Vietnam Visa & E-Visa: Who Needs One, and How to Apply

1. Do you need a visa for Vietnam?

It depends on your passport and how long you’re staying — but for most travellers the answer is now refreshingly simple. Vietnam runs two easy routes in: a 45-day visa exemption for citizens of around a dozen countries, and a 90-day e-visa that’s open to every nationality and takes a few minutes online.

Work out which lane you’re in with this quick table:

🛂 New for 2026: from July 1 every traveler files a health declaration, and a digital arrival card is rolling out at major airports. We break down both in our Vietnam entry requirements guide.

2. Visa-free entry: who qualifies, and for how long

Vietnam waives the visa entirely for citizens of a set list of countries, currently for up to 45 days per visit (extended from the old 15 days, and locked in through August 2028). It covers tourism and business, and you need no application — you just arrive with your passport.

The 45-day exemption list includes (among others):

A few neighbours (e.g. several ASEAN countries) get their own longer or different arrangements. Two cautions: the 45 days is per entry and counted from your arrival date, and if there’s any chance you’ll stay longer than 45 days, get an e-visa instead — overstaying even by a day means fines at the airport.

3. The Vietnam e-visa: all nationalities, up to 90 days

The e-visa is the workhorse, and it’s genuinely easy. Since 2023 it’s been open to citizens of every country, valid for up to 90 days, and you choose single or multiple entry when you apply. You fill in a form, upload two images, pay by card, and the visa arrives by email as a PDF you print and carry.

Choose multiple-entry if you’ll pop out to Cambodia, Laos or Thailand and come back, or do a side trip; otherwise single-entry is fine. The 90-day clock and your entry/exit windows are printed on the visa — read them. The e-visa has now replaced the old “visa on arrival” letter for almost everyone; you no longer need a pre-approval letter or a stamp queue if you hold an e-visa.

One thing to watch: the 90 days runs from the entry date you choose, not from the day you apply. Your e-visa carries a validity window with a start and end date, and you must enter within it — so set the start on or just before your real arrival, and don’t apply months ahead. The 90 days is a maximum, not a target: you can leave any time before it, but unused days aren’t refunded or carried over. If your dates slip past the window, you simply apply again — at US$25, that flexibility beats the stress of forcing old dates to fit.

4. How to apply for the e-visa, step by step

Set aside ten minutes and have these ready: your passport bio page (a clear scan), a passport-style photo (plain background, no glasses), your travel dates and intended entry/exit points, and a payment card.

1. Go to the one official site: evisa.gov.vn (the National Electronic Visa portal). Do not use any other site (see the scam warning next).
2. Start a new application, agree to the terms, and fill in your personal and passport details exactly as they appear in your passport.
3. Upload the passport photo and a scan of your passport bio page.
4. Enter your trip: intended date of entry, length of stay, single/multiple entry, and your port of entry (e.g. Da Nang International Airport) and exit.
5. Pay the US$25 / US$50 fee by card and submit. You’ll get a registration code — save it.
6. Wait ~3–5 working days, then check the result with your code, or watch your email. Download the PDF and print it — carry a paper copy.

5. ⚠️ Avoid fake visa websites & scams

This is the part to read twice. The single most common Vietnam-trip mistake is paying a fake or middleman visa site. Dozens of sites copy the government design, rank in ads, and charge two to five times the real fee — some take your money and deliver nothing, or harvest your passport data.

• There is exactly one official site: evisa.gov.vn (the Immigration Department also uses evisa.xuatnhapcanh.gov.vn). The real e-visa fee is US$25 / US$50 — full stop.
• Ignore the ads. Sponsored results at the top of Google are almost always agents charging a markup. Scroll to the official .gov.vn site.
• Be wary of “fast-track”, “guaranteed 24h”, “official partner” language and prices like US$70–150 — that’s a middleman markup, not a government fee.
• A legitimate agent can be fine if you knowingly pay for convenience, but you never need one for a standard tourist e-visa.

For the wider pattern of traveller traps, see our Vietnam scams guide. When in doubt, type evisa.gov.vn directly — don’t click an ad.

6. Arriving in Da Nang: immigration & what to show

Landing at Da Nang International Airport (DAD) 📍Map with an e-visa or under the exemption is quick. At immigration, have ready:

• Your passport (valid 6+ months).
• Your printed e-visa PDF (if you have one) — a paper copy is safest, even though it’s electronic.
• Sometimes asked: proof of onward/return travel and accommodation. Have your hotel booking and flight handy.

With an e-visa you go straight to the immigration counters — no separate “visa on arrival” stamp desk or letter needed. Officers scan or check your e-visa, stamp you in, and you’re through. After immigration, grab cash and a SIM/eSIM and head out — our Da Nang guide covers the airport-to-city run, and you can set up data before you even land:

7. Overstaying, extensions & longer stays

Don’t overstay — even by a day. Vietnam fines overstays at departure, and it’s a hassle you don’t want at the airport. Plan to leave on or before your visa/exemption end date.

• Need longer than your exemption? Get a 90-day e-visa instead of relying on the 45-day waiver.
• Already inside and want to extend? Extensions are possible but bureaucratic and usually done through a visa agent; it’s often easier to do a border run (exit and re-enter) on a fresh e-visa, especially with a multiple-entry visa.
• Long stays, nomads, repeat visits: a 90-day multiple-entry e-visa plus the occasional hop to a neighbour is the common pattern. Make sure your travel insurance covers the whole stretch.

What an overstay actually costs: for a short slip you pay a fine at the immigration desk on departure — typically from around US$25 for the first day or two and climbing from there — and you may be pulled aside while it’s processed and a form is stamped, which is the last thing you want with a flight to catch. Longer overstays can bring bigger penalties, a temporary entry ban, or a flag on your next arrival. It is never worth it: a fresh e-visa costs less than most overstay fines and skips the airport drama entirely.

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8. Pre-trip visa checklist

• Passport valid 6+ months beyond arrival, with blank pages.
• Know your lane: visa-free (≤45 days, exempt country) or e-visa (everyone else / longer).
• Applied on evisa.gov.vn only, at least a week ahead — not an ad or middleman.
• Details match your passport exactly (name, number) before you pay the US$25/US$50.
• Printed the e-visa PDF and saved your registration code.
• Entry point matches your flight (e.g. Da Nang) and entries (single/multiple) match your plan.
• Have onward travel & a hotel booking handy for immigration.
• Sorted insurance and an eSIM for the moment you land.

Get the visa right and the rest of the trip is the fun part — start with our Da Nang travel guide and the wider Vietnam guide.

Vietnam visa: FAQ

Planning the whole trip? See our complete Vietnam travel guide →

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