How to get your visa for Vietnam? 4 things you need to prepare

[UPDATE NOVEMBER 2024]

From November 11, 2024, the Vietnam Immigration Department will be launching a new website for E-visa applications, accessible at the following address: https://thithucdientu.gov.vn/ 

This new platform, with a more intuitive interface, aims to simplify and optimize the e-visa application procedure.  While the new site is currently in the test phase and not yet operational for applications, the old portal (https://evisa.xuatnhapcanh.gov.vn/) will remain in service to ensure continuity of service. 

In this article, we will set out how to get your Vietnamese visa according to your length of stay, so you can focus your mind on the wonderful experience awaiting you.

Vietnam visa guide

* Please note that for any visa application for Vietnam, your passport must be valid for at least 6 months after the date of entry into Vietnamese territory.

Holders of a British passport are exempt from an entry visa for stays in Vietnam lasting fewer than 15 days/14 days. This exemption is currently applied until June 2021 and contrary to what was announced initially, the duration of the exemption does not pass for now at 30 days. The possibility of extending it to 30 days is under discussion at the government level.

If you are visa-free, you must still have a valid passport and provide a ticket reservation proving that you have planned to leave Vietnam within 15 days.

To be visa-free again, it is necessary to wait at least one month to be able to enter again without a visa because it is not possible to cumulate the visa exemptions successively. If after your 15 days of stay in Vietnam without a visa you want to extend your stay, you must leave the territory and apply for a visa that will be paid for at that time.

>> To read also:  Vietnam Visa: extension of the visa exemption for tourists from Western Europe

Since February 1, 2017, you can get an e-visa online to enter Vietnam for a trip lasting no more than 30 days with a single entry.

To take your online steps to obtain your electronic visa for Vietnam, please visit the official website at: http://www.immigration.gov.vn

Please be careful, some sites are not unofficial and will overtax the visa application.

Once on the site, you must complete a questionnaire and include the upload of a photo ID and a copy of your passport. You will then have to make an online payment of 25 USD or about 23 euros. Your visa will be emailed to you within a maximum of three business days.

Before you leave for Vietnam, you will need to print it to be able to present it to immigration upon your arrival in Vietnamese territory. This is done at one of the 28 ports of entry available, whether by air, land or sea.

How to get it?

* At the consular service of the Vietnamese embassy

Two recent identity photos are needed and a form in 2 copies to be completed on the spot. Allow 1 to 2 weeks for processing. For an extra fee, you can get it in 3 days.

Fee:

+ 1 month single entry: 85 € or 95 USD

+ 1 month multi-entries: 115 € or 128 USD

+ 3 months single entry: 115 € or 128 USD

+ 3 months multi-entries: 165 € or 183 USD

* Via a local agency - Visa upon arrival

If you enter Vietnam on an international flight, your local Vietnamese travel agency can take care of the process so that you get an invitation letter that will allow you to receive your visa at the airport. Allow a minimum of 3 days for processing.

+ Price for a 1 month visa: 40 € or 45 USD (single entry) and for a 3 month visa: 80 € or 89 USD (single entry) and 130 € or 144 USD (multiple entries).

* From a specialised organisation

We do not recommend this option because it is much more expensive.

Be careful if you exceed the duration of your visa or your visa-free period, as you will face administrative complications and will have to pay a fine of 25 USD per day of overstay.

Vietnamese nationals residing abroad and foreign nationals who are spouses, children of a Vietnamese citizen, are exempt from a visa if they meet the following conditions:

1. They hold a foreign passport or a title that takes the place of a passport valid for at least 6 months from the date of entry into Vietnam. If Vietnamese nationals residing abroad do not have a passport, they must be able to produce a permanent residence card issued by foreign public authorities which is still valid at least 6 months after the date of entry into Vietnam.

2. They hold a visa exemption certificate issued by the relevant Vietnamese authorities.

     Related articles:

>> Vietnam e-visa according to the law from August 15, 2023

>> Issuance of the Vietnam e-visa: 80 eligible nationalities

>> Everything need to know about Vietnam Visa