CÃ Mau is the capital city of Ca Mau Province, a province located in the Mekong Delta Region at the southernmost part of Vietnam. The city is known for its system of transport canals, where goods are transported in barges and boats. Ca Mau is also known for its French architecture lighthouse situated in Khoai island. Here, you can get a sense of an idyllic and laidback lifestyle of the local people and indulge in fresh fruits and vegetables.
Because of its relaxing atmosphere, many foreigners have chosen to live in Ca Mau. For those whose visa is about to expire, the best option is to get a visa extension or renewal at the Vietnam Immigration Office in Ca Mau.
If you live in Ca Mau City and you need to get a visa extension, all you need to do is to visit the Vietnam Immigration Office that’s located in Nguyen Huu Le Street in Ward 2 of the city. You will be asked to fill out the NA5 form with your complete name, passport details, and other information. Prepare your passport because you need to submit it along with the completed form. When your visa extension is approved, you will need to go out of Vietnam. You can immediately go back and re-enter again without the need to apply for a visa. The Immigration Officer at the Passport Control will immediately stamp your passport for entry.
There is a processing fee that you need to pay when getting a visa extension. The cost will depend on the number of days or months that you have requested for the extension. But take note that you cannot request for an extension that’s more than the number of days that your first visa is good for. For example, if you are holding a tourist visa that’s good for 30 days, then you can only request for a visa extension of less than 30 days.
It usually will take 3 to 5 working days for the Vietnam Immigration Office in Ca Mau to approve your visa extension request. Sometimes, it will take longer, depending on the number of applications that the Vietnam Immigration Office will receive.
The steps involved in the application of visa renewal is almost the same to that of the visa extension. But it’s important to note that these two are different. Instead of only getting a visa stamp, you will get a new visa with the visa renewal. This is a great option to those who entered Vietnam without a visa as part of the visa exemption program. When your visa renewal is approved, they will attach a visa sticker to your passport, which will allow you to stay in Vietnam longer.
When you apply for the visa renewal at the Vietnam Immigration Office in Ca Mau, you will be asked to submit your passport. Double-check your passport and make sure that it will remain valid for at least six months from the validity date of your new visa. Otherwise, your renewal request will be denied. Your passport must also have two blank pages for the new visa sticker to be attached.
It will take around 3 – 5 business days for the visa renewal to be processed. And since you are getting a new visa, the processing fee is more expensive than the processing fee for visa extension. But since you don’t need to go out of Vietnam for the visa renewal, this is still a more convenient option.
If you are confused about the process of getting a visa renewal or extension, you can hire a local agency to assist you on this. The agency is run by professionals who are expert in the Immigration Laws of Vietnam. They can also offer the best advice on whether the visa extension or visa renewal is a good option for your situation.
For a minimal fee, the agency will handle the processing of your visa renewal or extension. You just submit your passport to them and other requirements. They will endorse your application to the Vietnam Immigration Office in Ca Mau and all you need to do is wait. Once the result is already available, they will call you to inform you about it.
For foreign visitors who needed to get their visa extended or renewed as soon as possible since the visa is about to expire soon, they can ask help from the agency for their request to be expedited. There is an added fee for this but it is cheaper than having to pay for the penalty for overstaying in the country.
