Quang Tri is a province in Vietnam that’s located in the North Central Coast region of the country, and the north of Hue, the former imperial capital. The province borders the former Demilitarized Zone that separated North and South Vietnam until 1975. As the most heavily war-impacted province in Vietnam, most of the foreigners who are based in Quang Tri are working on humanitarian projects, such as the clearing of landmines. Thus, the Vietnam Immigration Office has established an office here.
Located in 19 Le Loi street, Ward 5 in Dong Ha City, the Vietnam Immigration Office in Quang Tri can assist foreigners with all their Immigration-related concerns, including visa extension and renewal.
If you need your Vietnam visa extended, the first thing you need to do is to fill out the NA5 form. This form is available at the Vietnam Immigration Office in Quang Tri, although you can also get a copy of this form online, from the website of the Vietnam Immigration. Print a copy of this form and fill it out completely. Bring this to the Vietnam Immigration Office along with your passport and visa copy.
At the Immigration Office, the staff will verify the documents and will advise you if they need additional requirements to process your visa. If not, they will ask you to pay the processing fee so they can start processing your visa extension request. The process will take around 3 to 5 working days. But it could take longer, depending on the Vietnam Immigration. If you need it earlier, you can have it expedited for an added fee.
If the visa extension will not work for your situation, the visa renewal is a good option. With the visa renewal, you will be issued a new visa that will let you stay longer in Vietnam. You also get to choose the type of visa to apply for when getting a visa renewal. This is the best option for foreigners who entered Vietnam with no visa since they came from countries that are eligible for visa-free entry into the country.
When getting a visa renewal in Quang Tri, you will be asked to fill out the application form at the Vietnam Immigration Office. You also need to submit your passport, which should be valid for at least six months from the validity date of your new visa. There will be a processing fee that you need to pay, and the cost will depend on the type of visa that you have chosen to apply for. The cost or processing fee for the visa renewal is more expensive compared to the visa extension. However, you will not be required to go out of the country anymore, so it’s still a cheaper and more convenient option.
Both the visa extension and visa renewal will allow you to stay longer in Vietnam, even after your visa expires. But which option will work best for you? What are the differences between the two?
If you will apply for the Vietnam visa extension, the Vietnam Immigration Department will extend the validity of your existing visa. However, you need to exit the country before your current visa will expire. When you re-enter, you will still be using the same visa. The Vietnam Immigration will immediately stamp your passport for re-entry since your visa’s validity has already been extended.
With the visa renewal, you will be given a new visa. When you choose this option, you are like applying for a new visa, which is why it costs more. But the best thing about this visa is you no longer need to extend your stay. Once you will be given a new visa, you can continue staying in the country, depending on the validity of the new visa that you have applied for. This option is highly recommended if you did not use any visa when you entered the country, as part of the visa exemption policy.
If you are still confused about the visa extension and visa renewal, consider hiring a local agency that can facilitate the extension of your stay in the country. The agency will coordinate with the Vietnam Immigration Office in Quang Tri for the processing of your visa extension and will make sure that it gets approved before your visa expires. That way, you can avoid paying the expensive penalty fees. If you have any other issues regarding your Immigration Status, the local agency will get this sorted for you. They are experts in this field, so you can rely on their services, whatever situation you are in.
