Vietnam Business E-Visa - Single Entry (90 days)
Contents
A business e-visa is the same electronic visa issued for a business purpose: meeting clients or suppliers, visiting a factory, attending a conference or negotiating a contract. It runs for up to 90 days. It does not allow you to take up employment in Vietnam - that needs a work permit and a different visa, sponsored by the employer.
| Maximum stay | Up to 90 days |
|---|---|
| Entries | Single entry |
| Validity | The dates you choose, up to 90 days |
| Standard processing | Within 8 business days |
| Can it be extended? | No - leave and apply for a new e-visa |
Step by step guide
1Before you applyCheck your passport and fix your dates
Make sure your passport is valid for at least six months after the day you arrive. Decide the date you will enter Vietnam and the airport, land border or seaport you will arrive at - the visa's start and end dates are fixed from that date and cannot be moved later.
If you will leave Vietnam and come back, you need a multiple-entry visa. Single or multiple entry?
2Gather your documents5 things to have ready
- Passport valid for at least 6 months after the day you arrive
- A clear photo or scan of your passport's photo page
- A recent passport-style photo: white background, no glasses
- Your arrival date, entry port and first address in Vietnam
- Name and address of the company you are visiting in Vietnam
That is all we need from you. Photo and passport scan rules
3Apply for your e-visaAbout five minutes online
Upload your passport page and photo, check the details we read from them, and pay by card. Our team checks the file before lodging it with the Vietnam Immigration Department, then emails your e-visa as a PDF once it is approved.
Who this visa is for
- Client and supplier meetings
- Factory and site visits
- Conferences and trade fairs
- Contract negotiations
Processing times and fees
| Processing | How long | Fee per applicant* |
|---|---|---|
| Standard | Within 8 business days | $69.42 |
| Express | 3 business days | $115.70 |
| Urgent | 1 business day | $171.79 |
* Includes the Vietnamese government e-visa fee ($28.05). Nothing more is paid at the airport.
What is the Vietnam business e-visa?
A business e-visa is Vietnam's electronic visa issued for a business purpose rather than tourism. It is applied for online, arrives by email as a PDF, and allows a stay of up to 90 days. This page covers the single-entry version; if you will fly in and out more than once, choose the multiple-entry business e-visa.
It is available to citizens of every country, including those whose passports are visa-free for tourism.
What you can do on it
A business e-visa covers business visits:
- Meeting clients, suppliers, distributors or partners
- Visiting a factory, site or office
- Attending a conference, exhibition or trade fair
- Negotiating and signing contracts
- Market research and scouting a location
What you cannot do on it
- Take up employment. Working for a Vietnamese company, or being paid by one, needs a work permit and a work visa sponsored by the employer.
- Stay beyond 90 days. Longer assignments need a sponsored business visa issued through an inviting company - a separate and slower process.
If you are unsure which side of the line your trip falls on, ask us before you apply. The distinction that matters is who employs and pays you, not how formal the meetings are.
Requirements
- A passport valid for at least six months after you arrive
- A clear scan of the passport photo page, including the two code lines
- A recent portrait photo on a white background, without glasses
- Your entry date, arrival port and first address in Vietnam
- The name and address of the company you are visiting
You do not need an invitation letter for the e-visa. The form asks who you will be dealing with in Vietnam, which is why we collect the company's details.
Business e-visa or tourist e-visa?
They are the same kind of visa, cost the government the same, and take the same time. The difference is the purpose you declare. Declare the real one: if your trip is for meetings, apply for business. An officer who asks why you are visiting should hear an answer that matches your visa.
Citizens of visa-free countries sometimes ask whether they need a visa for a business trip at all. Vietnam's current 45-day exemptions for European and North-East Asian passports apply regardless of the purpose of the visit, so a short meeting trip is generally covered - but for a stay longer than the exemption, or where your company wants the purpose documented, the business e-visa is the clean option.
Processing time
Vietnam's immigration department quotes three working days and often takes five to seven in busy periods. It does not process applications at weekends or on Vietnamese public holidays.
Business travel is often booked at short notice. Express and Urgent processing are offered when you apply - choose one if you fly within a week, rather than hoping standard arrives early.
On arrival
Go straight to passport control with your passport and printed e-visa. Carry a copy of your hotel booking and the contact details of the company you are visiting in case you are asked.
Vietnam also asks arriving foreigners to complete a free pre-arrival form online before landing.