Whether you get the Vietnam Visa On Arrival in your home country

Whether you get the Vietnam Visa On Arrival in your home country, you'll still be paying quite a bit.

 

We found it cheaper to do the visa on arrival (VOA) as it was going to cost significantly more getting it locally in Sydney. Check with you local Vietnamese consulate in the UK what it would cost there, then decide if you should do the VOA or just get it in your home country before departing. 

With the Vietnam Visa , just about every travel agent in Vietnam will do it for a fee, so check up on what they are charging (and haggle if you must). I may be wrong, but I think only the Vietnamese travel agents are able to submit the application for you (like you, I wondered why I couldn't just do it myself). This initial fee goes to the travel agent for making the application - not to immigration. Also, note that not all travel agents in Vietnam accept credit cards online. I don't believe that if cards are not accepted, it is because they are attempting a credit card scam (it's a two way thing, they are also trying not to be scammed by those bearing false cards). It's probably just the nature of banking there. As I mentioned, there are numerous agents, so find one that does accept cards.