Whether your company is already well established in Vietnam or just getting started, you need to spend your travel budget wisely. That means negotiating the best possible prices on airline tickets, rental cars and hotel accommodations, but it also means ensuring that there are no last minute snags when your executives and sales staff travel for business. Those last minute problems – from delayed flights to problems with customs officials – can really eat into your bottom line and reduce the profitability of doing business in Vietnam.

Whether you travel to Vietnam once in a lifetime or once a month, you need to make sure that your paperwork and documentation are in order before you head out to the airport. Traveling to a foreign country is costly, and it can be complicated as well. Understanding the passport, visa and other documentation requirements of the country you are traveling to is one of the best ways to make sure your trip comes off without a hitch.

Understanding the visa and other entry requirements is important no matter where you travel, but it can be especially critical for travel to Vietnam. Whether you are traveling on business or just for fun, you will need to have a valid passport whose expiration date is more than six months away. If you have been meaning to have your passport renewed, it is a good idea to get that taken care of before you start planning the rest of your trip.