Quote:
Originally Posted by XXed
Going through a weird experience of trying to extend a stay here in HCM. Usually when we arrive in Vietnam we get a 30 days visit pass and don't need to get a visa.
trouble comes when wanna extend stay, and thats when you need to apply for visa. by right, if you stay hotel they should get a temp residency permit for you with local cong an chop that you must submit with visa application. by left, cong an don't wanna chop cos too troublesome for them (offer kopi money also don't want).
no choice, get an agent to do it and they have to send my passport to hanoi to get it done before coming back a week later  |
Nothing weird about extending a 30 day tourist visa. What is weird is that you are asking for a temporary residence permit.
You can extend your tourist status (I dont call this a 'visa' since S'poreans are visa free for 30 days upon arrival in a tourist status) once for another 30 days. Per VN Immigration Law, a tourist is not a temporary resident. On the other hand, foreign expats on 2 year employment contract in Vietnam are.
Most travel agents in Pham Ngu Lao can extend your 30 day tourist status for a small fee.
Temporary Resident Permit (The Tam Tru) is a different thing altogether. To get this you need to be in possession of a business visa, employment contract in Vietnam and have undergone a medical examination (amongst other things which I dont need to mention here).
I know this because I have held all 3 in Vietnam before (tourist visa, work visa, temporary resident permit).
You should have posted the question on this board earlier, I would have given you a much easier and cheaper way to get your 30 days extended.
Go to the small bus station near Ben Thanh Market across from the roundabout. Get on a bus to Moc Bai (Cambodian border). Clear VN Immigration, find a nice Cambodian xe om to take you to Cambodian Immigration. Enter Cambodia (Singapore passport visa free for Cambodia). Have a hu tieu nam vang and ca phe sua da for lunch. Exit Cambodia, enter Vietnam. Voila, 30 days again. Total cost = about 3-4 hours, approx. USD 10.