Vietnam Visa on Arrival: How It Really Works (and Why Most Travellers Use the E-Visa)

The name causes more confusion than anything else about Vietnamese visas. In most countries "visa on arrival" means you land, pay and walk through. In Vietnam it does not.

What visa on arrival means in Vietnam

It is a two-step visa:

1. Before you fly, an agent or sponsor in Vietnam obtains an approval letter for you from the immigration department. This takes a few working days.
2. When you land, you take that letter to the visa-on-arrival counter, hand over a form and passport photos, pay a stamping fee, and wait for the visa to be put in your passport.

Without the approval letter you will not be boarded. Airlines check for either an e-visa or an approval letter at check-in and refuse passengers who have neither.

What you need

• An approval letter naming you and your passport, arranged in advance
• Two passport photos, on a white background
• A completed entry form, available at the counter
• The stamping fee in cash: US$25 for single entry, US$50 for multiple entry
• A passport valid for six months

Where it works

International airports only. A visa on arrival cannot be used at a land border or a seaport, so it is no use for the bus from Phnom Penh, a crossing from Laos, or a cruise.

Visa on arrival compared with the e-visa

	E-visa	Visa on arrival
Arranged before travel	Yes - the whole visa	Yes - the approval letter
Where it is accepted	83 airports, land borders and seaports	International airports only
Maximum stay	90 days	Set by the approval letter
At the airport	Straight to passport control	Visa counter first, then passport control
Photos	One digital photo, uploaded	Two printed photos, carried
Payment	Once, online	Agent's fee online, stamping fee in cash on landing
What you carry	A printed PDF	Approval letter, form, photos, cash

The visa counter is the part travellers remember. After a long flight it can mean a wait of half an hour or much longer when several planes land together, before you even join the passport queue.

When visa on arrival still makes sense

There are a few cases:

• A genuine emergency on a day when an e-visa cannot be issued in time, and an agent can obtain an approval letter faster.
• A sponsored visa for a longer stay or a specific purpose, arranged by a company or organisation in Vietnam.
• A problem with the e-visa photo that cannot be fixed before departure - an approval letter needs no uploaded photo.

For an ordinary holiday or business trip planned more than a few days ahead, the e-visa is cheaper, simpler and works at more entry points.

The history, briefly

Before 2023 the visa on arrival was the normal way in for most nationalities, because e-visas were limited to 80 countries, 30 days and a single entry. In August 2023 Vietnam opened the e-visa to every nationality, extended it to 90 days and added multiple entry. Since then most visitors who need a visa have used the e-visa.

Much of what you will read online about visa on arrival was written before that change.

Frequently asked questions

Can I get a visa at the airport in Vietnam without applying first?

No. You need either an e-visa or an approval letter before you board your flight.

Can Australians get a visa on arrival in Vietnam?

Only with an approval letter arranged in advance, and only at an international airport. Australian passport holders are better served by the e-visa.

How long is the queue for visa on arrival?

It depends on how many flights have just landed. Allow at least half an hour and more at busy times.

Can I pay the stamping fee by card?

Plan on cash in US dollars. Card facilities at the counter are not something to rely on.

Is an e-visa the same as a visa on arrival?

No. An e-visa is a complete visa issued before you travel. A visa on arrival is issued at the airport on the strength of an approval letter.