Your First Trip To Vietnam? Business or Tour !

Vietnam at a glance

Location: Southeast Asia

Area: 330,991 sq. Km

Capital: Hanoi

Deltas: Red River Delta in the North and Mekong River Delta in the South

Main Cities: Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Hai Phong, Da Nang,♣ Thanh Hoa, Nam Dinh, Hue, Can Tho, Nha Trang, Vung

Tau.

Banks: 77

Telecoms: 2 million telephones (2.6 sets per 100 persons)

Export: Processing Zones: 3

Industrial parks: 154

Hotels: 3,050 with 55,600 rooms including 500 international standard hotels

Universities and colleges: 109 with 297,900 students

Technical workers: 58,700

1. Visa

A visa is necessary to visit Vietnam from most countries. Business and tourist visas for Vietnam are available and can be

obtained from Vietnamese diplomatic or consular offices in foreign countries upon submission of:

(i) an application form,

(ii) photographs,

(iii) a passport (valid for at least 6 months) and

(iv) an invitation letter (or other documents indicating the purpose of the visit).

No later than five days after the fulfillment of formalities for a visa application, entry visas will be issued by an office

managing entry and exit under the Ministry of Police, a consular office under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, a foreign

representative diplomatic office, or a Vietnamese consulate overseas.

Passport holders from some countries with whom Vietnam has signed bilateral agreements with, including Thailand,

Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, Laos, Japan, South Korea, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland and the Philippines do

not need an entry visa for a definite stay.

If a foreigner wishes to enter the country for fact-finding or exporting the possibilities of doing business or is arriving for the

first time, tourist visas should most likely be appropriate. Tourist visas obtained through travel agents are valid from thirty

(30) days to six (6) months and cannot be extended in Vietnam.

Foreigners entering Vietnam without an invitation from any agency, organization or individual are only issued a 15–day

visa.

Foreign investors, including their relatives, who enter Vietnam to implement licensed investment projects may be granted

a single-entry visa or a multiple-entry visa valid for use within a period not exceeding five (5) years.

Upon expiry of the period of a visa, if the person holding the visa still needs to enter and exit Vietnam, he or she must

complete the application procedures for a new visa.

2. Arrival

On arrival, you must make a written customs declaration and an entry/exit form. Your will be given copies of these

documents. Keep them carefully because you have to present them when leaving the country. You could face fines or

other hassles if losing it.

Keep your baggage claim stickers (attached to your air-tickets) in order to get your luggage out of the airport.

Customs regulations

• Tan Son Nhat airport is making use of the dual channel system for passenger baggage inspection. Passengers may

choose either the green or red channel for customs clearance.

Passengers not carrying restricted or prohibited articles may go through the green channel. Personal belongings of gold,

silver, precious metals, gemstone and foreign currencies not falling into the duty-free baggage will be subject to the

foreign exchange control by the Government.

• Visitors should also declare other valuables like cameras, camcorders, computers and other electronic equipment not for

personal use, but foreign and Vietnamese currency equivalent to under US $3,000 and VND 5 million respectively need

not be declared. There is no restriction on books or other printed matter except for pornographic or politically sensitive

materials. However, books and other media like video cassette tapes or discs must be screened. CDs and tapes will be

returned in a few days after screening. It is illegal to remove antiques from Vietnam.

• Mineral water, soft drinks... (other than alcoholic beverage) are allowed to carry in a reasonable quantity. Tobacco and

cigarettes are prohibited from import, any excess of permitted amount will be confiscated. Duty-free allowances are 200

cigarettes, two litres of alcohol, and perfume and jewelry for personal use.

• Temporary import of goods for the trip must make a customs declaration at the port of entry. Such goods must be re-

exported when you leave the country.

Flight information

Operation Control Center: (04)8865318 in Noi Bai (Ha Noi);♣ (08)8446662 in Tan Son Nhat International Airport.

Lost and found

Lost and Found Service: (04) 8840008 or 38865013 in Noi Bai; (08) 38446662 ext: 7461 in Tan Son Nhat.

3. Getting around in Vietnam

Travel within Vietnam is becoming easier with domestic flight, trains, buses and cruises to all cities. Air travel has also

been upgraded to international standard, a round trip ticket between HCMC and Hanoi is currently about $190 for

economy class and $260 for business class. International departure tax is $12.00. Vietnam Airlines and Jetstart Pacific

are the only carriers allowed to fly domestic routes.

Trains and buses in Vietnam have extensive routes and offer a cheap way to travel. A car with a driver is also an option for

transportation, it can be rented for between $25 and $100 per day including cost for driver. Cars can be booked through

most major hotels or tour companies.

• Taxis in Ho Chi Minh City

Mai Linh Taxi (white): 38226666

Airport Taxi (white) : 38446666

Saigon Taxi (blue) : 38424242

Saigon Taxi (white) : 38226688

Saigon Tourist Taxi (red) : 38222206

Star Taxi (white with yellow stripe) : 38636363

Tanaco Taxi (red) : 38226226

Taxico (white) : 38350350

Vina Taxi (yellow) : 38422888

• Taxis in Ha Noi City

In Ha Noi, a cab ride from Noi Bai airport to the center city costs approximately USD15.

Airport : 38254250

Cienco Taxi : 38555888

City Taxi : 38222222

Duong Sat Taxi : 38645645

Five Star Taxi : 38555555

Hanoi Taxi : 38533171

Red Taxi : 38568686

Taxi 25 : 38252525

Taxi 52 : 38525252

Taxi CP : 38241999

Taxi Tai : 38731313

4. Climate

Vietnam is located between 9 and 23 degrees north. Eastern Vietnam has a long coastline on the Gulf of Tonkin and the

South China Sea. It has a tropical monsoon type of climate; from May-Sep the south monsoon sets in, and the country is

dominated by south to southeasterly winds. From Oct-April, the north monsoon is dominant with northerly to northeasterly

winds affecting the country. There is a transition period between each monsoon season when winds are light and variable.
Vietnam has a single rainy season during the south monsoon (May-Sep).

Rainfall is infrequent and light during the remainder of the year. Rainfall is abundant, with annual rainfall exceeding

1000mm almost everywhere. Annual rainfall is even higher in the hills, especially those facing the sea, in the range of

2000-2500mm.

For coastal areas and the parts of the central highlands facing northeast, the season of maximum rainfall is during the

south monsoon, from Sep-Jan. These regions receive torrential rain from typhoons which move in from the South China

Sea at this time of the year. The weather at this time is cloudy with frequent drizzle.

During the north monsoon, northern Vietnam has cloudy days with occasional light rain, while southern Vietnam tends to

be dry and sunny.

Temperatures are high all year round for southern and central Vietnam; but northern Vietnam has a definite cooler season

as the north monsoon occasionally adverts cold air in from China. Frost and some snow may occur on the highest

mountains in the north for a few days a year. In the southern Vietnam, the lowlands are sheltered from outbreaks of colder

northerly air and the dry season is warm to hot with much sunshine.

5. Language

Vietnamese is the official language. Use of English is becoming more common, especially in the larger cities and in the

rapidly expanding tourism sector. English is widely understood in Vietnam, particularly in HCMC and major cities. French

is also spoken in some areas while Chinese is spoken by many living in Cho Lon town.

If you hire an interpreter, make sure he/she has knowledge of the northern or southern language as the accent and

pronunciation is quite different.

The Vietnamese are very polite people and will often smile and agree with you when in fact they may not have fully

understood what you have said.

6. Currency

Vietnamese currency is Dong, abbreviated as VND. Bank note denominations are 200; 500; 1,000; 2,000; 5,000; 10,000;

20,000; 50,000; 100,000 and 500,000 dong. The 2,000 and 5,000 notes predominate in circulation. Coins come in

denominations of 200, 500, 1,000, 2,000 and 5,000 dong in Vietnam now.

Using ATM machine is becoming common in large cities and you can get money exchange in most major metropolitan

areas. Credit cards are increasingly accepted at major hotels, some restaurants and a few shops but are not widely used

in other establishments.

7. Clothing

In summer, temperatures are generally hot throughout Vietnam. Lightweight cotton clothing is best. If you intend to stay in

Hanoi in winter or to visit mountainous areas, warm clothes should be needed. A suit and a cravat are expected for formal
occasions. A shirt with a cravat is quite sufficient all year in HCMC and the South or in the hot weather of the North.

8. Telecommunications

International Direct Dial (IDD) and fax services are available at post offices and most business standard hotels.

Communication costs in Vietnam have declined significantly in recent years.

Internet services can be accessed through hotel business centers or from a growing number of Internet cafes.

International Roaming for mobile telecommunications is available in Vietnam for users from many countries (usually those

that share Vietnam's GSM standard). All international postal services are available.

9. Food and drink

Within tourist areas, a wide range of food acceptable to the international palate is freely available, restaurants are usually

clean and menus often have English translations. Elsewhere, the variety is far less, dishes and menus are often

unrecognizable and preparation and eating areas are a long way from international standards of hygiene.

Apart from the most expensive establishments, hotel food is nearly always offered as a buffet with a mixture of Asian and

international dishes. Although the quality may be good, the variety is often unimaginative. Haivenu usually leaves you to

your own devices in the evening so that you can choose the type of food and level of restaurant that you prefer.

10. Accommodation

Most of the major destinations have sufficient accommodation. Both Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi have top class hotels, as

does Ha Long Bay, Sapa, Nha Trang and Hue. Most of hotel rooms are mostly of a pretty high standard with air-con, hot

water often being standard and rooms are frequently cleaned daily.

11. Time – Business hour - Public Holidays

Vietnam is twelve hours ahead of Eastern Standard Time and 11 hours ahead of Eastern Daylight Time. Vietnam consists

of a single time zone. During the weekdays, business hours are typically 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. with a onehour lunch

break. On Saturdays, work hours are from 8:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Vietnamese Government offices have recently moved

to a 5-day workweek and are no longer open on Saturdays.

During the Lunar New Year, falling in January or February, business and Government activities in Vietnam come to a

virtual standstill for the weeklong Tet holidays. Business travel at this time is not advised.

o Western New Year: January 1

o Lunar New Year: 4 days

o Kings Hung’s Anniversary (10th of the lunar third month)

o Victory Day: April 30

o International Labor Day: May 1

National Day: September 2

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Thanks your help and your attention would be highly appreciated,

All Our Best Regards

Dr. Capt. Nguyen Te Nhan / General Director

( Tel: 848-3832-7204

( Fax: 848-3832-8393

( Cel: 84903615612

Skype: aimcontrol

E-mail:aimcontrol@vnn.vn; aimcontrol@hotmail .com; ceo@aimcontrolgroup.com

Add: 45, Street 03, Ward 04, District 03, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

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