Vietnam Visa for Australians: The Complete 2026 Guide

Vietnam is one of Australians' favourite destinations in Asia, and unlike Thailand, Malaysia or Singapore it gives Australian passports no visa-free entry. Every Australian citizen needs a visa for Vietnam, whether the trip is a week in Hoi An or three months on a motorbike.

The good news is that the visa is electronic, takes a few minutes to apply for, and never involves posting your passport to Canberra.

Do Australians need a visa for Vietnam?

Yes. Australia is not on Vietnam's list of visa-exempt countries, and nothing is issued at the airport unless it was arranged before you left. Airlines check for a visa at check-in in Australia and will not board you without one.

The only exception is Phu Quoc island, which any nationality can visit visa-free for up to 30 days - but only when arriving there directly from abroad and staying on the island. Fly into Ho Chi Minh City first and the exemption no longer applies. The Phu Quoc rules.

Which visa should an Australian get?

Your trip	The visa
A holiday, one trip in and out, up to 90 days	Single-entry e-visa
Side trips to Cambodia, Laos or Thailand and back into Vietnam	Multiple-entry e-visa
Meetings, trade fairs, site visits	Business e-visa
Working, studying or living in Vietnam	A sponsored visa - the embassy route

The e-visa allows up to 90 days, is issued as a PDF by email and is accepted at 83 airports, land borders and seaports. Single or multiple entry?

What it costs in Australian dollars

The Vietnamese government charges US$25 for a single-entry e-visa and US$50 for multiple entry. You can pay that alone by applying yourself on the official portal, evisa.gov.vn.

Through us the price includes the government fee and a person checking your file before it is lodged. It is charged in Australian dollars, so an Australian card pays no foreign-currency conversion fee. Current prices are on the Vietnam visa for Australians page. Applying yourself or using an agency.

When to apply from Australia

Two to three weeks before you fly is comfortable. Vietnam's Immigration Department quotes three working days and often takes five to seven, and it does not work at weekends or on Vietnamese public holidays.

Two things catch Australians out:

• The time difference. Vietnam is behind every Australian state. An application sent at 4pm on a Friday from Sydney arrives after Vietnam's working week has ended.

Where you are	Vietnam is
Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra, Hobart	3 hours behind (4 during daylight saving)
Brisbane	3 hours behind
Adelaide, Darwin	2½ hours behind (3½ in Adelaide during daylight saving)
Perth	1 hour behind

• Tet and Australian school holidays. Tet, the Lunar New Year in late January or February, shuts Vietnam's immigration offices for about a week - right at the end of the Australian summer holidays. Apply at least three weeks ahead of any trip in January or February.

Flying this week? Urgent processing works on Vietnamese working days.

Flights from Australia, and the entry port to give

There are direct flights to Vietnam from Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth, mostly to Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi. From Adelaide, Darwin, Canberra and Hobart most travellers connect in an Australian city or through Singapore, Kuala Lumpur or Bangkok.

The e-visa form asks for your entry port. Give the airport where you first land in Vietnam, not your final destination. Two Australian-specific notes:

• Ho Chi Minh City is getting a second airport. Long Thanh (LTH) is scheduled to open on 1 December 2026, and long-haul international flights are expected to move there in stages. Check the airport code on your ticket. Arriving in Ho Chi Minh City.
• Flying Sydney to Da Nang via Ho Chi Minh City means entering Vietnam in Ho Chi Minh City. That is your entry port. Arriving in Da Nang.

Smartraveller's checks

Smartraveller, the Australian government's travel advice service, makes three points about Vietnamese visas that are worth taking seriously:

• The visa must match your passport exactly - name, date of birth and passport number. Airlines can refuse boarding over a mismatch, and correcting a visa at the airport is expensive. Checking this before lodging is the main thing we do.
• Carry a printed copy. You may be asked for one at check-in and on arrival.
• Check the stamp. The date written in your passport on arrival can differ from the visa. If it is wrong, say so at the desk. Overstays and fines.

Your passport also needs six months' validity from the day you arrive. Airlines enforce it in Australia.

Before you land

Vietnam asks arriving foreigners to complete a free online pre-arrival form within 72 hours of landing. It became compulsory at Ho Chi Minh City on 15 April 2026 and reached Phu Quoc, Hanoi, Da Nang and Cam Ranh in June 2026. Do it on prearrival.immigration.gov.vn once your e-visa is issued. How to complete the pre-arrival form.

Vietnamese Australians

If you were born in Vietnam, or have a Vietnamese parent or spouse, you may qualify for a five-year visa exemption certificate, which allows stays of up to 180 days per visit. It is issued by the Vietnamese embassy in Canberra and the consulates in Sydney and Perth, not through the e-visa system. Until you hold one, you travel on an e-visa like any other Australian.

Smartraveller advises dual nationals to enter Vietnam on their Australian passport. Use the same passport for the booking, the visa and the border.

Practical notes for Australians in Vietnam

• Medicare does not cover you in Vietnam. Smartraveller's advice is to buy travel insurance, and to check what your policy says about riding motorbikes.
• Subscribe to Smartraveller's updates for Vietnam, so changes to entry rules and safety advice reach you before you fly.
• Vietnam uses the dong. Cards work in cities and hotels; carry cash for markets and smaller towns.

Frequently asked questions

Do Australians need a visa for Vietnam?

Yes. Australian passport holders need a visa for every trip to Vietnam, except a visit only to Phu Quoc island arriving there directly. The e-visa covers almost every holiday: up to 90 days, issued online.

How much is a Vietnam visa for Australians?

The government fee is US$25 for single entry or US$50 for multiple entry. Our all-in price in Australian dollars, with that fee included, is on the Vietnam visa for Australians page.

Can Australians get a visa on arrival in Vietnam?

Only with an approval letter arranged before you fly, and only at international airports. The e-visa is simpler: you go straight to passport control. Visa on arrival compared.

How long can Australians stay in Vietnam?

Up to 90 days on an e-visa. It cannot be extended from inside Vietnam; for longer you leave and apply for a new one.

Do I need to go to the Vietnamese embassy in Canberra?

No. The e-visa is issued online and arrives by email. The embassy and consulates only matter for sponsored visas and the five-year exemption certificate.

I live in Australia but hold another passport. Do I need a visa?

The rule follows your passport, not where you live. A permanent resident travelling on a British passport can visit visa-free for 45 days; one travelling on an Indian or Chinese passport needs an e-visa. Check your passport.