General Information

Capital: Hanoi.
Time: GMT + 7.
Tel. Code: 00 84 .
Official Language: Vietnamese is the official language. English, French, Chinese and occasionally Russian and German are spoken.
Currency: New Dông (D). Notes are in denominations of D100,000, 50,000, 20,000, 10,000, 5000, 2000, 1000, 500, 200 and 100. Coins are not used.
Electricity: 220/110 volts AC, 50Hz; plugs are mostly flat pin.
Religion: Buddhist majority. There are also Taoist, Confucian, Hoa Hao, Caodaist and Christian (predominantly Roman Catholic) minorities.

Climate: Because of its geography, the climate in Vietnam varies greatly from north to south. Tropical monsoons occur from May to October. It is almost totally dry throughout the rest of the year
Required clothing: Tropicals and washable cottons are worn all year. Rainwear is essential during the rainy season.

Airports

Noi Bai International Airport (HAN) at Noi Bai is 45km (28 miles) north of Hanoi. The airport has basic facilities. Tan Son Nhat International Airport (SGN) is 7km (4.5 miles) from Ho Chi Minh City. Buses and metered taxis are available.
Departure tax: US$12 (Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi) and US$8 (Da Nang), payable in US Dollars or New Dông.

Internal transportation: Air, road, rail and sea are the modes of transportation within Vietnam.

Passport/Visa

Passport
Passport valid for at least six months after date of arrival or one month after expiration of visa required by all
Visas
Required by all except:

• Nationals of Bulgaria, Cuba, Korea (Dem Rep) and Romania.

• Nationals of the Russian Federation (if possessing invitation in Russian from Russian host detailing specific 'mission' involved).

• Nationals of China (PR) (if with passport stamped AB and visiting for specific purposes) and Mongolia (if with passport stamped AB, AC or AO, and visiting for specific purposes)

• Nationals of Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand for 30 days.

• Nationals of The Philippines for 21 days.

• Nationals of Japan and Korea (Rep) for 15 days.

• Transit passengers continuing their journey within 24 hours, provided holding valid return or onward tickets. At present visas can be issued for either groups or individuals.

Note: For security reasons, it is advisable to carry copies of documents rather than originals when in Vietnam.