Planning to head to Vietnam? A visa is now only three days away, with a visa application centre for the Socialist Republic of Vietnam opening in the city on Tuesday.
Launched by VFS Global, the centre expects to take in at least 5,000 applications per year and will make it easier and more convenient for tourists as well as business persons from the State to obtain their visas, said Sonia Dhayagude, one of the head of operations of VFS Global.
“From 2011 to 2014, we have seen a 300 per cent rise in the number of Indian tourists coming to Vietnam – from 19,000 to 55,000. We want to increase this number by another 100 per cent,” said Ton Sinh Thanh, ambassador of Vietnam to India.
Indian investments in Vietnam were growing too, he said. There are at least 85 Indian projects in Vietnam valued at USD 1 billion, he said. “According to Vietnam’s data, the bilateral trade between the two countries is USD 5.5 billion, but Indian figures say it is higher, at USD 8 billion last year,” he said. The centre in Chennai will process both tourist and business visas. Application forms will cost Rs. 500 and visa fees Rs. 4,500.
All applications will continue to be assessed and processed by the Embassy of Vietnam in New Delhi. The centre will be open from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. on weekdays. . For details, log on to:www.vfsglobal.com/Vietnam/India.
