Travel in Viet Nam

  [ passport & visa ]     trains & planes     xe ôms & taxis

First things first: you are required to have a passport and a visa to get into the country.

If you have never had a passport, you'll need to apply for one in person through a local office, which often ends up being the local post office. You will be required to bring along 2 appropriately-sized mug shots (2"x2"), certified copy of your birth certificate, current identification (such as a driver's license), and the completed application and fees. The State Department's web page gives more details.

Children, not surprisingly, have one noteable difference: both parents need to provide identification and give approval. The rules regarding this are especially important if the parents are divorced. To obtain a passport without consent from the other parent, you must have full and sole physical and legal custody. Notarized copies of the divorce papers will be required along with the application (these can obtained throught the courthouse).

Be sure to check out the government's web site for complete information. There are plenty of hoops to jump through, so make it as painless as possible by getting all the information first. When budgeting, factor in about $100 for each passport.

Once the passport is sent back to you (generally in 6-8 weeks), you can apply for a visa for Vietnam. This is done through the Vietnam Embassy in San Francisco or in Washington, D.C.

Outside resources:

• Passports & Single Parents(article)
• State Department's Passport Page
• Vietnamese Customs Authority