Quang Binh is a Vietnamese province located in the country’s central region and about 490 km south of Hanoi. It features diverse terrains, from lowlands to mountains, forests, and islands, as well as rivers and seas, Quang Binh is a truly interesting place to visit. Over the years, the government has improved the infrastructure and tourism facilities of Quang Binh, making it more tourist-friendly. Because of this, the province attracts thousands of tourists each year who wanted to explore its historical and cultural sites.
Quang Binh’s laid-back vibe and welcoming atmosphere have lured many foreigners to stay longer. Because of this, the Vietnam Immigration Office has set up an office in Quang Binh to assist foreigners who needed help with extending their visas and other immigration-related concerns.
If you are stuck in Quang Binh and you needed to extend the validity of your visa, you don’t need to go to Hanoi for this. Just proceed to the Vietnam Immigration Office in Quang Binh and submit your application there. There’s a form that you need to fill out. It’s called the NA5 form and it can also be downloaded from the website of Vietnam Immigration. Print the form and fill it out completely.
Bring your passport with you and submit it together with the form and your visa. The staff will check your application form. If they no longer need any requirements from you, they will start processing your visa extension application. There is a processing fee that you need to pay so make sure you bring some cash with you. The cost would vary depending on how long you needed to extend your visa. It’s a good idea to call the Immigration Office in advance to find out how much is the processing fee.
The time it takes for the Vietnam Immigration Office to process the visa extension is 3 to 5 business days. It could take longer sometimes, depending on the number of applications that Vietnam Immigration has received.
Another option for extending your stay in Vietnam is to get a visa renewal. With this option, you will be given a new visa, allowing you to stay in the country for a much longer time. The Vietnam visa renewal can also be applied from the Vietnam Immigration Office in Quang Binh. If you entered Vietnam with no visa since you came from a country that can enter Vietnam visa-free, then this option will work best for you.
Applying for a visa renewal is like applying for a new visa. During your application, you will be asked to choose the type of visa that you want. You can either choose single entry or multiple entries, and whether you need a 30-day or 60-day validity for your visa. When applying for the visa renewal from the Vietnam Immigration Office in Quang Binh, don’t forget to bring your passport and visa, if you have one. You also need to bring some cash to pay for the processing fees. The visa renewal is usually more expensive compared to the visa extension. However, this option will not require you to exit the country anymore. Once a new visa is issued, you can continue staying in the country, depending on the validity of your new visa.
If you find it confusing to apply for a visa extension or visa renewal, you might want to consider using the services of a local agency for assistance. They can process the extension or renewal on your behalf. You just give your application form, passport, and other requirements to them. The agency will forward this to the Vietnam Immigration Office for your request to be processed. After a few days, they will call you to inform you of the status of your request.
The best thing about hiring the local agency is that they can best explain to you the differences between a visa extension and a visa renewal. They can also offer advice on what option will work best for your situation. Since they are experts in this field, you can rest assured that they can help extend your stay in the country with no issues, no matter what the situation is. If you also have other concerns regarding your immigration status, these agencies may be able to help you with these as well.
For foreigners whose visas are about to expire in a few days and would need the extension or renewal process to be expedited, they can inform the agency about this. The agency will coordinate with Vietnam Immigration so that the visa will be extended before it expires. This way, you can avoid paying the expensive penalties for overstaying in the country.
