Buzz
The land of kimchi, the land of cherry blossoms, or the land of bubble tea were once mere dreams for travelers due to high ticket prices and challenging visa requirements.
3 Famous Asian Destinations No Longer Just a Dream for Vietnamese Travelers
Previously, South Korea, Japan, and Taiwan were difficult destinations for Vietnamese travelers due to high ticket prices and challenging visa conditions. Nowadays, with more lenient visa policies and the entry of budget airlines into the market, these 3 destinations are increasingly catching the attention of backpackers and tourist crowds.
Japan
Airplane tickets
Booking a flight ticket
The discounted fares have sparked a 'revolution' among fans of the Korean peninsula, making the dream of visiting the land of popular Korean dramas easily achievable.
Previously, Vietnamese travelers had to pay a hefty sum, up to 7 digits, for a direct flight from Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City to Incheon Airport. Now, with a plethora of airlines offering super cheap fares, around 3-4 million dong, just slightly higher than domestic flights, this dream has become much more attainable for travelers.
You can check out airlines like Vietjet Air, Jin Air, Asiana, or take advantage of promotional deals from Vietnam Airlines and Korean Airlines.
Past 'infamous' incidents involving Vietnamese in Korea used to pose significant hurdles for Vietnamese backpackers, especially female travelers in small groups. Nowadays, these difficulties have dwindled, as long as you can demonstrate sufficient financial capability and prepare transparent documentation, you're good to go. If you find the process cumbersome, many companies offer visa assistance services.
The visa application includes: a passport valid for at least 6 months, a visa application form filled in English, notarized proof of occupation (employment contract, leave request...), proof of financial capability such as a savings account with at least 5,000 USD deposited for a minimum of 3 months, property documents, salary statements...
If you lack financial capability, you can demonstrate the financial capacity of your relatives, along with documented proof of family relationship confirmed by local authorities.
Exemptions from financial capability documentation requirements apply to the following cases: government employees (supplement with employee confirmation or civil servant certificate) or those who have traveled to OECD countries (in the last 5 years) or have visited Korea more than twice (additional confirmation documents required).
Taiwan
Following Korea, Taiwan is the next destination outside of Southeast Asia where airfare has significantly dropped. From prices ranging from 6-10 million dong, travelers can now purchase tickets from Ho Chi Minh City to Taipei for 2.4 million dong after factoring in all fees from Vanilla Air, which has just been launched. In addition, Vietjet Air also operates this route with fares below 4 million dong, or take advantage of promotions from Eva Airlines, Uni Airlines, Vietnam Airlines... This has made the land of bubble tea a gradually hot destination recently.
Visa
Similar to Korea, Taiwan is quite stringent in granting visas to Vietnamese visitors, especially female travelers. Currently, if you have a stable job, income level, or assets that meet the requirements of the respective government, you can already set foot on this famous island.
Visa application requirements include: a passport valid for over 6 months, visa application form, 2 photos 4×6 taken within the last 6 months, proof of current employment (employment contract, health insurance, social insurance); financial capability certification documents (bank savings book, land ownership certificate, property assets, with a minimum value of 50 million dong). Detailed itinerary and round-trip flight tickets or return tickets leaving Taiwan's territory.
Especially starting this year, the following cases are exempt from Taiwan visas: Vietnamese citizens (who have not worked abroad) with valid visas from the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, and Schengen visas (including permanent residence cards) will be exempt from Taiwan entry visas for a 30-day stay. Advance registration is required online. Those who fall under these cases but whose documents have expired are not eligible for the Taiwan visa exemption but are exempt from submitting other supporting documents.
According to Ngoi Sao
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References: Travel guide from Mytour
MytourAugust 30, 2016
