The government of Vietnam announced it will propose the National Assembly to prolong the duration of e-visas granted to foreigners entering Vietnam from 30 days to a maximum of three months to boost tourism recovery.

The e-visa will be valid for single-entry or multiple entries, the Government Office said in a statement.

The government also mulls expansion of issuing e-visas for citizens of all countries and territories.

Vietnam now offers a one-month, single-entry e-visa to visitors from 80 countries, including the US, Australia and India.

The new government proposal also includes extending the duration of stays for tourists from countries enjoying 15-day visa exemptions to 30 days.

Now, visitors from some European countries, Japan and South Korea, Vietnam’s top tourism markets, are permitted to stay in the country for 15 days without applying for a tourist visa.

Since Vietnam reopened its borders in March last year, the number of foreign tourists has remained low, prompting tourism industry insiders to urge visa relaxations to save the tourism industry.

Despite being one of the first Southeast Asian countries to fully reopen to international tourism post Covid, Vietnam received only 3.6 million foreign tourists last year, around 20 per cent of the pre-pandemic figure.

In 2023, Vietnam aims to receive 8 million foreign visitors. The National Assembly’s next meeting is in May, 2023.