Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung has directed the Ministry of Finance not to increase the cost of a tourist visa for visiting cruise passengers.
A new law on Entry, Exit and Transits took effect on 01 Jan, which also increased the cost of the visa 900% from US$5 to $45.
Cruise passengers also now need to apply for individual shore visas rather than purchasing their entry permit from the cruise ship.
Dung’s move follows a surge of complaints from cruise operators about the new regulations and the increased workload involved.