Vietnamese authorities issued a resolution on 15 January 2025 granting visa exemptions for citizens of the Czech Republic, Poland, and Switzerland as part of a plan to boost tourism arrivals in 2025. Czech, Polish and Swiss citizens who meet legal requirements, as well as anyone travelling on itineraries organised by nationally-recognised operators, will be able to enter Vietnam visa-free for up to 45 days for tourism purposes, between 1 March and 31 December 2025.
They will join citizens from Belarus, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Norway, Russia, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom who already enjoy less bureaucracy and ease entry to Vietnam thanks to visa requirements being lifted.
22 million foreign tourists targeted
Vu The Binh, Chair of the Vietnam Tourism Association, speaking at a recent press conference in Hanoi, confirmed that the visa waivers are part of a strategy driven by a series of goals, including attracting 23 million international tourists in 2025, which would represent a year-on-year increase of over 25%. Prior goals “have not been achieved as expected” he acknowledged, even though “Since the Covid-19 pandemic, our country’s tourism industry has been growing strongly.”
The repuiblic is also aiming to bring in between 130 and 980 trillion VND (€5.3 to €40.8 billion) over the next year. To step up and reach the targets, Vu The Binh said the country needs to “actively promote the position and brand of Vietnamese tourism globally” and noted that tourism development “requires the cooperation and connection of all sectors.”
Infrastructure, services, events, sustainability and cooperation
Key focus points include infrastructure and service improvements, the creation of a compelling events and promotions programme, as well as new greener tourism products that meet sustainability criteria, and better international cooperation. The strategy will kick off with a consultation and audit to detect difficulties and problems facing tourism businesses and help competent state agencies at both central and local levels resolve them, officials said.
The Southeast Asian nation already caters to millions of domestic tourists – 110 million in 2024, which it is hoping to increase to 120 million in the coming year. Meanwhile, internationally, China is one of its top source markets, followed by the US, Japan, Malaysia, and Australia, according to data from Pham Van Thuy, the Deputy Director of the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism. Nonetheless, European visits to Vietnam are on the up, with most tourists in 2024 coming from the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, and Spain.
