When I was planning my trip to Vietnam, I was really worried about how to get the VISA because it was mandatory to entry in this country.
NOTE: Since July 2015 is not mandatory to have the VISA if you’re going to stay less than 15 days in Vietnam for people from Spain, France, UK, Italy and Germany, but it’s still mandatory if you want to stay more than 15 days!
You have two options to get the Visa: by the Vietnam Embassy of your country or getting a Visa Approval Letter.
1.- Madrid’s Vietnamese Embassy: In my case, I could process the Visa by the Madrid’s Vietnamese Embassy so I send them an email asking for processes and prices. They told me that I could get the Visa by a 80€ tax payment (for 1 month only / one entry) or 95€ (multiple entries). I had to send them my passport and the money by post and they would send me back my passport with the VISA. I didn’t have time enough and it was really expensive so I decided to get the Visa Approval Letter
2.- Visa Approval Letter: Finally, I decided this way, and specifically I chose the cheapest website that I founded: http://visadovietnam5usd.com/
After asking in internet forums and perceive that a lot of people have bought the letter in this website, I did the same. You only have to fill the form and for only 5USD they send you the Visa Approval Letter that you’ll need to have the real Visa on arrival for one month unique entry or 8USD for one month multiple entries. It’s just a letter where your name and your passport number appear together with the names and passport numbers of more people, and with the Immigration Department Vietmanese stamp.
Using this letter you can process the Visa on arrival in the Hanoi airport. You have to give this letter (be sure that your name and passport number is correct!!!) with a form correctly filled, 2 passport-sized photos and pay 45USD (39€) for only one entry or 65USD (47€) for multiple entries.
Finally, you save more than half of the total amount that you should pay in case of buy on the embassy.
(image of part of the Visa approval letter)