Hey guys, just wondering what are the types of Visas i need to obtain for my holiday trip.
So my flight is with jetstar (Melbourne to singapore(14 hours transit)) then (singapore to Ho chi minh) and vise versa for the return flight. So i was wondering with the 14 hour transit in Singapore, do i need to obtain a visting visa if i wanted to explore the city.
And if so where do i obtain these visas for vietnam and Singapore as there are so many websites cliaming they sell them.
So am i allowed to explore the city and make my way back to the airport?
yes. been there twice on aus passport. no visa requiredt
Visa required for Vietnam.
you should have a look at the embassy website for the respective countries, or go ask in person
Here's the best advice to avoid scams, but more importantly, get the latest information: visit DFAT's Smartraveller website (http://smartraveller.gov.au/).
For example, for Vietnam, visit http://smartraveller.gov.au/Countries/asia/south-east/pages/… (you can just Google smartraveller and the name of the country to avoid browsing) and check out the "Entry and exit" section.
This won't necessarily give you the cheapest rate (especially for a shifty visa that varies in price, with Vietnam being a good example!) but at least you've followed official guidelines. Sometimes official websites of embassies, for example, don't use .gov. domain extensions, making you rightfully paranoid. The poorly translated English on most of the official websites isn't reassuring either.
Of course as an OzBargainer I haven't followed my own advice to save some money, and you can often find these hacks on Tripadvisor. It's often cheaper to buy your visa in a destination's neighbouring country for some strange reason (I bought my Vietnam visa cheaper in Cambodia). The Vietnamese embassy warns against using those Visa On Arrival websites (which are much cheaper when they work, but are not sanctioned http://vietnamembassy.org.au/thu-tuc-cho-cong-dan-Viet-Nam-v… - expect to pay $95 via the embassy or consulate!).
No visa required for Singapore. There are some bus tours offered where you don't even have to pass customs.
https://www.singaporeair.com/en_UK/us/plan-travel/privileges…
Vietnam visas are obtained from their consulate. Not cheap for Aussies.