FILMING IN VIETNAM
YOUR PRACTICAL GUIDE
HOW DOES FILMING IN VIETNAM FACILITATE YOUR PRODUCTION PROJECT?
WHICH FILMING PERMIT DO YOU NEED, AND CAN OUR FIXER IN VIETNAM ARRANGE IT?
VIETNAM FILM PERMIT
For foreign production crews who would like to come to Vietnam to film, it is required by law that you apply for a film permit from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) or the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism (MoCST). For filming television programs, reality shows, documentaries, commercials, brand, corporate, and music videos, live production of sports, political, and social events, and news reports, you apply MoFA. For filming feature films or movies like "Kong: Skull Island" and "Tomorrow Never Dies", you submit documents to MoCST. Cast and crew also need journalist visas to enter the country for filming purposes.
The final shooting schedule, itinerary, list of shooting locations, local contributors, and script (if applicable) must be submitted for permit application. As such, all preparation, scouting, and research must be done before applying for a film permit.
Click here to download the Regulation on Activities of Foreign Press in Vietnam.
Documents needed to submit are as follows:
- Filled out the Press Request Form. Please click here to download the Press Request Form
- Synopsis/purpose of the show/program
- Daily shooting plan with a list of detailed filming locations
- Copies of passports of all the crew members
- List of equipment which you bring to Vietnam
After receiving all the completed documents, the Vietnam film permit will be processed and issued in seven to ten working days.
MoFA and MoCST will assign at least one film officer (depending on the scale of your production project) to escort your crew during filming in Vietnam.
The film permit fee in Vietnam is usually charged daily. However, for large-scale production projects (involving a large number of crew members, number of shooting days, and amount of equipment), it is charged on a package basis.
Before issuing a film permit, MoFA and MoCST request that the Department of Immigration under the Ministry of Public Security process a journalist visa for each crew member. After processing, the Department of Immigration will issue a letter of journalist visa approval. Your Vietnam fixer will email you a copy of the journalist visa approval letter. You print it out and present it to pick up a visa at the international airport upon arrival in Vietnam. The fee for visa stamping is around US$25 per person. Please remember to bring a passport-sized photo with you. Otherwise, you must pay US$2 for photographing at the airport's visa counter. The other way to pick up a visa is at the Vietnam Embassy in your country to avoid queuing for ages at a busy airport.
The process of applying for a film permit will cover customs clearance for equipment at the airport. The film officer will send a list of equipment to airport customs for temporary importation before you come. On arrival day, your fixer in Vietnam and the film officer will be at the airport to assist you with immigration procedures and customs clearance of equipment.
Please note that if you want to film at a National Park or National Relics, you need to apply for an extra film permit. This will incur an extra fee and take time to arrange.
Recently, to attract more tourists to Vietnam, the government published a new regulation that allows the following nationals to enter without a visa.
The United Kingdom 15 days
France 15 days
Italy 15 days
Spain 15 days
Germany 15 days
Belarus 15 days
Japan 15 days
South Korea 15 days
Sweden 15 days
Norway 15 days
Denmark 15 days
Russia 15 days
Finland 15 days
Cambodia 30 days
Thailand 30 days
Malaysia 30 days
Singapore 30 days
Indonesia 30 days
Laos 30 days
Philippines 21 days
Brunei 14 days
Myanmar 14 day
If you are a citizen of the above countries, you don't need a visa to enter the country. However, MoFA will consult the Department of Immigration about your status when entering the country for filming purposes. This is an internal process.
VIETNAM DRONE PERMIT
To fly a drone in Vietnam, you must apply to the Ministry of National Defence.
Click here to download Decree 36/2008/ND-CP on the management of unmanned aircraft and ultralight aircraft.
Click here to download the Application Form to apply for a Vietnam drone permit.
But don't be worried! Fixer in Vietnam's team and a film officer will help you apply for permission before you film. To submit this document, you need to define the exact locations (longitude and latitude) where you want to have a drone flight and the date of flying a drone. It will take around ten working days to issue this kind of permit. It is unnecessary to present any certificate of the pilot who will operate the drone.
Recently, some people have emailed to ask me whether they can bring in drones and have drone flights without a Vietnam drone permit. As a tourist, you can try your luck by having drone flights at places that are not very touristy or not in the centre of Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, or other major cities. The highest risk is that your drone will be confiscated, the footage will be deleted, and you will be fined.
For professional shooting, my advice is that you officially apply for permission to fly a drone in Vietnam so you can focus 100% on filming the content and not be distracted by other things.
CAN VIETNAM FIXER ARRANGE PERMITS?
Fixer in Vietnam's team can arrange all kinds of film permits for you. Your Vietnam fixer will work as an extended part of your film crew in Vietnam and collaborate closely with the film officer to ensure everything is ready before you arrive.
Our services go beyond just collaborating with film officers to arrange permits. We are glad to suggest content and appropriate locations, find local contributors with unique stories, make filming and travel plans, arrange logistics, source local crew, supply equipment, and support onsite with translation. Whatever needs fixing before or during your filming in Vietnam, we are confident that we have a precise solution.