How to Get a Vietnam Visa in 2026: E-Visa, Visa on Arrival or Embassy

Most travellers can sort out a Vietnam visa online in a few minutes and have it by email within a week. The route you take depends on your passport, how long you are staying and why you are going. This guide walks through the decision and then the steps.

Step 1: check whether you need a visa at all

Some passports can enter Vietnam without a visa for a limited stay - 45 days for the United Kingdom, Germany, France and most of western Europe, 30 days for most of Southeast Asia, 90 days for Chile and Panama. Australia, the United States, Canada, New Zealand, India and most other countries are not on that list.

Look up your passport on our visa requirements by nationality page. If you are visa-free but staying longer than your exemption, or leaving and coming back during the trip, you still need a visa.

Step 2: choose the right kind of visa

	E-visa	Visa on arrival	Embassy visa
Who it suits	Almost every tourist and business visitor	Travellers who already hold an approval letter	Long stays, work, study, family
Where you apply	Online, before you travel	Approval letter before travel, visa stamped at the airport	At a Vietnamese embassy or consulate
Longest stay	90 days	Set by the approval letter	Up to several years, by visa type
Entry points	Designated airports, land borders and seaports	International airports only	Any international border gate

Since 15 August 2023 the e-visa has been open to citizens of every country and territory, for up to 90 days, single or multiple entry. That is why it has become the default. See the full list of e-visa eligible countries.

Step 3: apply for the e-visa

What you need:

• A passport valid for at least six months after you arrive. Vietnam's rules also require the visa to end at least 30 days before the passport does.
• A portrait photo - recent, 4x6 cm proportions, facing the camera, white background, no hat and no glasses.
• A scan of your passport photo page, flat and glare-free, with the two lines of machine-readable text at the bottom fully visible.
• Your travel details: the date you arrive, the airport or border you arrive at and the first address you will stay at.

You can apply on the government's own portal - the only official addresses are evisa.gov.vn and thithucdientu.gov.vn - or through an agency such as ours, where a person checks the photo and scan before anything is lodged. Either way you must be outside Vietnam when you apply, and you can apply up to a year before you travel.

The government fee is US$25 for single entry and US$50 for multiple entry. It is not refunded if the visa is refused. Our prices include it - see the Vietnam e-visa and multiple entry e-visa pages.

Step 4: wait for the result

Vietnam's immigration department quotes three working days, and five to seven is common at busy times. Weekends and Vietnamese public holidays, especially Tet, do not count. If you are short of time, read how to get an urgent Vietnam visa.

You can follow the application on the official portal - see how to check your Vietnam e-visa status. If you applied with us, your account shows the status and we email you the e-visa when it is issued.

Step 5: check it, print it and travel

When the e-visa arrives, check that your name, date of birth, passport number and nationality match the passport exactly. An issued e-visa can't be amended, so a mistake means a new application.

Print a copy and keep the PDF on your phone. Airlines check it at check-in, and immigration officers check it on arrival. You enter and leave through one of the border gates approved for e-visa holders, but you don't have to leave through the same one you came in by - see the ports of entry. Some airports also ask for the online pre-arrival form.

The other two routes

Visa on arrival is not a visa you get by turning up. You need an approval letter arranged through a sponsor in Vietnam before you fly, and then you queue at the airport counter with a form, photos and the stamping fee in cash. It only works at international airports. The visa on arrival guide explains when it still makes sense.

An embassy visa is the route for stays longer than 90 days on one visa and for purposes the e-visa doesn't cover, such as work, study or joining family. It usually needs a sponsor in Vietnam to file a request first. See Vietnam embassy visa and Vietnam visa types.

Frequently asked questions

What is the easiest way to get a Vietnam visa?

For a holiday or business trip of up to 90 days, the e-visa. It is applied for online, needs no sponsor and arrives by email.

How far in advance can I apply?

Vietnam accepts e-visa applications up to a year before you travel. Two to three weeks ahead is a comfortable margin; less than a week means paying for faster processing.

Can I apply for a Vietnam visa while I'm in Vietnam?

Not for an e-visa. It is only issued to people outside Vietnam, so you apply after you have left.

Does every traveller need their own visa?

Yes. Each person travelling on their own passport needs their own visa, children included.

Can I work in Vietnam on an e-visa?

No. Working in Vietnam needs a work permit, or confirmation that you are exempt from one, and a work visa arranged through your employer.