Do I Need a Visa for Vietnam? Visa-Free Countries and E-Visa Rules (2026)

For most nationalities the answer is yes. Vietnam lets citizens of 39 countries in without a visa for a limited stay; everyone else needs one arranged before they travel. The good news is that the visa is electronic, open to every nationality and done entirely online.

The short answer by passport

• Australia, United States, Canada, New Zealand, India, China, Ireland, South Africa: visa required. Get the e-visa before you fly.
• United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Netherlands, Switzerland, Japan, South Korea and much of Europe: visa-free for 45 days.
• Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos: visa-free for 30 days.
• Any passport, staying longer than its exemption: e-visa required.

For the rule on a specific passport, with prices, see Vietnam visa requirements by nationality.

Who can enter Vietnam without a visa

These are the visa-free stays for ordinary passports in 2026:

Stay allowed	Countries
90 days	Chile, Panama
45 days	Belarus, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Romania, Russia, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom
30 days	Cambodia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Malaysia, Mongolia, Singapore, Thailand
21 days	Philippines
14 days	Brunei, Indonesia, Myanmar

Things to know about visa-free entry:

• The day you arrive is day one. A 45-day exemption means you leave by day 45, not 45 days after you land.
• It cannot be extended from inside Vietnam in the ordinary way.
• There is no waiting period between visits. You can leave and enter visa-free again, but each stay is capped.
• The list changes. Vietnam adds and adjusts countries by government resolution. Twelve European countries were added in August 2025 until August 2028, and Indonesia's allowance dropped from 30 days to 14 in July 2026.

Everyone else: the e-visa

If your passport is not on that list, you need a visa, and the e-visa is the one almost everybody uses:

• Up to 90 days, single or multiple entry
• Open to every nationality since August 2023
• Applied for online and delivered by email
• Accepted at 83 airports, land borders and seaports

You need a passport with six months' validity, a scan of its photo page, and a passport-style photo on a white background. What the e-visa involves.

Visa-free passport, but staying longer?

This is the case people miss. If you hold a British, German or Japanese passport and plan to spend two months in Vietnam, the 45-day exemption is not enough. You need an e-visa for the whole trip, and you have to get it before you travel: Vietnam only accepts e-visa applications from people who are outside the country.

The Phu Quoc exception

Phu Quoc island has its own rule. Travellers of any nationality can stay on Phu Quoc for up to 30 days without a visa, provided they arrive on the island directly - or connect straight through another Vietnamese international airport - and do not travel on to the mainland. How the Phu Quoc exemption works.

What about a visa on arrival?

Vietnam's visa on arrival is not what the name suggests. You still need an approval letter arranged through an agent before you fly, it only works at international airports, and you queue at a visa counter after landing. For almost every traveller the e-visa is simpler. Visa on arrival, explained.

What every traveller needs, visa or not

• A passport valid for six months after arrival
• A ticket out of Vietnam, which airlines can ask to see - especially for visa-free entry
• The pre-arrival form, Vietnam's new online arrival declaration. What it is and where to do it

Frequently asked questions

Do Australians need a visa for Vietnam?

Yes. Australian passport holders need a visa and almost all use the e-visa. Vietnam visa for Australian citizens.

Do US citizens need a visa for Vietnam?

Yes. American passport holders need a visa, usually the e-visa. Vietnam visa for American citizens.

Do British citizens need a visa for Vietnam?

Not for stays of up to 45 days. For longer, an e-visa is required. Vietnam visa for British citizens.

Do I need a visa for a layover in Vietnam?

Not if you stay in the airport's international transit area and leave on a connecting flight. If you want to leave the airport, or have to collect and re-check bags landside, you need a visa unless your passport is visa-free.