Vietnam Visa for Australian Citizens

What Australian travellers should know

Australian citizens need a visa for Vietnam. There is no visa-free entry for Australian passports and nothing is issued at the airport unless the paperwork was arranged before departure. The e-visa covers almost every trip: up to 90 days, single or multiple entry, issued online.

Smartraveller, the Australian government's travel advice, tells travellers to check that the name, date of birth and passport number on the visa match the passport exactly - airlines can refuse boarding over a mismatch, and correcting one at the airport is expensive. That check is the main thing we do before lodging. It also says you may be asked for a printed copy at check-in and on arrival, so print the PDF as well as saving it to your phone.

Can Australian citizens get a visa on arrival in Vietnam?

Not in the way the name suggests. Vietnam's visa on arrival still needs an approval letter arranged through an agent or sponsor before you fly, is only issued at international airports, and means queuing at the visa counter after landing with passport photos and a stamping fee in US dollars. The e-visa is approved before departure, works at airports, land borders and seaports, and lets you walk straight to passport control.

Airlines check for a visa at check-in, so Australian citizens can't simply turn up and pay at the border.

How Vietnam's visa on arrival really works

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

No. Vietnam has an embassy in Canberra and consulates in Sydney and Perth, but the e-visa is issued electronically. There is no appointment and you don't hand over your passport: you apply online and the visa arrives by email as a PDF.

Flying to Vietnam from Australia

There are direct flights to Vietnam from Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth, mostly to Ho Chi Minh City (SGN) and Hanoi (HAN).

Airline staff check your visa before the first flight, so keep the PDF on your phone and carry a printed copy. Schedules change - check current flights before you book.

What it costs in Australian dollars

The Vietnamese government charges US$25 for a single-entry e-visa and US$50 for multiple entry. Our price for the single-entry e-visa is A$99, and A$139 for multiple entry, with that government fee included. It is charged in Australian dollars, so an Australian card pays no foreign-currency conversion fee, and nothing more is paid at the airport.

What a Vietnam visa really costs

Vietnamese Australians and the five-year visa exemption

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 passport holder. Smartraveller advises dual nationals to enter on their Australian passport, as Vietnam recognises dual nationality only in limited situations.

When to apply

Standard processing takes up to 8 business days, or 3 business days with express processing for an extra A$66. Urgent processing (1 business day, A$146 extra) covers last-minute trips.

Vietnam's immigration offices don't work weekends or public holidays, and the Tet holiday in late January or February stops processing for about a week. An e-visa's start and end dates are fixed when it is issued, so apply once your flights are booked - two to three weeks ahead is comfortable.