How To Get Visa Extended and Renewed in Dien Bien

Dien Bien, also known as Dien Bien Phu or DBP is a city located in Vietnam’s northwestern region. It’s the capital of Dien Bien Province and plays an important role in the modern history of Vietnam. It is in this area where the Viet Minh forces defeated the French colonial forces. This historical town sits in the Muong Thanh Valley, which is heavily surrounded by forested hills. Some Ethnic groups are living in the surrounding mountainous villages, making it a great place to explore if you want to know more about the Vietnamese culture.Foreigners who are based in Dien Bien should be aware that there’s a Vietnam Immigration Office in Dien Bien Province. So for all your immigration-related concerns, including visa extension and renewal,  you do not need to travel far. You just go to their office, which is located in Group 16, Thanh Binh Ward, Dien Bien City.

Dien Bien Immigration Office

How to Apply for a Visa Extension in Dien Bien

The first thing to do when applying for a visa extension in Dien Bien is to call the Vietnam Immigration Office and inquire. But you can also proceed directly to the office if you want. Just make sure to bring with you your passport. Here are the steps.

1. Upon your arrival at the Vietnam Immigration Office in Dien Bien, inform the staff that you need to request a visa extension. The staff will then ask you to fill out the form known as the NA5 form. If you want, you can download this form in advance from the website of Vietnam Immigration. Print the form and fill it out so you just need to submit it when you arrive at the Immigration Office.
2. After you fill out the form, submit it together with your passport. It’s important that your passport is valid for at least six months from the extension date of your visa. So double-check before you go to the Immigration Office.
3. It will take around 3 to 5 business days for the Vietnam Immigration Office to process your visa extension request. Once it is approved, you can exit the country. So when you re-enter, the Vietnam Immigration Officer at the border will stamp your passport for re-entry.

Take note that when requesting an extension of your visa, you can only request for the extension period to be similar or less than the validity of your visa. For example, if the visa you’re holding is good for 30 days, then you can only request an extension of 30 days or less. You will be charged for the processing fee, depending on the validity period that you have requested.

How To Get Visa Renewal in Dien Bien

For foreigners who entered Vietnam without a visa since they came from countries that are part of the Vietnam exemption program, they can request a visa renewal to extend their stay in Vietnam. With this option, they will be issued a new visa, which will allow them to stay in the country for a longer time. Here are the steps to apply for a visa renewal from the Vietnam Immigration Office in Dien Bien.

1. Go to the Vietnam Immigration Office and fill out the application form for your visa renewal request.
2. Submit the form with your passport. Make sure that your passport has extra blank pages because they will stick the new visa to your passport. It should also remain valid for at least six months from the validity of your new visa.
3. The processing time for visa renewal is the same as the visa extension, which is around 3 to 5 business days. Once your visa is already available, the Vietnam Immigration Office will ask you to claim your passport.

Since you will be issued a new visa, the cost of the processing fee for visa renewal is more expensive compared to the visa extension.

Hire a Local Agency to Assist you with your Visa Renewal or Extension

It can sometimes get complicated to process a visa extension or renewal, especially if this is your first time. In this case, it might be worth paying for an agency to assist you with this. They are experts on immigration-related concerns and will make sure that your visa renewal or extension request will be a success.

There are instances that the Vietnam Immigration Office in Dien Bien might request other requirements depending on your status. The agency would be able to facilitate this to avoid any complications. This is especially helpful if your visa is about to expire soon and you need to get your extension or renewal request approved as soon as possible. In fact, the agency can also request for the process to be expedited for an additional cost.

For inquiries, please feel free to contact

info@vietnamvisa.cheap