What to know about the 30-day visa-free entry for foreign tourists to Asia’s ‘most beautiful island’
Visa exemption for foreign visitors to Phu Quoc off the Mekong Delta province of An Giang has emerged as a key tourism stimulus in recent years.
Introduced on July 1, 2020, the policy allows foreign passport holders to enter and stay on the island for up to 30 days without a visa.
Under current regulations, international travelers can arrive in Phu Quoc directly or transit through a Vietnamese international border gate by air or sea before continuing to the island.
Phu Quoc is currently the only locality in Vietnam that fully meets all four criteria required for this policy.
The Vietnam largest island enjoys this special visa policy as it is the only island in Vietnam that meets all four conditions for granting visa exemptions to foreign visitors under national law, Vietnam News Agency reported.
It has an international airport, is geographically distinct, and is naturally separated from the mainland, enabling effective oversight.
At the same time, its socio-economic development strategy is designed to ensure that the policy does not compromise national defense, security, or social order and safety.
However, Phu Quoc’s visa exemption policy comes with certain limitations.
Visitors entering under this scheme are permitted to stay only on the island. If they wish to travel onward to other destinations in Vietnam, they must first obtain a valid visa.
The Indian embassy in Hanoi recently urged Indians to obtain a Vietnamese visa even if they plan to visit only visa-free Phu Quoc.
In a notice posted on its official Facebook page, the embassy said that in case of medical emergencies or flight disruptions, travelers may need to travel to major cities like Ho Chi Minh City or Hanoi for treatment, onward journeys or consular assistance.
Without a valid Vietnamese visa, individuals in such circumstances could face challenges, including travel restrictions, delays in accessing healthcare services and immigration-related complications, the embassy warned.
The visa exemption has helped increase the number of international tourists visiting Phu Quoc in recent years.
Last year, it welcomed a record 1.8 million foreign tourists, three times against pre-Covid levels.
The island received 817,000 foreign visitors in the first quarter of this year, up 72% year-on-year, according to a report from An Giang Province’s Department of Tourism.
It eyes 2 million foreigners this year.
The island is going through major infrastructure upgrades to hosts APEC 2027.
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