Travel Safely in Vietnam: Tips to Protect Your Passport and Visa from Theft

I arrived in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam on March 7, and then went to Da Nang and Hanoi. I originally planned to return to China from Hanoi on March 15, but less than fifteen minutes after checking out of the hotel, a wallet in my backpack was stolen. I was staying near Hoan Kiem Lake, and I lost 16,000 RMB in cash.

Fortunately, the Vietnamese dong I had exchanged and my phone were in my trouser pocket and were not stolen. The worst part was that my visa and passport were also in the wallet. I have reported it to the police, but the chances of finding them are almost zero; it was just for a police report, so I can go to the embassy on Monday to get a travel document and visa.

1: The police in Vietnam hardly speak English, and they only accept the report if a hotel staff member accompanies you.
2: The thief was very skilled; I didn’t feel anything. When I was filling out the police report, another Israeli came in, whose phone had been stolen.
3: There are the most thieves around Hoan Kiem Lake in Hanoi.

Apart from encountering the thief, everything else in Vietnam was quite pleasant. Da Nang has beautiful scenery, cheap food, and good service quality. There was no hostility towards Chinese people, and the hotel staff even helped me enthusiastically to go to the police station.

On March 17, I submitted the documents at the embassy, mainly two forms. You can also download and submit these forms in advance through the Chinese Consular app. After two working days, on the afternoon of March 19, I received the travel document. The Exit-Entry Administration of the Public Security Bureau in Hanoi is near the embassy, within walking distance, but the lady at window 10 told me that I must find a travel agency to guarantee before submitting the materials, and she introduced one to me.

On the morning of March 20, I heard someone say that I could leave directly from the airport, so I went to try, but was told it was not possible and that I must go to the Exit-Entry Administration. So, I contacted the agent in the afternoon to submit the materials, choosing the expedited service, which was expected to take at least two working days. However, with the weekend in between, the earliest I could get the visa and return home would be on the 24th.

Summary:
1: At any time in Vietnam, do not keep your passport, visa, and money together.
2: If you only lost your visa in Hanoi, you can go to the immigration office at the airport, but if you lost your passport, you must go to the embassy first.
3: If you lost both your passport and visa in Hanoi, the fastest way is actually to get the travel document and then take a bus to the Friendship Pass to return to China.

4: If the police extort a tip when you report the case, do not give them money. When you go to the embassy or the Exit-Entry Administration, just say you lost it; it does not affect the process. Relying on the police to solve the case is less likely than winning the lottery in Vietnam.

On the afternoon of March 24, my agent excitedly called to inform me that my visa was ready. Eager to get my travel document, I rushed over to the Exit-Entry Administration. The visa turned out to be a simple stamp on the document. With the travel document in hand, I promptly booked an evening flight home, carefully entering the document number to secure my ticket.

Updated at 8 PM on March 24, as I was en route to Hanoi Airport, anticipation building with every mile.

Finally, at 2 AM on March 25, I stepped aboard the plane bound for Shenzhen. The entire process, from start to finish, had taken ten days, each one filled with a mix of anxiety and hope.