When applying, Make sure to print out the application form online (also avail if you go there in person), get a 2x2 photo of yourself glued to it, and being your passport so they can stick the VISA sticker onto it. Pricing can differ depending on whether you're a US citizen, how long you'll want your visa to last, and how often you'll want to enter Vietnam. $80 for 1 month duration single entry (US born). Takes 3 days to process. Need to return here again to pick up. Extra $30 to expedite to get it all done within 30 minutes. $70 for those who are born in Vietnam, single entry, but instead lasts for 5 years. Also $30 if expedited service needed. The wait here doesn't take long even with a line of 5 people (~15 min wait). It doesn't seem like it'll ever get packed here during weekday mornings. Easy simple process here. When you give them your application they'll confirm the dates, ask for payment (paid via credit card) and that's practically it. They're nice and quick. PS when flying to different places within Vietnam (i.e. da nang, ha noi, hi chi minh city, Nha Trang, etc) the lady said it'll still be considered single entry since I'll enter Vietnam once. read more

My wife and I are planning a trip to Vietnam. On Feb. 1 we mailed our passports and all the required documentation to this consulate. They received it on Feb. 3. Their website says the processing time is 5 days. After 2 weeks we started to get nervous, so we tried calling them (about 20 times). No one EVER answers the phone and their mailbox is full. I then sent them a fax, but to no avail. After 3 weeks we were in a panic. We didn't have a visa, but more importantly, we didn't have our passports! So, we decided to drive the 7 hours to San Francisco so we could confront them directly (the next morning). We were first in line at 8:30 and after some digging their clerk "found" our passports and documents. And then he had the temerity to request $30 (each) for an expedite fee so we could get our request handled the same day. Expedite....after 3 weeks? What could we do? We handed over an additional $60 and received our documents an hour and a half later (on Feb. 27). They are incredibly inefficient. Do NOT mail your documents to them, You are better off going through an agency, but only if they guarantee a specific response time. We were lucky enough to be within a day's driving distance, but others may not be so fortunate. read more

Make sure you ask for the different options. They look at you like you're stupid and will overcharge you if you don't know you can have a expedited visa or a normal 3-5 business day one. Also why is there like 5 workers but whenever I call on the phone from 8-12pm and 2:30-4:30pm no one picks up the phone? Didn't look too busy when I was here doing my papers with them. Took no more than 15 minutes. read more

I showed up on a Friday morning at about 10 am and there was only 2 people in line. I submitted all the forms I found online to obtain a 5 year visa exemption, filled out, passport size photos, my US passport, and a family record from Vietnam that listed my mom since she has no other proof she was born in Vietnam (she left as a refugee decades ago). I paid the $100 fee ($70 + $30 same day processing) with my Visa card (yes they accept CREDIT CARD) and left all my documents with the nice lady in the front. I came back 1+ hour later and I was able to pick up my visa exemption that was attached to my passport. Done. Simple and easy. I also got my mom a Certificate of Vietnamese Origin which cost about $80 (for same day processing.) If I didn't pay the expedited fees, it would've been ready on Wednesday, which wouldn't work out for me since I live in LA and my flight departed on Monday. Let me just say though, the fee my friend paid for a multiple entry visa was like $150 for same day processing. That is ridiculous! If you're going to Vietnam, just stay there. Single entry is a lot cheaper. My only issue with the Vietnam Consulate is why isn't any of the fees posted and why don't anyone ever pick up any phone calls? I wouldn't have to call if proper information was posted on their website. read more

- The Single Entry Fee $80 - Expedited Fee $30 - Passport (1 Passport photo 2 x 2 inches) or a copy of passport (2 photos 2×2 inches) - Application Form - You can pay cash or credit card. Customer service excellent! read more

Second time here at the consulate. First time was more than 7 years ago and it went as efficient as this second time around. Went in on a Tuesday at around 11:30am. Only one person ahead of me. For faster process, fill out the form(s) online and print after submission. To print, click at the bottom left window screen. Do this the night before. One form per person. And visa photo of 2x2 inches. I am able to get 5 year visa, multiple entries at a maximum stay of 6 months stay at a time with proof of Vietnam birth certificate. A copy of birth certificate is fine. I was also able to apply the same for my husband with a proof of marriage certificate. So he has the same benefit as I do. $70 for 5 years visa plus $30 expedited (same day). I arrived at 11:30 and they were able to do it in 30 minutes before lunch time. Person who processed it is super friendly. read more

You can get a single entry e-visa online for $25. No need to come all the way here for most people! http://onemileatatime.boardingarea.com/2017/10/16/vietnam-evisa-us-citizens/ read more

Giving this a 5 star review since this place should in no way be ranked lower in Yelp than the Chinese Consulate. 4 stars would be more accurate -- since the desk was empty when we came in, but the girl working there arrived after 10 minutes of waiting there, wondering if we were in the right place. We dropped off on a Tuesday and picked up on a Wednesday. The people working there are very nice (the same girl spotted us in back of the line on day 2, remembering us from the day before -- and waved us to the front to give us our visas -- wouldn't get that kind of treatment at the DMV), and there were no more than 5 other people waiting at the office either day we were there. Parking for 20 minutes in the garage below was no more than $4, although it was really easy to find street parking as well. If you're not in that part of town too often, head to Bob's Donuts or Miller's East Coast Deli (for Matzoh Ball Soup) afterward (just a short walk away). read more

Vietnamese Consulate General - Guy at work pasting visas into passports. You can see that this is a small operation, and essentially empty (not too much of a l - Embassy Near Me - San Francisco, California

Ok so being from Ontario California area I had to send my paper work to San Francisco. It was super easy I sent a fed ex overnight and got it expedited. Don't worry all the prices will be posted at the bottom. You also have to send a prepaid envelope with a return label to be sent back to you if you are mailing it in. So here's a run down  Tourists visa= 2 passport picture(If sending passport 1 picture) see size req* *photocopy of passport *signed application *return label  *Ship through ups  or fed ex ask for Tracking # And return label * Money order made out to embassy of vietnam. Tourist visa fees *80 for single entry. Good for up to 30 days *30 extra expedited fee. If expedited 80 plus 30 on one money order is fine (110.00 total) read more

I don't live in SF or even near the bay area. I've been trying to call to just see how much the fee is for a 1 month visa so I can write a check and send it along with the application, and copy of a passport. However, 2 hours have passed and I'm unable to reach a live personnel. I emailed my inquiry and the email provided on the site does not work. In my plight of desperation, I called Houston, DC and NY and they all have faulty phone systems. Update: I found the list of phone extensions and tried ex.101 and was able to reach someone. I can confirm that it costs 80/person for a 1-month visa. I tried the email again, and can confirm it does not work. read more

You show up from 8:30 to 11:45. You bring cash*, your passport, and a passport photo. You fill out a 1 page application. You hand it in. You sit in comfortable chair, drink from the water cooler. You wait 30 minutes for rush visa*, or come back a few days later for regular speed. You retrieve your passport with the visa. You go to Vietnam for travel adventures. Whats with the drama, people? *$85 non resident single entry; $115 non resident multiple entry; $30 extra for rush (same day). No credit cards, no checks (cashiers check okay) read more

Fastest in person visa process. Total time for drop off, less than 10 mins. Pick up 5 mins Bring 1. Passport or they accept passport copies 2. One passport photo 3. Visa application 4 80 bucks in cash or credit/debit read more

1/13/15----My update was flagged for no reason! Well here it is again: I'm really surprised that people waste their time dealing with the Vietnam Consulate- it's such a scam. Rather than paying $100 or more at the consulate, Visa on Arrival is all of $40-- if you arrange through a travel agent in Vietnam. It's all done over email and the resulting PDF approval letter is enough to get you a visa once you arrive at the airport in Vietnam. It's an unbelievably easy process and I've entered Vietnam three times now without ever having an issue. If you're interested in a very reputable. English speaking travel agent in Hanoi, just message me and I'll get back to you with the info. You can google and find an agency online, but I've always gone through a travel agent I know personally and have used multiple times while in Vietnam. I get nothing from this- really just hate to see people unnecessarily wasting cash and valuable time. **************************************************************************************** Last year through the SF consulate I helped my parents secure standard one month/single entry visas, which cost $85 per person. According to other yelp reviewers' experiences, it seems as if prices really just depend on the whim of the consulate that day. So that's why a few months ago on a return visit to Vietnam, I decided to go for a cheaper and simpler route: Visa on Arrival. Total cost? $35. I used a travel agency based in Vietnam (send me a message and I'll get you the info of an amazingly good one), and within two days I received a certified letter from the Vietnam government, in PDF format. Travel agent fee: $10. Along with two passport sized pictures and $25, I then presented everything at Hanoi's Noi Bai Airport and the visa was entered into my passport. So easy! Never again will I bother with multiple trips to the consulate office or deal with their shady system of charging people. Visa on Arrival is definitely the way to go. By the way, as of August 2009, six month visas are no longer being issued. It's now three months max. read more

Booked a ticket to Vietnam on a whim leaving within three days and needed a visa with a quick turnaround. If you have the application form (printed from the website), your passport, and 2 passport photos you can get your visa within an hour or so for an extra fee. Make sure you don't show up on their lunch break or you'll be waiting for up to two and a half hours. It was quick and easy! read more

My friend told me that single entry visas to Vietnam are relatively cheap and they get process really fast too. But I tried to search for the prices on the website and could not find anything. Google led me to Yelp and after reading reviews, I was disheartened but I wanted to try my luck. So I go over to the Consulate and what happens? Are you Vietnamese born? Are your parents from Vietnam? Are your parents (presumably from Vietnam) processing your visa for you? If you answer "Yes." to any of those questions then it'll only cost you $30 to get a visa. If you answer "No." then you'll have to fork over $85. How do you know it's $85? You don't, until you get to the consulate and give the lady behind the counter your form and passport. The website is shitty as hell and does not say anything about the prices. Don't bother calling, you're not going to get anywhere with that. I ended up not getting the visa. I'm going to be in Hong Kong before I visit Vietnam so I figured getting a visa there can't be any more expensive than getting one here. So I looked for the Vietnam Consulate in Hong Kong and guess what I found? Scans of various processing fees in USD. Granted these documents are dated as of December 2009, I highly doubt fees would skyrocket in a year. http://www.vietnamconsulate-hongkong.org/en/nr070521170031/nr080219145649/ How much is the visa? Single Entry Visa - $30 F.U. SF Vietnam Consulate and your shady ass ways. read more

I tried to call to inquire about the Vietnamese passport fee and they won't even pick up the phone. First call: Phone keeps ringing and eventually loops back to selection menu. Second call: Chicken-sh** employee picks up the phone without a word and hangs up immediately. Third call: Repeat of first call. If anyone plans on stopping by this consulate for a visa, please ask them how much the Vietnamese passport fee is for me. Thanks! Update - received an email reply: 1. Vietnamese passport fee is $170 with 1 week processing time. 2. If you don't have your old Vietnamese passport but have a Vietnamese birth certificate, the fee will be $300 with 3-6 months processing time. read more

Excellent service. In and out in less than 15. Managed to find street parking on Van Ness. Things to consider: Their lunch break is 12-2:30. We arrived at 2:34 and waited in line for ~5 min. DEFINITELY complete the online application and print it. It's super convenient. Also bring; 1 passport photo (costco $4.99) Checkbook ($100 for single entry, $150 for multiple) 1 FedEx prepaid shipping envelope, unless you'd rather return in 3 days for pick up. The staff we're extremely helpful and polite. They waived the $200 fee for a 3 month visa since we only needed to add 10 days for our departing flight. Tltr; the place is super convenient, bring a photo and completed app and you'll be out of here in under 30 min. read more

1 month and 3 month visas (single and multi-entry) have been reinstated as of 10/10/2016. The reversion is apparently due to the large number of complaints about the high fees for 1 year visas. I applied for two visas: 1) 5 year visa for myself which was $50. This is only available to Vietnamese Americans 2) 1 month multi-entry visa for my boyfriend which was $135 (yikes!) Went at 2:30pm and the wait was not bad at all. Total time spent there was about 15-20 minutes since my co-worker and I had questions about the recent changes. read more

Simple, easy, fun to do... if you are able to follow directions. You're dealing with a 3rd world gov't agency folks. Go online. Fill out the application. Pay attention to how much you are supposed to pay online - it's clearly written. Print out the directions. Go to your bank.Get a money order for the amount. Go between 9-11:45. Pay $3.00 to park. Take elevator to 5th floor. Hand in paperwork. Ask when your visa will be ready. Come back a day after the day they say it will be ready between 9-11:45. (For example, they say it will be ready W? Go there Thurs.) Bring your receipt. Pick up visa. Easy Peasy. Drama Free. read more

Make sure you fill out the forms and print them out. That will speed up the process when you get here. The line wasn't that long. You drop off your passport and wait for a week to pick the documents up. It's $100 for a Vietnam visa for US Citizens (single entry) and $150 for multiple entry. Pay attention to the operating hours. There is a long lunch break! Beware of visa frauds on line...better to be safe than sorry. So, make a trip to the Vietnam Consulate to get your real visa! Can't wait for this awesome trip! read more

Yes, there was a line before the door opened, but that doesn't mean they weren't quick with it. One girl worked both windows: drop-off or pick-up. I got a five-year multiple entry visa for $50, same day turn-around. This price and service is for Vietnamese-Americans only. read more

Pretty quick and painless visa service. I came prepared with all of my papers as noted on the embassy website: application, passport photos, passport, a wad of cash for the fee, and a prepaid envelope. I came in on Friday after the lunch break. The process was done and over within 5 minutes. I didn't put enough postage on my prepaid envelope so they are going to return my visa as a loose paper within 3 business days. I appreciate that they were so accommodating. Some TIPS for 2013 travelers: Visa fee for single entry is up from $80 to $100. Yowza. :( What an increase. The embassy is actually on the 5th floor. Suite 580. Parking on Gough is non-metered and plentiful! Note the hours 8:30am-12:00, 2:30-4pm. Happy Travels! read more

This all seems quite unfair. I went in after reading all the Yelp reviews and so was fully expecting to be ripped off. I wasn't disappointed. I was applying for 2 single-entry visas (4 days of travel), no expedite, and after giving it some thought, the woman behind the counter wrote $170 on the bill. I explained that I had read that single-entry visas normally cost $45 and she said, no, $85. I asked how much a multiple-entry visa was and she said $90. I asked how much it would cost to expedite and she said an extra $20 each. $85 seems like the current empirical consensus for non-Vietnamese travelers, but the fact that others seem to have been charged significantly less is extremely frustrating, and definitely not legal under US law. Brings up an interesting question though: who do you complain to? Obviously the BBB doesn't deal with these things -- is it the job of the DoS if US citizens are getting ripped off by foreign consulates? read more

It would be 5 stars if they listed hours on the website or picked up the phone. They did, however, email me back. The process was quick and painless. Bring $100 cash, the filled application with photo, and passport. I came on a weekday morning at 9:30 and ere was one person in front of me. Very quiet, small suite space in that large building. Thanks to Yelp I got the hours, the fee, and the correct floor number. I picked up my visa in 3 days. Easiest process ever. read more

Went early ~9:00 am on a Friday. The online form didn't work for me (no sponsor is required for tourism), so I filled out the paper one quickly, dropped my one passport photo, and passport. $185 (cash accepted in person) is the current fee for US citizens. No more visa in arrival. They said I could pick it up next Friday. Since I am leaving Wednesday I asked if I could collect it then, and it was no problem/ no extra fee. Three people in line in front of me, and three to four behind. In and out in ~10 mins. Much more efficient than getting a China visa in a consulate. read more

Whenever I envision getting a visa, I imagine the DMV experience... Boy was I glad that the Vietnamese Consulate was nothing like that! It is so simple to obtain your visa in person. - First, print out the single page form on the embassy website. You'll need a single passport photo, so get those before hand and attach to the form. - Then go to their office and wait in line. Fortunately I waited less than ten minutes, and there is a sitting area if there is a longer line. - Once I turned in my application, the woman asked a few brief questions about my form, collected my money, and told me to pick it up four days later. Note: for a single entry into the country it cost $80, for multiple entries it is $130. Make sure to have cash on hand. I couldn't pick up my passport due to time restrictions, but I was told that anyone could retrieve it for me as long as they had the receipt. A friend went in on a Thursday and was able to pick it up without problem. Great service and I can't wait for my trip! read more

If you need a visa to Vietnam, their website is easy to navigate and their instructions are clear. Call them if you have any questions, but would recommend paying in cash to make processes simpler. As long as you have everything listed on the website, your visa will be ready in 3 business days. Bring back your receipt of visa purchase when it is time to pick it up and you are in and out with a couple minutes. They have plenty of seats and water too. Easy pea-sy and much appreciated. read more

Here is the info on how to get a visa: http://www.vietnamconsulate-ca.org/vietnamvisa.htm To save time, definitely have everything ready when you get there. - Passport - 2x2 passport photo - $45 money order or cash - Filled out visa application form http://www.vietnamconsulate-ca.org/form/thithuc-don-e.pdf - Self-addressed pre-paid envelope if you want them to mail your passport/visa back to you without having to go back to the consulate to pick it up The office is open 8:30AM - 12:30 M-F. I showed up at 9:20AM and was out of there in 15 minutes. There were 2 people in front of me in line. Also if you need parking, the garage costs only $3 for 20 minutes. Turnaround time for the visa is about 3 days. read more

I will have to say this is the best and easiest service I've ever gotten at a government establishment. Walked in around 11:35am this past Thursday, May 5th and walked out at 11:45am. Inside there were about 3 people in line and that line was very quick. I filled out and printed my online Visa application ahead of time and had that with me along with my valid passport and one 2x2inch color head shot photo of myself. The lady at the window was very friendly and greeted me warmly. While I was there she complimented me on my nails and we were comparing our nail polish colors and had a friendly chat about nails and styles. I didn't have cash on me but they do accept debit/credit cards. She said that my visa will be ready on Tuesday, May 10th and asked if I wanted to have them mail it when it's ready and I said yes. She handed me a UPS envelope to fill out my home address. She even gave me a UPS tracking # to track it. Today (Tuesday, May 10th) I received my passport with my visa when I got home. I am so happy that I wanted to review my experience on Yelp right away. Best experience I've ever had to date. Parking: I drove there and there are tons of metered parking available right next to the building. There is also a parking garage at the building. I put in 45 minutes worth of coins in the parking meter but that was way too much time. You'll need at the very most 20-30 minutes (if that) worth of coins if using the meters. When you walk up the steps from outside, enter the glass doors to your right. When you walk into the building, look at the directory on the wall near the elevator and that will direct you to which floor they're located at. If I remember correctly, it is the 5th floor. On the 5th floor, turn right and the office is on the right. read more

Vietnamese Consulate General - Not a long line at all. - Embassy Near Me - San Francisco, California

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I dont know whoever complain about service or payment. Today is August 9th 2016. Service speed: 10mins for Visa 30mins for passport Wait line: Less than 5 mins. (You can fill any form you need online and bring here save you some time) Fee: $200 passport $70 visa Payment type: They accept EVERYTHING but bitcoin. read more

This was a very strange process. Even from reading the reviews below the facts are confused!? 1. Their website is crappy. There is NO visa information listed. I could not find any forms or directions on what I need in order to apply for the visa. I resorted to travel agency websites that had the forms. However, the directions were different than what I found at the actual consulate. Don't bother trying to call the consulate, no one picks up even during office hours. 2. Confusing Hours of Operation Hours of the consulate were stated over their phone message as 9-12:30pm and 2pm-5:30pm. I showed up at 3:30pm and their sign on the door said 9-12:30pm. I had driven from San Mateo and was like no way in hell and I leaving here without turning in my application. The door was locked and I rung the door bell 3 times and then finally knocked on the wooden door before someone let me in. The person that let me in didn't work there, she was there to get a visa as well. WTF? Does this seem odd to you? 3. No order or line So I get into the consulate and I don't really know what to do cause there are a bunch of chairs and no real line or list to sign up on. I asked someone and he says, you are behind that guy (pointing to someone seated). So then "that guy" goes up to the window to talk to the lady working at the consulate. I ask someone else, what I was supposed to do. She said just go up to the window after "that guy". So that's what I did and I was helped. The lady at the window was not especially helpful or friendly, but maybe just language challenged. 4. Difficult to get clear application directions. The application process was different than what I read from the travel agent website. Remember the consulate website didn't work and had NO information on visas. So I thought I would need 2 passport photos and a cashier check or money order to to apply. Over the consulate phone message they said I could use a regular check. Ok, so I showed up hoping that it would work and it did. I also only needed 1 passport photo. Other reviewers say you can only pay by cash, but I was ok paying by personal check. Confusing huh? Be prepared for anything if you plan to go here I guess. I paid $45 dollars per visa for 2 day service. The good thing is I didn't have to wait very long. Only "that guy" was ahead of me. The visas were done on time! read more

Such an annoying experience! Got there a few minutes before 8:30 (their stated time of opening) and was the first one there. Normally, I would feel lucky to be the first one, but alas, this was not one of those times. Although the consulate was SUPPOSE to be open at 8:30, no one showed up at the window until 9:15!! By then, there were probably 10 people in the waiting room, all of whom were probably as annoyed as we were. But wait, it gets worse. So, we were the first people to get to the window and we were told to expect to pay $45 for non-rushed visa processing. When we get to the window the guy tells us we owe $130 ($65 each)...we told him we didn't want next day, but he was adamant that we owed them $65 per visa. There were people behind us discussing how it should be $45 per visa and that $65 only applied to next day service but the guy wouldn't budge. The guy next to us, who is probably a processor for travel agents, was calling the guy at the window a "bastard" and we couldn't have agreed more. What can you do? I didn't feel like arguing and staying longer and holding up the line any longer for $40. it's not like they care about customer service. Anyway, to make a long story short, we had to pay an extra $40 for the pleasure of waiting an extra 45 minutes. Retarded thing is that the guy at the window wasn't even the person who normally processes the visa paperwork...the girl who was SUPPOSE to be there was late and screwed us all. read more

It costs 70 dollars for me to get a multi-entry visa for 3 yrs bc I filled out the special application. Normally, you can get max of 5 yrs, but my passport was about to expire in 3, so that's why. If you are Vietnamese American or one of your parents is Vietnamese or your spouse is Vietnamese then you can take advantage of this special visa. Maybe I should have negotiated (apparently you are suppose to bc they charge on a person-to-person basis) but the meter was ticking I just want to get out of there. The site said it should cost 25 although they might need to update it. It will be great if others could post in their prices here. The site is a bit hard to find--how sneaky of them--since it is not on the official Vietnamese consulate website. You can find it at this shortlink: goo [dot] gl/KRwDLp. Forms are in English as well. Print it, make sure you have the photos are all necessary docs before going to the embassy. My experience at the embassy itself was a breeze. I was not there for more than 10 mins to process things. read more

Aside from not posting signs for visa fees, the visa application process was smooth. I was in and out in 25 minutes. 1. Sign in 2. Take a seat. 3. Security Guard will tell you when it is your turn. 4. Receptionist/worker behind the window is very nice and accomodating, asking me if I wanted single or multiple entry visas. 5. After taking payment (they take cash, money order, cashiers check)the receptionist/intake worker told me to come back in 3 business days to pick up the visas and to bring the receipt. I didn't ask for rush service just regular service. Note: **It seems that visa fees varies across the board. Since I am considered "overseas vietnamese", my visa was only $30 and so were my kids. My husband was $85 dollars! And these are single entry visas. Another person (caucasian) picked up his visa and he said that he paid $115 for single entry. I've noticed that other yelp entries say that the visas cost $45. Go figure...**** read more

After being to Vietnam several times, I found myself applying for the visa on my own for the very first time. I usually have the travel agent do it. The process is super simple, go online, fill out the form, bring copy of the form with passport photo and cash to the consulate. Three days later come back to pick it up. If you can prove you are Viet or a relation by birth or marriage (copy of marriage or birth certificate) you are allowed the multi entry for $80. Otherwise it's one month for $100. Totally easy process, I wish the Brazilian Consulate was as organized. read more

Just got a visa exemption for my husband this week. In case you've never heard of, this visa exemption allows you to travel between your country and Vietnam freely in 5 years. Every visit can only be 90 days long, but you can always extend if you have a good reason (family, work, etc.) Too bad it only works if your spouse or parents are Vietnamese citizens. I live in San Jose but I didn't have time to go up to their SF office, so I just mailed in my application according to their website's instruction. Just as the assistance on the phone had informed me, it took them exactly 5 days to issue the visa exemption, and 1 day to mail it back to my place. The cost was $70. I don't know how much a 30-day (or 90-day?) visitor's visa actually cost but according to previous yelp reviews here they are clearly more expensive than the visa exemption, and it takes the exact same amount of time to get them issued, so I'd definitely recommend going for the exemption if you're qualified for it. read more

Needed a tourist visa for Vietnam. I went to submit my application and pick up the visa during the mornings, right around the time they open. Very smooth and friendly staff. Also, there were no lines! In and out in under ten minutes. No problems. read more

I took out one star because, like other reviewers, they do NOT answer their phones. I tried calling many times over a period of several days. Nothing. I had to call the Vietnamese Embassy in DC to get some answers. One being how much does it cost to get a Visa. As of November 2015, it's $100 for a normal application (3-5 days) and $130 to be expedited. I got mine expedited. Sent it in on Monday and got it back today, Wednesday. I gave them four stars for speed. Make sure to include an overnight self addressed envelope in addition to all the stuff that's in the on-line application. read more

The system for getting the Vietnamese visa by mail is so simple it's brilliant. Download and fill a form online, print it and send it together with 2 pictures, cashier check for $100, a copy of your passport, (only the photo page) and pre-paid return envelope. Within a couple of days you get your visa. No need of sending your passport and travel itinerary, hotel booking, etc... No need of knowing the address where you will stay. The choice of consulate is yours. I chose SF. PS. To get them on the phone is tough, indeed, and they have French-inherited long lunch breaks, but if you really need to call them choose the general consular number, not the specialized ones, and you will be able to talk with somebody. However, the process is so simple that you shouldn't need to. read more

Getting a visa is easy. Bring $100, your passport, the form and passport photo (and read the open hours!) and it's super easy. We didn't even wait in line. Oh, and Viet Nam rocked. :) read more