Overseas participants entering Vietnam should possess a passport with valid visa which can
be obtained at the Vietnamese Embassies or Consulates in the corresponding countries. Visas
are exempted for the citizens of the countries, which have signed a bilateral visa exemption
agreement with Vietnam, including Thailand, Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, and
Laos. Vietnam also made a unilateral decision on visa exemption for the Japanese and Korean
citizens for short visits within 15 days. Please click here for information in detail.

There are international flights operated by Vietnam Airlines and other airline agencies to Hanoi
from many countries such as Australia, China, France, Germany, Great Britain, Japan, Korea,
Russia, Taiwan, U.A.E/Emirates, and Southeast Asian countries. To date, Vietnam Airlines is
reaching 24 international destinations worldwide with its fleet of 36 modern airplanes.

Please see the flight schedule of Vietnam Airlines. Useful information on flights to Hanoi can be
seen at many websites, such as Yahoo Travel, or the websites of other airline agencies
including Japan Airlines, Korean Air, Cathay Pacific Airways, China Airlines, Singapore Airlines,
Thai Airways, Air France, and so forth.

Airport Taxis charge a flat rate of US$ 15 (one-way) for cars from Noi Bai Airport to central Hanoi.
The drive takes about 45 minutes. A minibus makes the trip for US$ 4 per person.
The Conference Secretariats plan to pick up the conference attendants if necessary. Detailed
information will be announced later.

The official unit of currency in Vietnam is the VND.
Most banks are opened from 8am to 11:30am. Some are open from 1pm to 5pm.

ATMs&Credit Card
Major credit cards are now accepted in most tourist destinations and many banks can organise
cash advances for Visa and MasterCard, usually at a rate of 3% commission. Some travellers
cafes provide this service at higher rates, but they operate daily -banks usually close weekends.
24-hr ATM's, dispensing Dong only, are available at: ANZ Bank, Vietcombank - Most branches
nationwide.

Electrical power in Vietnam is supplied at 220 volts, 50 Hz.
It may be useful to bring along a plug converter and a 220/110 volts transformer.

The following table shows the basic weather information of Hanoi.

Current weather conditions & travel forecast for Hanoi, Vietnam can be seen on the abve websites.