September 17, 2013

Vietnam Visa requirements

Vietnam Visa requirements is our help page that talks about Vietnam entry requirements, visa on arrival, tourist visa, e visa, visa application and more.

We recommend that you obtain your entry visa by having a valid passport stamped prior to your departure by applying to any one of the Vietnam Embassies and/or Consulates worldwide.

Who are exempted Vietnam Visa?

  • Thailand passport holders (valid for 30 days).
  • Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, Cambodia, Lao, Philippines and Brunei passport holders (valid for 21 days).
  • Korea, Japan, Russian & Scandinavians (Norway, Denmark, Sweden and Finland passport holders) (valid for 15 days).
  • French diplomatic or official passport holders (90 days or several visits within 6 months).
  • Chile diplomatic or official passport holders (less than 60 days).
  • APEC Business Travel Card (ABTC) Holders from Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) member economies (less than 60 days).
  • Vietnam Visa exemption for visiting Phu Quoc Island: applied for foreigners and Vietnamese Nationals who hold foreign passport (15 days).
  • Vietnamese oversea holding visa exemption certificate (less than 90 days).

Vietnam Visa requirements

Only citizens of the above countries can visit Vietnam without an entry visa. All other citizens are required to get an entry visa before departure or a pre-approved entry visa (visa is issued upon arrival at Vietnam’s International Airports) supplied before arrival in Vietnam.

Types of Vietnam Visa?

There are two ways of classification.

In terms of traveling purpose, there are four kinds of Vietnam entry visa.

  • Tourist Visa.
  • Business Visa.
  • Visa extension.
  • Re-entry Visa.

The other way is to classify upon the method to get the visa, according to which, there are two kinds.

  • Visa upon Arrival (VOA).
  • Normal Entry Visa.

Vietnam Visa on Arrival

Vietnam Visa on Arrival is one of the two kinds of Visa, which is stamped onto your passport upon arrival at any of Vietnam International Airports. This is the quickest and cheapest way to get your visa. You have just to fill in our form with your personal details, pay the service fee, get your “Visa approval letter”. The application takes around 3 working days more or less. You will pick up your Visa at any Vietnam international airport upon your arrival.

Visa Approval Letter

Visa Approval Letter is the letter issued by Vietnam Immigration Department (Vietnam Government) that allows you to enter and exit the Vietnam’s Airports for a given period. With the approval letter you can get your visa at any Vietnam international airports upon your arrival.

How long does it take to get the Visa Approval Letter?

It takes only 3 working days after we receive your personal details and confirmation of payment. In urgent cases, it may take 1 working day. Please bear in mind we need to apply your Visa at the Vietnam Immigration Office (Government Office) and that your application can be approved or denied.

Where can I get Vietnam Visa?

Getting visa to Vietnam is quite simple and easy now, that is picking up Vietnam visa at Vietnam international airport. After receiving the approval letter from us, you should print it out and take it along with you.

Upon arrival at Vietnam’s airport, go to visa on arrival desk, show the approval letter and fill in a form (we send to you with your approval letter). Please remember to bring at least 2 photos of passport regulation size (04*06cm), and US$ cash for stamp fees.

Please note that you can only get Vietnam Visa on arrival if you arrive by air in any Vietnam international airport. If you cross the border by land, you will need then to apply the Vietnam visa before your arrival.

How much does it cost?

If you apply your visa at any Vietnamese Embassy or consulate, you will need to pay just one time the fee. In case you let us do the application, there are two fees to pay:

  • Stamping fee (pay directly at Vietnam airport)
  • Service fee (shall be paid in advance).

Vietnam Visa stamping fee

Visa stamping fee is the fee that must be paid directly by you to the Immigration at your arrival airport or at embassy/consulate. This fee is charged for the Immigration to get your visa itself printed out, glued (or stamped) onto your passport and sealed, after double checking your visa approval letter. The visa is stamped onto your passport only if all the information in your approval letter is exactly as in your passport.

Service fee for Vietnam Visa application

Visa Service fee is the fee paid to us by you before traveling with a view to getting your Visa Approval Letter issued by the Vietnam Immigration Department. The prerequisite is that our company guarantees for you at the Immigration Department, and accordingly, your visa is automatically sent from the Department to your arrival airport’s Immigration controlling network. After receiving this approval letter, you bring it to the airport in Vietnam, pay some “Stamping fee” there, and get your visa stamped.

Single entry visa vs multiple entry visa

Single entry visa

You can enter and exit Vietnam 1 time.

Multiple entry visa

You can enter and exit Vietnam more than 1 time. You need to apply for this type of visa in case you would like to enter Vietnam before you travel to another country and then re-enter Vietnam for the second time.

When do I need to apply Vietnam Visa?

Vietnam visa can be applied from 4 days to 6 months in advance. Though it takes only 3 working days to get your visa approved, it is strongly advised that you apply for a visa to Vietnam from 1 – 2 months before your arrival date.

How long does it take to get my Visa stamped?

It depends on how many people are arriving at the same time as you and who also need a visa. The wait time hardly exceeds 30 minutes and is usually around 10 minutes. Make sure you have all required documents ready to avoid delay:

  • Print-out of your Visa-Approval letter.
  • A passport valid for at least 1 month from your date of exit out of Vietnam.
  • Passport should have at least one blank page where the Visa sticker can be placed.
  • Cash US$ to pay for the Visa Stamping Fee at Vietnam airports.
  • 2 recently-taken photos with regular passport size.

How can I receive my Visa Approval Letter?

A copy of the approval letter will be scanned in color and delivered to you by email or you can download it from our store online.

Which information is required when I apply for Vietnam Visa on Arrival?

Vietnam Visa can also be applied online. The process takes a couples of minutes for you to fill in the Visa application form online including the following information:

  • Your full name in your passport.
  • Your date of birth
  • Your nationality shown in your passport
  • Your passport number
  • Your proposed arrival date
  • Your purpose of entry and your types of visa.

Can I extend my Visa when I am in Vietnam?

Please send us the copy of your passport that we will need to check if the extension is approved.

We hope this page has all the information you may need about Vietnam Visa requirements. If you have any question please feel free to contact us.