Foreign tourists at Hoan Kiem Lake in March before Vietnam closed its borders due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

It is a one-month extension of the current policy, issued in mid-May to support foreigners stuck in the country due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Immigration Department announced on Tuesday people who came to Viet Nam under visa waiver programmes, e-visas or tourism visas after March 1 will be automatically given stay permit extension until July 31 free of charge.

All stay permits for these people will be automatically extended and do not need to be renewed.

This means from now until July 31, they can stay or leave the country without doing any paperwork.

The move is aimed to help those stuck in the country due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Foreigners who entered the country before March 1 will also be considered for this permit extension as long as they can prove they cannot leave the country due to the pandemic.

In these cases they need certification by their diplomatic mission in Viet Nam through an official diplomatic note with a translation in Vietnamese.

Those who obtained documents from the Vietnamese authorities certifying that they have undergone quarantine or treatment for COVID-19 or are stuck here due to reasons beyond their control are also eligible for the stay permit extension.

However, they have to show these documents when leaving the country.

Those given the automatic stay permit extension should declare their temporary stay to local police and complete health declarations.

Those who do not fall under these categories or have committed illegal actions have to abide with the existing laws on immigration. — VNS

Foreigners can extend visas amid COVID-19 outbreak: spokeswoman

Foreigners in Vietnam can make visa extension procedures at the Immigration Department  in line with regulations, spokeswoman of the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs Le Thi Thu Hang affirmed.