in Hanoi in April 2000. The 4th Pride of India Exhibition in Ho Chi Minh City has been held in Ho Chi Minh City from 27th February to 2nd March, 2001. More than 10 Vietnamese companies participated in the 17th Industrial India Trade Fair from 19 to 31st December, 2003 in Kolkata with Vietnam as Partner Country.

Major Festival of Vietnam

Lunar New Year (Tet)
There is no more colorful time to be in Vietnam than during the days leading up to Tet Nguyen Dan, the most important festival of the year for Viet Nam's Kinh ethnic majority. Since the first days of lunar year are thought to set the tone for the next 12 months, everyone strives to plan a perfect Tet.

In Hanoi, the narrow lanes of the Old Quarter buzz with activity. Everyone is in a rush to get a haircut, buy new clothes, spruce up their homes, visit friends, settle outstanding debts, and stock up on traditional Tet delicacies. Businesses hang festive red banners which read" Chuc mung nam moi " (Happy New year) and city streets are festooned with colored lights. Stalls spring up allover town to sell mut (candied fruits and jams), traditional cakes, and fresh fruit and flowers.

Certain markets sell nothing but cone- shaped kumquat bushes. Others sell flowering peach trees, symbols of life and good fortune which people bring in to celebrate the coming of spring. As vendors pour into the city with peach trees strapped to their bicycles, the streets look like moving pink forests.
In the south, people bring yellow Mai (apricot) branches into their homes and place a coconut, a papaya, a mango and a custard apple on the family altar. Spoken in the southern dialect, the names of these fruit form a prayer for success and fulfillment.

Three crucial meetings are said to take place on Tet. The first is between three family deities: Tien su, the deity responsible for introducing the family to its traditional career; Tho Cong, who oversees the land where the family lives; and Tao Quan, the Kitchen God, who cares for the family's food.

The second meeting rakes place between the dead and the living. People place offerings of food and drinks on their ancestral altars, light incense, and invite their ancestors to join the family's Tet celebrations The third meeting involves the immediate family. On New Year's Eve, family members gather for a dinner of traditional foods like banh chung (a square cake made of sticky rice stuffed with beans and pork) and xoi gac (orange sticky rice ). This is followed by a visit to the local pagoda and perhaps an outing to see the town's fireworks.

Mid Autumn
Every year when Lunar August comes, Vietnamese children are eagerly looking for the Mid-autumn festival which falls on the 15th day. They enthusiasti cally wait the presentation of toys and enjoy the Mid-autumn feast in the moon light, watching lion dances, lantern processions and ther amusements.

As the legend says, on one evening of the 15th day of lunar August, a male fairy invited the King to the moon.
The scenery was very magnificent and there were beautiful fairies dancing. While the King was passionately watching the scenery, the fairy took him back to the earth. Since then, the King always thought of the moon with its luring landscape and his wonderful moments there.

To celebrate that day he decided to organize the Mid-Auturrm Festival. At the festival, people usually drink wine, watch the moon, hence the Mid-Autumn is also called the Moon Watching Festival. Gradually, the Mid-Autumn festival has become a festival for the children. Right from the beginning of lunar August, everyone excitedly prepares for the Mid-Auturrm Festival. Various kinds of toys, such as starshaped lanterns, Chinese lanterns, Japanese lanterns and folded lanterns, which are made from bamboo, wood and coloured paper, are sold everywhere, especially on Hang Ma streets in Hanoi and the toy shops. Two special cakes of the Mid-Autumn FestivalBanh deo (sticky rice dumplings) and Banh nuong (grilled moon cake) are produced in large quantity. They are a must on the food tray for moon watching, among such fruits as custard apple, bananas, grapefruit, guava and persimmon, and a plate of green sticky rice flakes. In particular, there are also As the legend says, on one evening of the 15th day of lunar August, a male fairy invited the King to the moon. The scenery was very magnificent and there were beautiful fairies dancing. While the King was assionately watching the scenery, the fairy took him back to the earth. Since then, the King always thought of the moon with its luring landscape and his wonderful moments there. To celebrate that day he decided to organize the Mid-Auturrm Festival. At the festival, people usually drink wine, watch the moon, hence the Mid-Autumn is also called the Moon Watching Festival.

Gradually, the Mid-Autumn Festival has become a festival for the children. Right from the beginning of lunar August, everyone excitedly prepares for the Mid-Auturrm Festival. Various kinds of toys, such as starshaped lanterns, Chinese lanterns, Japanese lanterns and folded lanterns, which are made from bamboo, wood and coloured paper, are sold everywhere, especially on Hang Ma streets in Hanoi and the toy shops.
Two special cakes of the Mid-Autumn FestivalBanh deo (sticky rice dumplings) and Banh nuong (grilled moon cake) are produced in large quantity.

They are a must on the food tray for moon watching, among such fruits as custard apple, bananas, grapefruit, guava and persimmon, and a plate of green sticky rice flakes. In particular, there are also flowers and animals made from the sections of grapefruit, which make the tray more attractive.

The banh nuong and banh deo of Hanoi are considered the most delicious cakes for the festival. Hang Duong and Hang Buom streets have quite a few families with a tradition of making these cakes. Walking along these streets on this occasion, visitors will see the bakers standing behind rows of tables to make the dumplings. Under their skilful hands delicious cakes in different sizes and shapes are produced. Banh nuong has a brown cover because it is made from wheat flour paste, which is put into a mouldy after it is stuffed with dry preserved squash, pork fat soaked in sugar, lotus seeds, pumpkin seeds, fried groundnuts or salted eggs, green bean powder, roasted chicken, pork and pork sausage.

Before the cake is grilled, its e cover is painted with egg yolk. Unlike banh nuong, banh deo is made from roasted sticky rice powder. The powder is added water and sugar to become a paste. Then it is stuffed and put into a mould. Coming out of the mould the cake is ready to be served.
At the Mid-Autumn Festival, children like to perform lion dances which also draw the adults' attention. The lantern processions are no less attractive. Through the colourful cellophane papers, the light from the lighted candles inside the lanterns make the moonlight more fascinating. The festisval will be more joyful with the song "Marching with the star-shaped lantern" sung by the children.

Vietnam's Relations with India

As the two neighbours In Asia, Viet Nam and India have entertained the ancient cultural and trade interactions. In the contemporary times, the two peoples sympathized with and supported each other in the struggle for independence and freedom of the each country. President Ho Chi Minh and the Indian leaders such as Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru have laid the foundation for the traditional and close friendship between two nations. Prime Minister J. Nehru was the first foreign dignitary to visit Viet Nam right after Hanoi's liberation in October, 1954. President Ho Chi Minh paid a historic visit to India in February, 1958. The two counties upgraded their relations to ambassadorial level from 7th January 1972.
After Viet Nam's reunification, Viet Nam - Indian relations entered the stage of comprehensive cooperation, encompassing political, economic, cultural scientific and technological fields. During the official visits of Prime Minister Pham Van Dong to India in 1978 and 1980, the two sides signed many agreements on cooperation in economic , commercial , scientific and technological cooperation. Stemming from the desire to assist Viet Nam to restore the war-ravaged economy, since 1978, the Indian Government has provided Viet Nam with credits, including loans in food and assistance in the fields of agriculture, light industry and transport as well as in setting up Rice Research Institute in Omon and Buffalo Forage Research Centre in Song Be etc.

Official visits of Secretary General of the Communist party of Viet Nam Le Duan to India in 1984 and Secretary General Nguyen Van Linh in 1989 as well as the visits of Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi to Viet Nam in 1985 and 1988 created a driving force for the promotion of the close friendship and multi-faceted cooperation between the two countries. The inter-governmental Joint Commission on Economic, Cultural and Science-technological cooperation, co-chaired by the two Foreign Ministers set up in 1982 has contributed a great deal to consolidating their bilateral relationship. From 1988, the two sides have extended their collaboration to oil and natural gas exploration. Dozen of Indian public and private companies have set up their representative offices and undertaken joint venture projects in Viet Nam.

The decade of 90s witnessed the vigorous expansion in the bilateral cooperation. Their close relationship marked by mutual trust continued to be strengthened through the visits of Secretary General Do Muoi to India in 1992, of the Chairman of National Assembly Nong Duc Manh in 1994 and that of Prime Minister Vo Van Kiet in 1997 as well as the visits to Viet Nam of President R. Venkataraman in 1992, Vice-President K. Ranayanan in 1993 and Prime Minister N. Rao in 1994. For the first time since Viet Nam's reunification, President Tran Duc Luong paid the State visit to India in December, 1999. The visit by Prime Minister A. B. Vajpayee to Vietnam in 2001 and the visit by General Secretary Nong Duc Manh to India in 2003 marked historic milestones and provided the basis for raising the bilateral relations between the two countries to a new height in the 21st century. The Indian leaders regard the relationship with Viet Nam as " special" and a "policy of national consensus", supported by all parties and people in India. They admire for the achievements of our renovation and highly appreciate Viet Nam's open foreign policy and increasingly growing role in the region and the world over. The two countries share identical or close views on the important regional and global issues, agree to coordinate their activities in promoting peace and stability in the region, strengthening South - South cooperation, enhancing the role of the Non-Aligned Movement and fostering cooperation at the UN and other, regional and international fora, striving for peace and international security, for the equal, democratic and progressive world order. Viet Nam appreciates India's foreign policy of promoting cooperation with ASEAN, actively contributing to the peace, stability in the region and upholding her role in the world at large. At the 54 session of the UN General Assembly, Viet Nam expressed support for India to become a permanent member of the expanded UN Security Council and this was warmly acclaimed by the Government, people and public opinion of India.

The economic, cultural, commercial and scientific - technological collaboration between the two countries has witnessed fast development in the resent years and brought about the important results. The two way trade turnover increased from US$ 50 million in the 80s to more than US$ 350 million in 2002 and numerous measures have been taken to diversify the products with a view to increase the trade volume to US$ 500 million in the year of 2005. The Government of India continues to provide annual credit lines as to facilitate Viet Nam's import of the equipment for projects in agricultural, agro-forest processing industries, especially sugar, tea, import of locomotives and wagons... Regarding investment, India has so far invested in more than 10 projects and joint ventures with the total capital of above US$ 130 million, mainly in the oil and natural gas exploration, agriculture, bio-seeds, agro-forest processing, electricity transmission, pharmaceutical products... The progress in the field of scientific-technological cooperation and first of all in software technology is especially encouraging. The two sides have set up Joint Working Group co-chaired by Vice- Minister to promote cooperation in this edge sector.