Are you planning to have an unforgettable Vietnam getaway? A Vietnam tourist visa is just what you need to kick start your dream vacation.
There are 3 ways to apply for the Vietnam tourist visa: applying directly at the Vietnam Embassy, applying for the visa upon arrival, and registering an E-visa. Let’s find out how each way works.
Apply for a tourist visa at the Vietnam Embassy
How does the procedure of applying for a tourist visa at the Vietnam Embassy work?
The first way is to apply for a Vietnam tourist visa at the nearest embassy in your country. You should contact the embassy to ask for guidance to prepare the required documents and fees in advance. In general, the steps are as follow:
Step 1: Prepare the following documents:
- A passport that is valid for at least 6 months from the intended arrival date to Vietnam.
- Two 2×2 inches or 4×6 cm (passport-sized) photos that meet the visa photo requirements.
Step 2: You will have to fill in a visa application form (NA1) and submit the passport and photos to the embassy. Then, you will need to pay the fee to process the procedure.
Step 3: Receive the visa result that will be sent by mail to your home address after around 3-5 business days.
How much to pay when applying for a Vietnam tourist visa at the Vietnam Embassy?
There is no fixed cost when applying for tourist visas at the Vietnam Embassy. Each embassy charges a different amount.
Applying for a Vietnam tourist visa upon arrival
What is a visa on arrival?
Vietnam tourist visa on arrival is a type of visa that facilitates you to get a tourist visa at international airports in Vietnam.
Due to its highly convenient and hassle-free application process, the tourist visa upon arrival is applied by a large number of foreigners.
Who can apply for a Vietnam tourist visa upon arrival?
Applying for a Vietnam visa on arrival is a convenient way for those who don’t have time to go to the embassy. Furthermore, if you fall into one of the following cases, you can apply for a visa on arrival:
- You come from a country that does not have any Vietnam Embassy to grant you any type of Vietnam visa.
- You have to transit to many countries before entering Vietnam.
- You visit Vietnam on tours that are organized by authorized travel agencies in Vietnam.
- You are a crew member of a ship that is docked at the seaport of Vietnam.
- You have to attend the funeral of your relatives.
- You enter Vietnam to participate in emergency rescue missions, prevention of natural disasters or epidemics, or for other special reasons at the request of relevant competent Vietnamese agencies.
How does the procedure of applying for a visa on arrival work?
The application process of Vietnam tourist visa on arrival is completely online and very simple with only 3 steps required:
Step 1: Fill in the application form online.
Step 2: Confirm the all information and make payment for the service.
Step 3: Receive a visa on arrival approval letter through email after 3-5 working days, or within just 4 – 8 working hours for urgent cases. This letter of approval allows you to have your tourist visa stamped on your passport.
Once you have done all the above steps, remember to print out the approval letter and bring it along with you. After landing at a Vietnam international airport, go to the visa counter to hand in your approval letter along with your passport and photos. Finally, pay the stamping fee in cash (either USD or VND) and you will get your tourist visa on arrival immediately.
How much to pay when applying for a Vietnam tourist visa upon arrival?
The Vietnam tourist visa upon arrival cost consists of the service fee and the stamping fee. The visa stamping cost is fixed at $25, while the service fee varies depending on the type of tourist visa you chose. Please check our detailed Vietnam tourist service fee here.
Additional information about applying for a visa on arrival
The following keynotes will be useful for you if you have the intention to apply for a Vietnam tourist visa upon arrival:
- Check beforehand whether your nationality is allowed to be exempted from any Vietnam visa.
- Vietnam tourist visa on arrival is only available for traveling by plane.
- Only Vietnam international airports accept the visa on arrival.
- Children under 14 years old do not need a separate visa application, but two 2×2 inches or 4×6 cm (passport-sized) photos and some information required in the application form of their parents are necessary.
- Your passport must have at least one blank page for the visa stamp issued at the airport.
Applying for an e-visa
What is an e-visa?
Vietnam electronic visa or Vietnam e-visa is available for foreigners entering Vietnam from February 2017 and its validity is 30 days. This visa is for single entry only.
Here at Visa2Asia, we are in the process to open a new service for applying for the Vietnam e-visa. In the meantime, you can take a look at the information below for your reference or choose our Vietnam visa on arrival service.
What are the documents to prepare when applying for an e-visa?
Applying for the e-visa is processed online at the website of the Vietnam Immigration Department. You can apply by yourself or you can contact a trusted travel agency to help you do it. Please keep in mind that you have to prepare the following documents before the registration:
- A scanned photo of the valid passport (6 months of validity remaining) information page.
- A scanned photo of a passport photo (2×2 inches or 4×6 cm, white background, no glasses, and straight face).
How does the procedure of applying for an e-visa work?
When the required documents for the e-visa are ready, please follow these 5 steps:
Step 1: Go to the Vietnam Immigration Department website. Read the instruction carefully and tick on the confirmation box then press “Next” to go to the application form page.
Step 2: Fill in the required information which is marked (*) and upload both the scanned passport photo and the scanned passport data page.
Step 3: Review the application form.
Step 4: Pay the stamping fee by credit or debit cards.
Step 5: Receive a registration code to check on the result of the E-visa at this link.
You will receive the result after approximately 3 days. Then, your E-visa can be printed out if it is approved.
How much to pay when applying for a Vietnam tourist e-visa?
The fee to apply for the Vietnam tourist e-visa is $25/person and it is non-refundable if the application is disapproved.
Important notes:
- The fee is non-refundable if the application is disapproved.
- You can be scammed and your data can be stolen if you get untrustworthy travel agencies or organizations to apply for you.
- The E-visa is accepted at 8 international airports, 16 land ports, and 9 seaports of Vietnam. When arriving at one of Vietnam’s international ports above, you must present the printout of the E-visa along with your valid passport (6 months of validity remaining).
Keynotes on Vietnam tourist visa exemption
The Vietnamese Government has agreed to let citizens of 88 countries be exempted from visas when entering Vietnam.
Furthermore, citizens of foreign countries who visit Phu Quoc island are exempted from any Vietnam visa (available when staying on the island within 30 days). This also applies to foreigners who enter Vietnam at one of the Vietnamese international border gates and stay in the transit area, then forwarding to Phu Quoc island.
Travel to Vietnam during Covid-19 pandemic
Foreigners haven’t been allowed to enter Vietnam since March 22nd, 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic. However, foreigners who enter Vietnam with a diplomatic visa are still allowed.
Currently, the Vietnam Government is in the final steps of testing the Covid-19 vaccine (Nanocovax). So far, there is not any negative result reported. It is believed that mass vaccination will be conducted. Because of this, possibly, in this year 2021, foreigners will be allowed to travel to Vietnam again. Apply to get your Vietnam tourist visa with Visa2Asia NOW!
Once Vietnam is fully saved from COVID-19 and accepts the application of vaccine passports, don’t hesitate to make an amazing vacation to this wonderful country. Check out our blog to know more about Vietnam’s best destinations not to miss!
FAQs
Q: Can I stay longer than 30 days with Vietnam Electronic Visa (E-visa)?
A: Unfortunately you cannot. E-visa in Vietnam is currently for a maximum of 30 days. If you plan to stay longer, you should aim for two other types of applications which will allow a longer validity.
Q: Is Visa on arrival legit?
A: Yes, it has been allowed according to the Law on entry, exit, transit, and residence of foreigners in Vietnam. Note that you should check carefully whether the service provider is trustworthy or not. We, Visa2asia, are confident of our transparency.
Q: What fee do I have to pay?
A: If you apply for E-visa by yourself, the fee is only $25. As for two other types, you need to pay 2 kinds of fee, service fee and stamping fee. The service fee varies depending on different service providers. Meanwhile, the stamping fee is fixed, which $25 for single entries and $50 for multiple entries.
Q: How long does it take me to get my visa upon my arrival at the international airport in Vietnam?
A: It usually takes around 20-40 minutes to get your Vietnam Tourist Visa upon your arrival depending on the number of customers at the Landing Visa Counter. You should carry a book with you to read or find something else to do while waiting.
Q: Do I have to arrive at the exact entry date specified in the visa?
A: No, you do not have to. You can arrive within the period of your visa validity, but not before the entry date specified in it.
Q: How much is the tourist visa application fee for U.S travelers?
A: The tourist visa application cost for U.S citizens varies based on the validity and types of entry:
1-month tourist visa
- Single entry: $19
- Multiple entry: $24
3-month tourist visa
- Single entry: $45
- Multiple entry: $55
6-month tourist visa
- Multiple entry: $70
1-year tourist visa
- Multiple entry: $86
